Podcasts about AOR

We're back to take stock of one of the biggest bands to explode out of the 1980's as we decide The Best and Worst of Bon Jovi!  In this episode, we kick off Part 1 covering every studio album from the self-titled 1984 debut through 2002's Bounce. The goal was simple: each of us picked one favorite and one least favorite track from every album — no live albums, no compilations — and let the arguments fall where they may. We start with Bon Jovi and 7800° Fahrenheit. These 2 first albums straddled the line between AOR vibes, solid riffs, keyboard overkill, and rushed timelines for recording. The discussion revolves around early identity, flashes of future greatness, and whether these records are overlooked gems or simply necessary growing pains. Then it's into the arena-stratosphere era with Slippery When Wet and New Jersey, where a string of hits vaulted the band into stadiums and MTV dominance. We examine whether the massive singles define the albums or overshadow deeper cuts. The early '90s shift begins with Keep the Faith, marking a reinvention in the grunge era, and continues with the darker, more introspective These Days. These records sparked some of the most interesting debate: growth vs accessibility, musicianship vs hooks, and whether deeper cuts like “Dry County” outshine the radio staples. We wrap Part 1 with the comeback of Crush and the post-9/11 tone of Bounce. We hope you enjoy The Best and Worst of Bon Jovi Part 1 and SHARE with a friend! Decibel Geek is a proud member of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Contact Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Facebook Fan Page Follow on Twitter Follow on Instagram E-mail Us Subscribe to our Youtube channel! Support Us! Buy a T-Shirt! Donate to the show! Stream Us! Stitcher Radio Spreaker TuneIn Become a VIP Subscriber! Click HERE for more info! Comment Below Direct Download  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back to take stock of one of the biggest bands to explode out of the 1980's as we decide The Best and Worst of Bon Jovi!  In this episode, we kick off Part 1 covering every studio album from the self-titled 1984 debut through 2002's Bounce. The goal was simple: each of us picked one favorite and one least favorite track from every album — no live albums, no compilations — and let the arguments fall where they may. We start with Bon Jovi and 7800° Fahrenheit. These 2 first albums straddled the line between AOR vibes, solid riffs, keyboard overkill, and rushed timelines for recording. The discussion revolves around early identity, flashes of future greatness, and whether these records are overlooked gems or simply necessary growing pains. Then it's into the arena-stratosphere era with Slippery When Wet and New Jersey, where a string of hits vaulted the band into stadiums and MTV dominance. We examine whether the massive singles define the albums or overshadow deeper cuts. The early '90s shift begins with Keep the Faith, marking a reinvention in the grunge era, and continues with the darker, more introspective These Days. These records sparked some of the most interesting debate: growth vs accessibility, musicianship vs hooks, and whether deeper cuts like “Dry County” outshine the radio staples. We wrap Part 1 with the comeback of Crush and the post-9/11 tone of Bounce. We hope you enjoy The Best and Worst of Bon Jovi Part 1 and SHARE with a friend! Decibel Geek is a proud member of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Contact Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Facebook Fan Page Follow on Twitter Follow on Instagram E-mail Us Subscribe to our Youtube channel! Support Us! Buy a T-Shirt! Donate to the show! Stream Us! Stitcher Radio Spreaker TuneIn Become a VIP Subscriber! Click HERE for more info! Comment Below Direct Download  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! Los Estudios Romanones reciben a Yenesi, que estrena nueva cara, y a la tiktokera más viral del momento, Amanda. Anajú Bitxo nos coge el teléfono para darnos contenido, y el padre de Amanda hace una breve llamada, con cierta preocupación. El episodio termina con una selección musical comisariada por Garay en torno a Patty Pravo, un estudio hiperbólico en torno a standards, covers, originales y delirios AOR varios que lanzamos a las generaciones futuras, como testimonio del Siglo XX.Escucha este episodio completo y accede a todo el contenido exclusivo de Podcast El Programa de Sita Abellán. Descubre antes que nadie los nuevos episodios, y participa en la comunidad exclusiva de oyentes en https://go.ivoox.com/sq/30132

There's a magic and intrigue about rock music and radio from the mid to late 70's into the 80's. I'm talking Foreigner, Boston, Journey, Genesis and so many more in the genre known as AOR. That stands for Album Oriented Rock. Paul Rees has published an incredible oral history of those years with his new book, "Raised On Radio: Power Ballads, Cocaine and Payola - The AOR Glory Years." I'm a bit of a music (and radio) nerd so I've been loving my experience with this book. Paul talked to all of the heavy hitters from the time period and got the behind the scenes stories we, as fans, don't usually get to hear. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! Le damos cera a otro de los Diamond Albums, y nuevamente nos vamos hasta la prlífica Suecia de finales de les 80. Enmedio de todo ese boom metalero con cuna en Goteborg, unos tales Alien se salían del patrón y ponían un pilar fundamental del AOR. El libro de estilo del género, sin duda. En este episodio, ALIEN. Disfrutad.Escucha este episodio completo y accede a todo el contenido exclusivo de AOR Diamonds. Descubre antes que nadie los nuevos episodios, y participa en la comunidad exclusiva de oyentes en https://go.ivoox.com/sq/75094

¡Bienvenidos a un nuevo episodio de Mecalica! En esta ocasión nos acompaña Counterline, una de las agrupaciones más destacadas del Hard Rock y el AOR en Colombia.Nos sumergimos en una charla profunda sobre su trayectoria e historia, analizando cómo han construido su identidad sonora a través de los años. Además, nos cuentan todos los detalles de su próximo trabajo discográfico y lo que representa para el futuro de la banda.

En esta nueva entrega de Rebel Heart, Señor Melódico y Paco Jiménez vuelven a encender la llama del AOR, Melodic Rock y Hard Rock con una selección impecable que combina lo más reciente del género con nombres esenciales de su historia. La Emisión Nº 52 es un viaje sonoro por lanzamientos de 2025 y 2026, adelantos exclusivos, singles potentes y cortes que mantienen viva la esencia del rock melódico. Desde bandas emergentes hasta voces legendarias, este episodio ofrece una panorámica vibrante y actualizada del estado del género. Durante el programa podrás disfrutar de artistas como Alicate, Xtasy, Lou Gramm, Kaasin, Venus 5, Temple Balls, Chez Kane, Jeff Scott Soto, y muchos más, en un recorrido lleno de energía, melodía y actitud. Un episodio pensado para oyentes exigentes, amantes del sonido elegante, guitarrero y emocional que define a Rebel Heart. TRACKLIST Danny Veras ( sintonía ) Alicate – “Right Here Right Now” (Too Bad To Be Good, 2026) Xtasy – “If I Fall” (Single, 2026) Lou Gramm – “Young Love” (Single, 2026) Kaasin – “The Real World” (Single, 2026) Last Rain – “Compared to You” (EP, 2025) Alien – “Touch My Fire” (Live at Sweden Rock Festival, 2026) Venus 5 – “March of the Venus 5” (Single, 2026) Generation Radio – “Montana Sky” (2026) Temple Balls – “Tokyo Love” (2026) Strangers – “Language of Love” (Boundless, 2025) Frontline – “Burning Horizon” (Single, 2026) Ian Wilde – “Back to You / I'm So Excited” (2026) Chez Kane – “Personal Rock 'n' Roll” (2026) Heart 2 Heart – “Empty Streets” (Alley of Dreams, 2024) Theeleganttes – “Mi Gravedad” (2026) Austen Starr – “Read Your Mind” (I Am the Enemy, 2026) Bonnie Tyler – “The Best Is Yet to Come” (The Best Is Yet to Come, 2021) Mayhem Mavericks – “Midnight Crawler” (2026) Jeff Scott Soto – “Complicated” (Complicated, 2022) Violet – “Somewhere Somehow” (Single) Pearls & Flames – “One Step Closer” (Spread Your Wings, 2025)

We are back! Episode 86 has us breaking down Bloodgood's third album, Rock in a Hard Place. While it has some really heavy moments, this album brought the band more into the melodic AOR category. Even though the band isn't happy with the final mix, it still has some great songwriting and musicianship.  Links:  Web: http://geeksrockcast.com/ Merch: https://geeksrockcast.threadless.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/geeksrockcast FB: https://fb.com/christiangeeksrockcast geeksrockcast@gmail.com   

Nuevo Especial con esas Gemas/joyas del mundo que nos apasiona el AOR

Live from the Attorneys for Freedom Law Firm outside Phoenix AZ, Mark talks with self-defense attorneys Joey Hamby and Rachel Moss from Attorneys on Retainer. Incredibly enlightening national broadcast discussing various self-defense cases and the results of same. Why you need a lawyer if you use a gun in self-defense and various scenarios discussed. Mark is in AZ for the annual AOR membership convention being held in the Mesa Convention Center on Friday and Saturday.  Enjoy this riveting conversation!

Paul Rees fell in love with AOR when it began with Boston in 1976, the polished, ramped-up hits that were briefly the music of the American heartland. His book ‘Raised On Radio: Power Ballads, Cocaine & Payola – the AOR Glory Years 1976-1986' remembers the age when records were launched via car stereos, their eternally appealing sound and the preposterous lives of the people who wrote and played them – Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Asia, REO Speedwagon, Don Henley and Toto among them. “It's happy music,” he points out. “Music that makes you raise a quizzical eyebrow.” In the mix … … the original AOR sound: “Led Zeppelin hard rock with Eagles harmonies and a stratospheric high-tenor voca|” … the absolute power of producers like Mutt Lange (a man raised on radio jingles) … Pat Benatar, the former married bank clerk who wanted to be Robert Plant in a leotard … “AOR stars were all salesmen who talked in quotes” ... the many reasons Don Henley fired people on a whim … Def Leppard's vision of America built on AOR and cowboy movies … “Chicago and the Tubes never played on their records” … “he ended up butterball-naked in a cocaine threesome sting with two disguised police women” … the producer who had his trout pond realigned as he couldn't work looking at a garden that wasn't symmetrical … the story of Toto's Africa: “tape loops strung round chair-backs and a quick flick through a geography book” … “if this record's a hit I'll run naked down Sunset Boulevard”. Order a copy of ‘Raised On Radio: Power Ballads, Cocaine & Payola – the AOR Glory Years 1976-1986' here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Raised-Radio-Paul-Rees/dp/1408721112 Help us to keep the conversation going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Rees fell in love with AOR when it began with Boston in 1976, the polished, ramped-up hits that were briefly the music of the American heartland. His book ‘Raised On Radio: Power Ballads, Cocaine & Payola – the AOR Glory Years 1976-1986' remembers the age when records were launched via car stereos, their eternally appealing sound and the preposterous lives of the people who wrote and played them – Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Asia, REO Speedwagon, Don Henley and Toto among them. “It's happy music,” he points out. “Music that makes you raise a quizzical eyebrow.” In the mix … … the original AOR sound: “Led Zeppelin hard rock with Eagles harmonies and a stratospheric high-tenor voca|” … the absolute power of producers like Mutt Lange (a man raised on radio jingles) … Pat Benatar, the former married bank clerk who wanted to be Robert Plant in a leotard … “AOR stars were all salesmen who talked in quotes” ... the many reasons Don Henley fired people on a whim … Def Leppard's vision of America built on AOR and cowboy movies … “Chicago and the Tubes never played on their records” … “he ended up butterball-naked in a cocaine threesome sting with two disguised police women” … the producer who had his trout pond realigned as he couldn't work looking at a garden that wasn't symmetrical … the story of Toto's Africa: “tape loops strung round chair-backs and a quick flick through a geography book” … “if this record's a hit I'll run naked down Sunset Boulevard”. Order a copy of ‘Raised On Radio: Power Ballads, Cocaine & Payola – the AOR Glory Years 1976-1986' here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Raised-Radio-Paul-Rees/dp/1408721112 Help us to keep the conversation going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Rees fell in love with AOR when it began with Boston in 1976, the polished, ramped-up hits that were briefly the music of the American heartland. His book ‘Raised On Radio: Power Ballads, Cocaine & Payola – the AOR Glory Years 1976-1986' remembers the age when records were launched via car stereos, their eternally appealing sound and the preposterous lives of the people who wrote and played them – Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Asia, REO Speedwagon, Don Henley and Toto among them. “It's happy music,” he points out. “Music that makes you raise a quizzical eyebrow.” In the mix … … the original AOR sound: “Led Zeppelin hard rock with Eagles harmonies and a stratospheric high-tenor voca|” … the absolute power of producers like Mutt Lange (a man raised on radio jingles) … Pat Benatar, the former married bank clerk who wanted to be Robert Plant in a leotard … “AOR stars were all salesmen who talked in quotes” ... the many reasons Don Henley fired people on a whim … Def Leppard's vision of America built on AOR and cowboy movies … “Chicago and the Tubes never played on their records” … “he ended up butterball-naked in a cocaine threesome sting with two disguised police women” … the producer who had his trout pond realigned as he couldn't work looking at a garden that wasn't symmetrical … the story of Toto's Africa: “tape loops strung round chair-backs and a quick flick through a geography book” … “if this record's a hit I'll run naked down Sunset Boulevard”. Order a copy of ‘Raised On Radio: Power Ballads, Cocaine & Payola – the AOR Glory Years 1976-1986' here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Raised-Radio-Paul-Rees/dp/1408721112 Help us to keep the conversation going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Message de l'animateur Starchild : Hello à tous, je vous donne rendez-vous ce soir pour le 100ème numéro de Freeway... Non, vous ne rêvez pas, et foi de Despote, je n'aurai jamais pensé pousser cette émission aussi loin : neuf saisons, et donc 100 épisodes. Cette centième, c'est aussi la sixième de la saison 9, qui cette année porte le nom générique de « Desolation Angels ». Le chapitre de ce soir s'intitulant « Solsburry Hill». Comme toujours, une histoire que je vous raconte à l'antenne, illustrée par une playlist de 16 titres, tirés des répertoires pop-rock, AOR et new wave des années 60, 70 et surtout 80: Scorpions, Billy Idol, Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne, Warrant, Poison, The Cure, Van Halen pour la partie "metal".. mais aussi des titres plus pop tirés des glorieuses années 80, avec des morceaux qui ont fait les beaux jours de l'American Top 40, du fameux magazine Billboard..

Paul Rees' Raised on Radio: Power Ballads, Cocaine and Payola - the AOR Glory Years 1976-1986 (De Capo, 2026) is a massively entertaining oral biography of the golden era of critically derided yet monumentally popular radio rock, when Journey, Boston, REO Speedwagon, Toto, and more ruled the airwaves Paul Rees' Raised on Radio is, remarkably, the first biography of the (at the time) critically derided and yet massively popular AOR (album-oriented rock) bands whose heyday was 1976-1986, when groups like Journey, Boston, Foreigner, Toto, and REO Speedwagon sold many millions of albums, toured stadiums, and whose songs continue to stream in record numbers. Many of them still tour. And sure, they were punching bags for the elitist rock critics more interested in covering punk and new wave, terminally uncool, and never fashionably cutting edge, but their music was, and is, the soundtrack to so many people's lives. Who among music fans (of a certain age) didn't pump their fist to "Don't Stop Believin'" (long before The Sopranos), play air guitar to "More Than a Feeling," bellow along with Toto's "Africa," or have their heart broken to the strains of "Can't Fight This Feeling"? Even better: their tour stories and the tales of making the music are as entertaining and eye-opening as any of the antics from the annals of rock and roll history. Cocaine use was rampant, intra-band fighting was par for the course, and for better or worse, the groups' members lived life to excess. In so many ways, it was these artists' music (they are responsible for the power ballad) and lifestyles that led directly to the soon-to-follow hair metal scene. And in spite of what the critical establishment wrote, it turns out the music has aged . . . rather well! Raised on Radio is a stadium-sized, massively entertaining oral history in the bestselling tradition of Meet Me in the Bathroom, Nothin' But A Good Time, and Please Kill Me, capturing a time and a place that was as big and booming and as unabashed as the music that provided its soundtrack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Paul Rees' Raised on Radio: Power Ballads, Cocaine and Payola - the AOR Glory Years 1976-1986 (De Capo, 2026) is a massively entertaining oral biography of the golden era of critically derided yet monumentally popular radio rock, when Journey, Boston, REO Speedwagon, Toto, and more ruled the airwaves Paul Rees' Raised on Radio is, remarkably, the first biography of the (at the time) critically derided and yet massively popular AOR (album-oriented rock) bands whose heyday was 1976-1986, when groups like Journey, Boston, Foreigner, Toto, and REO Speedwagon sold many millions of albums, toured stadiums, and whose songs continue to stream in record numbers. Many of them still tour. And sure, they were punching bags for the elitist rock critics more interested in covering punk and new wave, terminally uncool, and never fashionably cutting edge, but their music was, and is, the soundtrack to so many people's lives. Who among music fans (of a certain age) didn't pump their fist to "Don't Stop Believin'" (long before The Sopranos), play air guitar to "More Than a Feeling," bellow along with Toto's "Africa," or have their heart broken to the strains of "Can't Fight This Feeling"? Even better: their tour stories and the tales of making the music are as entertaining and eye-opening as any of the antics from the annals of rock and roll history. Cocaine use was rampant, intra-band fighting was par for the course, and for better or worse, the groups' members lived life to excess. In so many ways, it was these artists' music (they are responsible for the power ballad) and lifestyles that led directly to the soon-to-follow hair metal scene. And in spite of what the critical establishment wrote, it turns out the music has aged . . . rather well! Raised on Radio is a stadium-sized, massively entertaining oral history in the bestselling tradition of Meet Me in the Bathroom, Nothin' But A Good Time, and Please Kill Me, capturing a time and a place that was as big and booming and as unabashed as the music that provided its soundtrack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/music

Paul Rees' Raised on Radio: Power Ballads, Cocaine and Payola - the AOR Glory Years 1976-1986 (De Capo, 2026) is a massively entertaining oral biography of the golden era of critically derided yet monumentally popular radio rock, when Journey, Boston, REO Speedwagon, Toto, and more ruled the airwaves Paul Rees' Raised on Radio is, remarkably, the first biography of the (at the time) critically derided and yet massively popular AOR (album-oriented rock) bands whose heyday was 1976-1986, when groups like Journey, Boston, Foreigner, Toto, and REO Speedwagon sold many millions of albums, toured stadiums, and whose songs continue to stream in record numbers. Many of them still tour. And sure, they were punching bags for the elitist rock critics more interested in covering punk and new wave, terminally uncool, and never fashionably cutting edge, but their music was, and is, the soundtrack to so many people's lives. Who among music fans (of a certain age) didn't pump their fist to "Don't Stop Believin'" (long before The Sopranos), play air guitar to "More Than a Feeling," bellow along with Toto's "Africa," or have their heart broken to the strains of "Can't Fight This Feeling"? Even better: their tour stories and the tales of making the music are as entertaining and eye-opening as any of the antics from the annals of rock and roll history. Cocaine use was rampant, intra-band fighting was par for the course, and for better or worse, the groups' members lived life to excess. In so many ways, it was these artists' music (they are responsible for the power ballad) and lifestyles that led directly to the soon-to-follow hair metal scene. And in spite of what the critical establishment wrote, it turns out the music has aged . . . rather well! Raised on Radio is a stadium-sized, massively entertaining oral history in the bestselling tradition of Meet Me in the Bathroom, Nothin' But A Good Time, and Please Kill Me, capturing a time and a place that was as big and booming and as unabashed as the music that provided its soundtrack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture

¡¡¡Edición 493 ya disponible!!! Durante toda la semana puedes escucharlo en las emisoras de la Onda Local de Andalucía y por supuesto en tu plataforma de podcasts favorita. ¿Qué vas a escuchar? Lo mejor del HardRock, HeavyMetal, Power… y demás. Si quieres saber la playlist exacta, con las bandas y los temas, este es el enlace: https://corazonpurpurarock.blogspot.com/2026/02/programa-493.html Síguenos por las redes: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@corazonpurpurarock Instagram: https://instagram.com/corazonpurpurarock Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corazonpurpurarockradio Twitter: https://twitter.com/cpurpurarock Contacto: corazonpurpurarockradio@gmail.com https://corazonpurpurarock.blogspot.com/ Sobre Corazón Púrpura Rock: Está dirigido y presentado por Gracia Santiago. Es un programa de radio musical semanal: heavy metal, hard rock, power metal, rock alternativo, AOR, rock melódico, metal… Se emite en la Onda Local de Andalucía. Además de tener una versión podcasts en varias plataformas. Nació en 2014 en Córdoba (España). Esta es nuestra 12ª temporada.

Bienvenidos a una nueva travesía sonora en Rebel Heart, la casa del rock melódico, el AOR y las emociones amplificadas. Hoy, en esta Emisión Nº 51, Señor Melódico y Paco Jiménez os acompañamos en un viaje donde las guitarras brillan, las voces se elevan y la pasión por la buena música vuelve a encenderse. Prepárate para descubrir novedades que vienen pisando fuerte en 2025 y 2026, bandas que mantienen viva la esencia del rock elegante, y también esos clásicos que siguen latiendo en el corazón de todos. Desde la energía de las nuevas generaciones hasta la fuerza de los veteranos, hoy celebramos la música que nos une, nos mueve y nos recuerda por qué seguimos aquí: porque el rock tiene alma… y esa alma es Rebel Heart. Danny Veras – Sintonía Rebel Heart Lily Löwe – Puppet Master (2026) Fighter V – Racing Heartbeat (Single) Theleganttes – Ciegos de la Verdad (2026) Gotthard – Stereo Crush (Especial Liverpool · Marc Storace · 2025) The Gems – Gravity (Single · 2026) Blue Desert – Ten Miles Away (feat. Steve Maggiora · 2021) Escape – Heroes in the Night (2021) Bonfire – I Died Tonight (Single · 2024) 7 Almas – Volver Atrás (2026) Blue Mountain – AutoMagic (2026) Intelligent Music Project – Lightning Strikes (2025) Michael Thomson Band – The Love Goes On (2023) Dan Lucas – An Angel (2026) Danny Veras – Ya Volví (Single · 2026) Creye – Left in Silence (Single · 2026) Heart – Wild Child (1990) Dark Heart /Evolution – Ride the Highway Single (2026) Gabrielle de Val – Time to Die /Time to Die (EP · 2026) 3ZKS – III Trance (2025) Arctic Rain – Laughing in the Rain (2023)

Geoff Downes has lent his keyboard wizardry to many of the biggest and best bands of the last 50 years. He was a trendsetting new-waver with the Buggles popularizing synth pop alongside Trevor Horn. Then they were famously recruited to join Yes, changing that band's sound for a decade. And, while with Asia, he showed how good "corporate" AOR rock (not to mention supergroups) could be. There have been several other side-projects (DBA), one-offs (Trapeze), and production jobs (GTR, Thompson Twins) along the way as well that has kept him active and in demand. Yes's 2011 comeback album, Fly from Here, which reunited that 1980 version of the band that created the much-loved Drama album, has recently been reimagined and released on vinyl for the first time as Fly from Here: Return Trip. Geoff gives us the scoop on everything and more. Enjoy!  Official website for the progressive rock band YES The Hustle Podcast | creating podcasts | Patreon

Riding Shotgun With Charlie #247 Lauren Snyder & Joey Hamby Attorneys On Retainer   Sometimes the universe dictates the timing of doing a show. I met Lauren Snyder at Gun Rights Policy Conference in Phoenix in 2019. I was able to film a show with fellow Attorneys On Retainer employee, Sarah Riggle RSWC #189, but we didn't have time for Lauren. At GRPC in Salt Lake City in 2025, we were able to make it happen. But we also got to have Joey Hamby, one of the AOR attorneys who specializes in self defense cases. We're also able to get it out just before they have an AOR conference in Mesa, AZ, in February 2026.   Lauren first hit my radar a number of years ago. While at a Second Amendment rally in Phoenix, she connected to Cheryl Todd (RSWC #060) because they both have a vintage look. She got involved with Women For Gun Rights when it was called The DC Project.  There is a video out there of her testifying against gun bills in Arizona. But after the politician said he didn't think people should be carrying, she sat in front of him and then he had to retract what he said and told her he didn't mean she shouldn't carry. Of course, this was the first time she ever testified for anything and she was thrown right into the mix of it.    Growing up on Long Island, her family wasn't really into firearms. Working at a tattoo shop when she was young, she met a few guys who were Ron Paul libertarians. They also taught her about firearms and safety, but the process in New York was very difficult to exercise her rights. Not really knowing anything other than Democrats and voting for John Kerry in her first election, she quickly turned to the libertarians and the idea of true freedom.     Eventually, Lauren found herself living in Florida and got more into firearms. She made more friends and got into shooting and carrying. There wasn't a lot going on for any activism at the time. After meeting her now-husband on Facebook, she moved to Arizona to be with him and got much more involved. With Women For Gun Rights, she has made the trip to DC to lobby and talk with politicians. She didn't think she had a story worth sharing but she did have a stalker and that was when she started taking firearms, training, and self defense more seriously. That is the story she shares with us.    Joey Hamby has been a hunter and shooter since he was a kid. He was a junior life member of the NRA, so yeah, since he was young. He loves shooting, hunting, and going out and plinking. Since 1994, he's been practicing law. One of the things that separates AOR from other services is that they are not insurance. They are a legal team that specializes in self defense.    Over the years, he's had many interesting cases, of course. He tells us about some of them. But he really gets into why it's important to have training and knowledge if you're going to carry. There have been more than several cases they've taken where they defend someone who has the moral imperative to defend themselves or their family but end up being wrongfully charged for doing so.    We really get into things with Joey and self defense of all types. If using self defense of any type is involved, there are things that are going to happen with the defender where they're treated like the criminal until things can be sorted out. Often we think self defense is going to be cut and dry, but it can and does get messy for everyone involved. Joey does a wonderful job talking about this and some current events.    There's a lot to self defense. Everyone needs to have an attorney in their phone address book. If you don't, get one. Join a program like AOR. Meet the attorneys for that program and get to know them. You're really doing yourself a favor.    Favorite quotes: "I was a willful participant in the indoctrination into libertarianism." "I know I have physical limitations… so my ability to protect myself…are very important to me." "If we don't remain in the legislative process…these are the people who are going to erode our rights." "There's a lot of differences, but all we do is self defense." "You need to plan in advance. You also need to plan what's going to happen afterwards." "If you use a weapon in self defense, you should just expect to get arrested." Women for Gun Rights  https://womenforgunrights.org/   https://www.laurenliberty.com/ https://attorneysonretainer.us/ https://attorneysforfreedom.com/ Second Amendment Foundation https://secure.anedot.com/saf/donate?sc=RidingShotgun Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms https://www.ccrkba.org/     Please support the Riding Shotgun With Charlie sponsors and supporters.    US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com   Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc   Or listen on: iTunes/Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565

Nuevo programa cargado de novedades dentro del mundo del Hard Rock , Heavy Metal , AOR... Un repaso a la actualidad mas caliente combinado con algunos clásicos de pasado, presente y futuro Han sonado en el programa: -Twisted Sister , Madhouse , Sister Sin , Eclipse , Cole Rolland/Alissa White , Fighter V , Mayhem Mavericks , Amaranthe , Tailgunner , First Signal , Myrarh. Si os gusta el programa aporta tu granito de arena dale al ❤️ comparte y comenta... ✔️X: @radiohardrock75 ✔️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radiohardrockpodcast/ ✔️e-mail: radiohardrock75@gmail.com

¡¡¡Edición 492 ya disponible!!! Durante toda la semana puedes escucharlo en las emisoras de la Onda Local de Andalucía y por supuesto en tu plataforma de podcasts favorita. ¿Qué vas a escuchar? Lo mejor del HardRock, HeavyMetal, Power… y demás. Si quieres saber la playlist exacta, con las bandas y los temas, este es el enlace: https://corazonpurpurarock.blogspot.com/2026/02/programa-492.html Síguenos por las redes: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@corazonpurpurarock Instagram: https://instagram.com/corazonpurpurarock Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corazonpurpurarockradio Twitter: https://twitter.com/cpurpurarock Contacto: corazonpurpurarockradio@gmail.com https://corazonpurpurarock.blogspot.com/ Sobre Corazón Púrpura Rock: Está dirigido y presentado por Gracia Santiago. Es un programa de radio musical semanal: heavy metal, hard rock, power metal, rock alternativo, AOR, rock melódico, metal… Se emite en la Onda Local de Andalucía. Además de tener una versión podcasts en varias plataformas. Nació en 2014 en Córdoba (España). Esta es nuestra 12ª temporada.

La emisión número 50 de Rebel Heart Radio llega como un homenaje a todos los que sienten el rock melódico como una forma de vida. En esta edición, Señor Melódico y Paco Jiménez firman un recorrido impecable por lo mejor del AOR actual y los lanzamientos más esperados del 2025–2026. El programa vibra con singles de alto octanaje como Tyketto, Generation Radio, Theleganttes o 7 Almas, y se sumerge en cortes llenos de clase de bandas como Fury, Creye, Treat, Seventh Crystal o Out Of This World. También hay espacio para joyas más profundas: desde el toque emocional de Paul Redwood hasta la energía de Mayhem Mavericks, pasando por el brillo vocal de Gabrielle de Val junto a Mick Devine. Es una selección que combina nostalgia, actualidad y descubrimiento, pensada para quienes buscan melodías grandes, guitarras limpias y estribillos que se quedan grabados. Una celebración del género y de su comunidad. TRACKLISTS DEL PROGRAMA: Tyketto – We Rise (Single · 2026) Generation Radio – Montany Sky (Single · 2026) Fury – Don’t Lie To Me (Interceptor · 2025) Dan Lucas – Age Is Just a Number (2026) Gabrielle de Val – Hold On (feat. Mick Devine) (EP Time To Die · 2026) Theleganttes – Mi Gravedad (Single · 2026) Blue Ambition – In Love With a Shadow (Adelanto) 7 Almas – Volver Atrás (Single · 2026) Creye – Left in Silence (Single · 2026) Treat – Night Brigade (The Wild Card · 2025) Paul Redwood – Episodes of My Life (Lagos de Ensueño · 2021) Mayhem Mavericks – Midnight Crawler (Mayhem Mavericks · 2026) Universe III – Casa de los Pollos (Universe III · 2024) Mindfeels – Something New (2wo · 2026) Seventh Crystal – Push Comes to Shove (Entity · 2024) Out Of This World – Up To You (Out Of This World · 2021) Revlin Project – Live Again (Trascender · 2021) Sebastian Gava – Open Your Eyes (2009) Wig Wam – Never Say Die (Never Say Die · 2021)

Nueva edición para que disfrutes durante 120 minutos con lo mejor de la musica AOR, No te lo pierdas.

Rebel Heart no es solo un programa: es un territorio emocional, un refugio sonoro donde el rock melódico, el hard rock y el AOR se encuentran para resistir, sanar y encender la noche. Cada emisión es un manifiesto, un latido compartido, una declaración de identidad. Aquí la melodía es fuego, el rock es hogar y cada canción abre una puerta hacia algo más profundo. La Emisión Nº 49 late con una fuerza especial. Es luminosa, combativa, elegante y profundamente humana. Un viaje que abraza lo mejor del hard rock melódico actual, rescata joyas del pasado reciente y rinde tributo a quienes dejaron huella. Cada tema es un capítulo, y cada capítulo un latido que se queda. Esta semana, Paco Jiménez y Señor Melódico te invitan a cruzar ese umbral donde la emoción manda y la música ilumina. Estrenos 2026, homenajes que estremecen y voces que brillan en la oscuridad. Dan Lucas, Gabrielle de Val, Xtasy, Nestor, Chez Kane, Starmen y muchos más te acompañan en un recorrido que no solo se escucha: se siente. --- **TRACKLIST – REBEL HEART N.49** Dan Lucas – *The World Is Broken* (2026) Dark Heart Evolution – *Eyes of Light* (2026) Gabrielle de Val – Time to die EP - *The Jig-Saw Man* (2026) Phantom 5 – *Someday* (Homenaje a Francis Buchholz, 2016) Cathaline – *Over the Rainbow* (2025) Boys From Heaven – *I’ll Wait* (Single, 2026) Fighter V – *Victory* (Single, 2026) Xtasy – *Too Late* (2026) Houston – *Live Forever* (2023) covers Peter Roxx – *Alive* (2023) Beast in Black – *One Night in Tokyo* (2021) Nestor – *Tomorrow* feat. Samantha Fox (2021) Theleganttes – *Se apaga el telón* (2026) Michael Bormann – Rock Hard *Life Is a Miracle* (2017) Mean Street – *Risky Game* (2025) Chez Kane – *Night of Passion* (2026) Jean Paul’s Dream Vision – *This Must Be Heaven* (2026) 3ZKS – *Dame tu luz III* (2025)

Nuevo programa cargado de novedades dentro del mundo del Hard Rock , Heavy Metal , AOR... Un repaso a la actualidad mas caliente combinado con algunos clásicos de pasado, presente y futuro Han sonado en el programa: -Phantom V , Gunshine , Crashdiet , Crazy Lixx , Xtasy , Hokka , The Karma Effect , Lou Gramm , Joel Hoekstra's 13 , Megadeth , BlacRain. Si os gusta el programa aporta tu granito de arena dale al ❤️ comparte y comenta... ✔️X: @radiohardrock75 ✔️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radiohardrockpodcast/ ✔️e-mail: radiohardrock75@gmail.com

¡¡¡Edición 491 ya disponible!!! Durante toda la semana puedes escucharlo en las emisoras de la Onda Local de Andalucía y por supuesto en tu plataforma de podcasts favorita. ¿Qué vas a escuchar? Lo mejor del HardRock, HeavyMetal, Power… y demás. Si quieres saber la playlist exacta, con las bandas y los temas, este es el enlace: https://corazonpurpurarock.blogspot.com/2026/01/programa-491.html Síguenos por las redes: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@corazonpurpurarock Instagram: https://instagram.com/corazonpurpurarock Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corazonpurpurarockradio Twitter: https://twitter.com/cpurpurarock Contacto: corazonpurpurarockradio@gmail.com https://corazonpurpurarock.blogspot.com/ Sobre Corazón Púrpura Rock: Está dirigido y presentado por Gracia Santiago. Es un programa de radio musical semanal: heavy metal, hard rock, power metal, rock alternativo, AOR, rock melódico, metal… Se emite en la Onda Local de Andalucía. Además de tener una versión podcasts en varias plataformas. Nació en 2014 en Córdoba (España). Esta es nuestra 12ª temporada.

The Church are a bit of an enigma in the rock world. Though best known for their breakout 1988 song Under The Milky Way off of Starfish. Prior to that they'd had an unexpected Australian anthem in An Unguarded Moment. But they didn't want to be a pop band - they saw themselves as members of the new psychedelic movement. So the cover of Heyday (released in Australia late 1985 but in the US January 28, 1986) you can see the lads sporting some paisley shirts against a Persian Rug. But at that point, they'd already abandoned their psychedelic leanings for their own AOR stylings. The album Heyday, produced by Peter Walsh (Simple Minds) provides some entrancing guitar work with lyrics from Steve Kilbey that go from seeing behind the curtain of fame (Disenchanted) to unending sadness (Tristesse) to vain plastic surgery junkies (Youth Worshipper). Peter Koppes and Marty Wilson-Piper offer intricate and jangling guitars which make for 120 Minutes gold on MTV and can even put you into a bit of a trance. Myrrh and Tantalized proved to be all time favorites of Church fans and are still part of the band's setlist to this day. However, though songs like Columbus and Already Yesterday may have been enjoyed by fans of the band, they failed to crack the charts the way the record company had hoped. Still, the band were able to tour the US with Echo & The Bunnymen which helped them break down some doors and win some fans. Though they were dropped by their record companies after Heyday, this led to them being picked up by Arista, which led to Starfish and success in the US and around the world. It may not be multi-platinum but Heyday would help define the sound of The Church, allowed them to write songs together and create a foundation that built towards greater success. Check out our new website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ugly American Werewolf in London Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LInkTree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.pantheonpodcasts.com⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Church are a bit of an enigma in the rock world. Though best known for their breakout 1988 song Under The Milky Way off of Starfish. Prior to that they'd had an unexpected Australian anthem in An Unguarded Moment. But they didn't want to be a pop band - they saw themselves as members of the new psychedelic movement. So the cover of Heyday (released in Australia late 1985 but in the US January 28, 1986) you can see the lads sporting some paisley shirts against a Persian Rug. But at that point, they'd already abandoned their psychedelic leanings for their own AOR stylings. The album Heyday, produced by Peter Walsh (Simple Minds) provides some entrancing guitar work with lyrics from Steve Kilbey that go from seeing behind the curtain of fame (Disenchanted) to unending sadness (Tristesse) to vain plastic surgery junkies (Youth Worshipper). Peter Koppes and Marty Wilson-Piper offer intricate and jangling guitars which make for 120 Minutes gold on MTV and can even put you into a bit of a trance. Myrrh and Tantalized proved to be all time favorites of Church fans and are still part of the band's setlist to this day. However, though songs like Columbus and Already Yesterday may have been enjoyed by fans of the band, they failed to crack the charts the way the record company had hoped. Still, the band were able to tour the US with Echo & The Bunnymen which helped them break down some doors and win some fans. Though they were dropped by their record companies after Heyday, this led to them being picked up by Arista, which led to Starfish and success in the US and around the world. It may not be multi-platinum but Heyday would help define the sound of The Church, allowed them to write songs together and create a foundation that built towards greater success. Check out our new website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ugly American Werewolf in London Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LInkTree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.pantheonpodcasts.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

¡¡¡Edición 490 ya disponible!!! Durante toda la semana puedes escucharlo en las emisoras de la Onda Local de Andalucía y por supuesto en tu plataforma de podcasts favorita. ¿Qué vas a escuchar? Lo mejor del HardRock, HeavyMetal, Power… y demás. Si quieres saber la playlist exacta, con las bandas y los temas, este es el enlace: https://corazonpurpurarock.blogspot.com/2026/01/programa-490.html Síguenos por las redes: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@corazonpurpurarock Instagram: https://instagram.com/corazonpurpurarock Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corazonpurpurarockradio Twitter: https://twitter.com/cpurpurarock Contacto: corazonpurpurarockradio@gmail.com https://corazonpurpurarock.blogspot.com/ Sobre Corazón Púrpura Rock: Está dirigido y presentado por Gracia Santiago. Es un programa de radio musical semanal: heavy metal, hard rock, power metal, rock alternativo, AOR, rock melódico, metal… Se emite en la Onda Local de Andalucía. Además de tener una versión podcasts en varias plataformas. Nació en 2014 en Córdoba (España). Esta es nuestra 12ª temporada.

Starting the New Year off with a Best of... episode. No, not a best of See You Down The Front, but our choices of the Best of the Best Ofs - Greatest Hits compilations we can't live without. Joining Paul, Elle and Adam this month is regular contributor, Neil, and between us we trawl through synthpop, country rock, AOR, and pop majesty amongst our titles. You'll have to listen to work out who's who!Send us a text

Message de l'animateur Starchild : Hello à tous, je vous donne rendez-vous ce soir pour le 99ème numéro de Freeway, l'un des plus poignants jamais diffusés depuis les débuts de votre émission, le cinquième de la saison 9, qui cette année porte le nom générique de « Desolation Angels ». Le chapitre de ce soir s'intitulant « I Have The Touch ». Comme toujours, une histoire que je vous conte à l'antenne, illustrée musicalement par une playlist de 16 titres, tirés des répertoires pop-rock, AOR et new wave des années 60, 70 et surtout 80: Dire Straits, Bob Seger, Danger Danger, Rolling Stones, Genesis, Midnight Oil, Extreme....

Nuevo programa cargado de novedades dentro del mundo del Hard Rock , Heavy Metal , AOR... Un repaso a la actualidad mas caliente combinado con algunos clásicos de pasado, presente y futuro Han sonado en el programa: - Whiteshake , Black Swan , Fighter V , The 69 Eyes , Heat , Tailgunner , Wyked Ángel , Confess , Kissin'Dynamite , Temple Balls , Jerusalem Slim , In The 80's . Si os gusta el programa aporta tu granito de arena dale al ❤️ comparte y comenta... ✔️X: @radiohardrock75 ✔️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radiohardrockpodcast/ ✔️e-mail: radiohardrock75@gmail.com

As agency owners settle into 2026, it’s easy to operate on autopilot—chasing the next tactic without reconnecting with what made the business work in the first place. In this episode, Chip and Gini make the case for looking backward before charging forward. Chip admits his first agency started because “consultant” sounded better than “unemployed.” But the real question isn’t just why you started—it’s why you decided to keep building. That motivation should be informing your strategy today. Gini shares how she once believed she wanted a large agency with hundreds of employees and global clients. When she hit 30+ people, she realized she’d built something she didn’t enjoy leading. She was buried in HR issues instead of doing the work that energized her. The Great Recession forced a reset, and she restructured the business around her strengths. Her advice: figure out what brings you joy in the business, and protect time to do more of it. Otherwise, you risk drifting into micromanagement or burnout. The episode also digs into practical growth tactics from the early days that still work. Gini recalls how she built her pipeline by developing relationships with business development leads at large agencies. When prospects came in below their fee threshold, they’d refer the work her way—a principle that remains just as relevant today. Both hosts encourage owners to revisit their “things I’d never do” list from when they started. It’s worth checking whether you’ve quietly drifted into those same patterns over time. Key takeaways Chip Griffin: “Agency owners often ask me, what should I do next? And the answer is very different depending on what you’re trying to accomplish with the business.” Gini Dietrich: “We say this to clients all the time, go back to the basics. It works. And it works for your agency, too.” Chip Griffin: “You need to do what’s right for you. And so, I think that the key to that is really going back to your roots, understanding what motivated you to get started, what drove that success in the early days.” Gini Dietrich: “You want to focus on the things that you are great at, and the things that make you the happiest, and the things that are most motivating to you, because that’s how your business will grow.” Turn Ideas Into Action Write down why you started your agency and what drove your early success. Block 30 minutes to identify patterns from those early days that you could leverage again for growth or business development today. Identify one thing that energizes you most about the work—then carve out time to do more of it. Even if it’s behind the scenes (like strategic brainstorming or quarterly client reviews), injecting that spark back into your role helps prevent burnout. Make a quick list of “things I swore I’d never do” when you started. Check whether you’ve drifted into any of those patterns on inertia—and decide if it’s a learned lesson or a habit worth breaking. Related Do you remember why you started your agency? Why one-size-fits-all advice doesn't work for agencies View Transcript The following is a computer-generated transcript. Please listen to the audio to confirm accuracy. Chip Griffin: Hello and welcome to another episode of the Agency Leadership Podcast. I’m Chip Griffin. Gini Dietrich: And I am Gini Dietrich. Chip Griffin: And Gini, I’m thinking way, way back, way back decades now to why I started my agency. Gini Dietrich: Oooh. Decades, huh? Chip Griffin: And I can’t remember ’cause I’m too old now, so. No, Gini Dietrich: you can too remember. Chip Griffin: Well, I mean, the honest answer is that I started my first agency was because I was unemployed. And it was better to describe myself as a consultant than unemployed. Yeah. Sure. And then than accidentally started accumulating business. Yeah. But I, but I do think it, it is a helpful exercise for us to go back and, and think about why we started the businesses or, or maybe not, in some cases, like mine, because I was unemployed, is not the greatest explanation. So you know more why did I decide to, to, to build it into an actual business. Gini Dietrich: Why? To keep going. Yeah. I think that’s good, especially as we’re, we’re thinking about starting out the new year and remind ourselves, you know, of the reasons that we started this. Some of us do it because we’re, we’re unemployed. Some of us did it because we found a better, we, we think we had a better way of doing things. Some of us did it because we have a problem with authority. Some of us did it ’cause we’d make terrible employees. I mean, there are lots of different reasons, but I think reaching back into our archives in our brains and thinking about why we did it or why we, I think that you’re right, why we continue to do it is a, is a really good exercise. Chip Griffin: Yeah, I mean, I, and, and I’ve said over and over again over the years that, that I think too many agencies operate on inertia, as opposed to any kind of a, a fundamental strategy. And so, you know, it’s very easy to say as, as I’m sure many people ask you as they do me, well, what’s the, what’s my next step? Here’s where my agency is now, what, what should I do next? And the answer is very different depending on what you’re trying to accomplish with the business. So trying to think back to those early days and what motivated you to start the business. Evaluate it because it, that may have changed, right? You, you may have started it because it served a particular need in the moment, and maybe it’s different today, but thinking about that and thinking about what you really want from the business is usually a better way to come up with strategic decisions than it is to say, well, what do other agencies like mine do when they get to this stage of growth or to this challenge? It’s, you really need to to match it up because otherwise, what’s the point of taking on all of that risk and stress of being a business owner? Gini Dietrich: Yeah. I mean, a really good example of that is I really thought I wanted to build a great big agency with hundreds of employees and, and clients around the globe and all of the, all of the things. And as I started to grow and we got to about 30 ish, 33, 32 people, I realized that’s not what I wanna do. Right. It was not enjoyable. I had built a company that I was not thriving in, that I didn’t enjoy leading. You know, I was dealing mostly with HR issues and not doing the work. And so the, the Great Recession did afford me the opportunity, unfortunately and fortunately to kind of take a step back and, and think about what kind of business do I want to have? And what kind of business do I want to lead? And while we’re back up to that same size, it’s a different structured business that allows me to focus in on the things that I do best and do the things that I enjoy versus HR ’cause that is not something I enjoy at all. Chip Griffin: I, I think I’ve yet to meet an owner who likes, enjoys doing HR or accounting or those sorts of things. Not fun. There are some who do it well. But don’t enjoy it. But I, I don’t think I’ve found any that actually enjoy doing it. So, but, but I think that, you know, as you think back to those early days and you think about what motivated you, it can often help you to figure out, you know, what is, what is that spark that you need in the business for you to either continue enjoying it for a longer period of time or bring back some of that, that joy that you had in those early days. Because I know a lot of agency owners these days are, are frustrated and, you know, trying to figure out how to change things for the better. And I think part of the way you inform yourself of that is by thinking back to those early motivations and figuring out how you can inject more of that into your business today. Gini Dietrich: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I think it’s, I think it’s really important to do that. And I think there, you know, for me personally, I get really passionate and enjoy my job when I’m learning and doing new things. So artificial intelligence, of course, has been a great big thing for me because I’ve really enjoyed learning it and understanding it and implementing it into my business and then taking it to clients. You know, last month we launched the PESO operating system, AI edition, where the AI prompts you instead of you prompting it. So it will say, what are your business objectives? What are you trying to achieve? What are your audiences? What are your messaging? And then it builds a PESO program for you that’s fully integrated versus you saying I need you to act like a marketing director who can, who understands PESO and can build this and this. It’s that. So I like, those are the kinds of things that really get me excited. And building those kinds of things gets me excited and motivated. So it’s, it’s easy because I understand that about myself. It drives my team crazy ’cause they’re like, oh, she’s got something new. Or my, their favorite thing is, I had an idea. And they’re like, oh no, no, not again. But that’s what keeps me, yeah, that’s what keeps me motivated. So finding a way to understand what brings you joy in the business, I think is incredibly important. So that without exhausting your team, of course, but doing it in a way that keeps you motivated and, and not burned out. Chip Griffin: Yeah. One of the things that always used to, to drive my teams nuts was I would say, you know, over the weekend I was playing with this new thing. And, and you could just see the looks on their faces and they’re like, oh, this is a lot more work for me now. Gini Dietrich: This is gonna be fun. Yep. Chip Griffin: This is, yep. Yep. They, they never seemed to appreciate it the way that I had hoped they would when I came to them. Correct. With these, these brilliant brainstorms of mine. Gini Dietrich: Yes. Chip Griffin: I, and I think as, as you know, founders of agencies, most of us come in with some sort of that. Idea that, that we want to be creative or strategic or those kinds of things. And as we end up in more of a management role, we have less and less opportunities to do it. So I, I think that, that rather than giving up on that dream, we need to figure out how we can sprinkle enough of that in there to keep ourselves motivated. We can’t give up the, the management piece. We can’t give up the business development piece. Many of us would like to. But the, the reality is that, unless you’ve built a fairly large agency, you just don’t have the ability to pull yourself out of that, as a solo owner. But it doesn’t mean that you have to give up on those things entirely. You can carve out a piece of time to work on that, and if you are structuring your role in such a way that you’re enjoying what you’re doing, it also means that you’re frankly less likely to be doing the, the, the bad things that founders of businesses can do, which is micromanagement and tinkering with things that you don’t really belong in because you, because you’re not occupying yourself with the things that really motivate you. And instead, you’re continuing to try to do every aspect of the business. And that’s where you start to, to run into team morale problems quite often. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. You know, I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the years is that, yes, I can do the work, and yes, I can probably do it pretty well, but is it really something that I should be focused on? And if not, is it something that I can pay an expert to do because in the long run, it’ll cost me less money, less time, less resources, all of the things. And I know as small agency owners, it’s really hard to say, gosh, I’m gonna have to spend $2000 or $3,000 a month on an expert. When in fact it might save you, you know, 15 or 20 grand on the backend. So I think you have to think about these things as investments in your business and investments in your time so that you can focus on the things that, that you are great at and the things that make you the happiest and the things that are most motivating to you, because that’s how your business will grow. Chip Griffin: Absolutely. And if, if that happens to be being creative and strategic, then, then you can, you shouldn’t be doing it day to day in all likelihood for clients. Sure. But you should find ways to do it either as part of, you know, quarterly or annual client reviews. Or internal brainstorming sessions that you’re engaging in. There’s a lot of things you can do behind the scenes to be useful and, and to, to exercise those muscles in a way that that gives you satisfaction. But doesn’t put you on the front lines so that you’re, you know, now the, the one that the, the client decides they’re gonna call every time they’ve got an issue. Because that, that ends up eating up a lot of your time in a way that probably you’re not going to enjoy. So sometimes it’s doing things behind the scenes that gets you the, the most value, or doing annual in person with the client. But they understand it’s special that you’re here, this is not. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. This is not something they can or should expect every week. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. You know, I, I know I’ve talked about this before on the podcast, but we do quarterly planning with our clients. We do a quarterly look back, and then we, you know, say, okay, based on metrics and data and all that and your priorities, here’s what we’re suggesting for quarter two or in the next quarter. And that has afforded many opportunities. A, for me to, to work in my where I’m, where I’m strong, but it also almost always gets us more money. So when you’re, when agency owners are like, oh, should I do a cost of living raise every year? Should I increase by 10 or 15% every year? That kind of goes away because you are getting new projects every quarter based on the the plan and the strategic strategy and creativity that you’re providing to the clients every quarter, because they’re like, oh gosh, yeah, we should actually do that. And some, and sometimes they’ll say, we don’t have extra budget. Can we move some things around? Which is okay, but most of the time they’ll say, you know, we, we have a little extra budget. Let’s focus on doing that. We have to launch a new website. Here’s some extra budget for that. We have to do a series of webinars to maintain our CEUs. Let’s here’s a little extra budget for that. So there are things and opportunities for you to, for lack of a better term, term upsell when you’re doing these quarterly meetings versus waiting for the annual. Chip Griffin: Yeah. And, and so, you know, finding a way to, to inject yourself in those things is a valuable exercise. Absolutely. From that, look back to the early days. But the other thing that that can be helpful in looking back to your early days of your agency is, you know, what helps drive your early success? Because a lot of times when we’re trying to find solutions to our current growth issues, we can find clues in some of those early days and mm-hmm. A lot of that, you know, in the early days of, of most agencies, it may be that low hanging fruit from personal networks and things like that. But there are usually other patterns that you might be able to see there that might help you to understand what are, what are the basics that you need to go back to? How do you, how do you employ some of those rather than, than focusing on, you know, all of the fancy new things that you see, you know, some, you know, genius podcast hosts talking about as far as how to grow an agency and instead say, Hey, this is what worked for me. Yep. Because you may find something that works again today. Gini Dietrich: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we say this to clients all the time, but going back to the basics. It works. And it works for you too, so absolutely you should think about those kinds of things. Chip Griffin: Yeah. I mean, you didn’t get here by accident. Well, maybe you got, maybe it’s a little bit of an accident sometimes that happens. Maybe, yeah. Some of it. But, if you’ve had any longevity at all, even a few years of longevity as an agency owner, there are patterns that you can find usually that started in those early days. That you can lean into for understanding and rather than trying to do something wild and different, focus on the things that you know, you’ve proved can work for your business. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. One of the things, if I were to dig back into the archives, one of the things that worked extremely well for us is I had developed relationships with people who did business development at the large agencies, and what I found is that if they had an RFP or a current client or a prospect come in and say, we only have a quarter of a million dollars to spend. They’re not even gonna look at that. And so they started just referring that business to us, which is how I grew the business. Mm-hmm. So if I think about that now, how could we replicate that kind of, you know, pipeline development? It was extremely effective. And I, I gift that to all the listeners too. Like there are larger agencies in all of your cities that they have a certain threshold, and if any something comes in below that, they are happy to refer business. So there is, there is one way for you to start thinking about how am I going to, you know, keep myself motivated? How am I gonna keep my pipeline full? How am I gonna keep cash coming in? That’s one of the things that you can think about. Chip Griffin: Yeah, and thinking those things through. I mean, sometimes it’s not a one for one where you did exactly the same way you did it originally, but you take that nugget of an idea. And you know, things like, finding other people who can refer you business that’s not quite a fit for, for them, but might be for you. It’s a good reminder to be out there and having conversations with your peers. With people even that you might perceive sometimes as competitors, because there are often opportunities. In the work that I do with agencies, it’s not uncommon for some of the other consultants in the space to refer clients to me that are a better fit for my background and the kinds of agencies that I work with and vice versa. Because you know, we all have our specialties. And as an agency you have your specialties, so it is very common for many agencies to have grown this way. So certainly something to be looking at today, particularly if you’re struggling to find that new business in 2026. Gini Dietrich: Yeah, I think I really love the advice of thinking back to how you got to where you are and some of the things that you did, and going back to basics a little bit, because those are the things that are going to continue to work. And to your point, maybe tweak a little bit to make a more, be more effective in ’26. Chip Griffin: I mean, it also puts you in the right mindset, I think, because if you’re thinking back to those early stages, that tends to be when many agencies have the most growth, when things are most exciting. And so if you can try to bring back even a sprinkling of that, that can be really helpful. Particularly when times are tougher, or you’re looking for the inspiration to take things to the next level or whatever challenge you may be facing today, those lessons can be extremely valuable and also motivating at the same time. Gini Dietrich: Absolutely. Yeah. I used to, I used to get mad at companies that would hire big PR firms for like brand awareness and, you know, sending news releases and they didn’t get any coverage. They didn’t get any results. And I would get, I would get angry and I would call the company and be like, you’re so stupid. I would never do that today. But I had such a, I was just so naive and passionate about what we were doing, that it didn’t bother me to call and be like, we can do this significantly better for you. And in some cases they laughed and hung up on me. And in some cases, like we became agency of record. Like we took AOR away from Fleischman Hillard one year from a big, big company with a big, big company. And it was because I made a phone call where I was like, I can’t believe that you’re spending this kind of money and getting these kinds, these lackluster results. They were like, all right, let’s listen. I don’t think I would do that today, but it worked. Chip Griffin: Right. But, thinking back to those things can help you do two things. One is to think some of the positive things that you can do or the affirmative steps, right. That you can take. But the, but sometimes looking back to, to how you got started can also be reminders not to do certain things. Gini Dietrich: Sure, sure. Chip Griffin: So, particularly if you’ve started an agency and maybe you worked at an agency previously when you started, you probably had this laundry list of things. I would never do these things as an agency. And I, I think back to my first agency and some of the agencies that I had worked with previously, you know, did a lot of what I felt was nickel and diming of you in terms of back in the day charging you for faxes and photocopies. Sure. Yes. And all sorts of little expenses. And so, you know, I was committed back then to making sure that my invoices were always clean and simple and fixed, and I just worked in the cost of all of these things. Into my total cost of doing business so that I never had to aggravate a client. Fast forward to today. If I found myself doing that, I, by looking back, I would say, wait a minute. Let me think about that. Am I, am I being true to what my vision was of the business? And if not, is that because I’ve actually learned something and it does make sense to do what I thought was wrong back then. Because I mean, you can learn and grow. There’s nothing wrong with that. Sure. Or have you just fallen into the trap because you walked around and you saw other people doing it. So you said, well, I’m gonna start charging for faxes too. And if you’re charging for faxes in 2026, by the way, Gini Dietrich: we have a problem, but Chip Griffin: we have a huge problem because, what the heck are you using that fax machine for? Let alone that you’re charging for it. And by the way, where did you find a fax machine? Because I haven’t seen a fax machine in person in a really long time, except maybe like at the back of a doctor’s office. The, you know, Gini Dietrich: the bank and the doctor’s office. Yeah, I think that’s it. Chip Griffin: Well, I haven’t, I don’t, I kind, I haven’t been inside a bank in a long time, but Gini Dietrich: yeah, Chip Griffin: everything’s, everything’s electronic now. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. There’s no need for that. Chip Griffin: But yeah, think, think back to those, those motivations that you may have had that rather than I want to do this, it was, I never want to be the kind of agency that does this. Because it, it is really so easy to fall down those rabbit holes over time without even realizing that you’re just, you’re doing the same things that, that you didn’t ever want to see when you started your business. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. And I think it’s so easy to sit on social media, and you’ll get served ads from experts who say this is the way that you should do things. And in some cases it might work. And in some cases you might be like, there’s no way. And I think it’s really easy to listen to somebody and say, yeah, but we went from $3 million in debt to making $3 million a day, like, you know, these wild claims. And then you kind of get sucked into that. I think if you’re really true to who you are and what kind of agency you want to build, that’s going to enable you to say, this just doesn’t feel right to me. I’m not, I’m just gonna… great if he’s really making $3 million a day, I need to just bypass this one. Chip Griffin: Because you need to do what’s right for you. And so, I think that the key to that is, is really going back to your roots, understanding what motivated you to get started, what drove that success in the early days. And by understanding the, the early months or years of your agency, the more that you can inform some of the decisions that you’re making going forward one way or the other. Gini Dietrich: Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. Think about it. It’s a good way to start ’26. Chip Griffin: Nice positive way. We, we managed to get through an episode here without beating up on our listeners. We didn’t start the year on a negative note, did we? We started positive. We did. Think about, we think about what has worked for you previously. Yes. And do more of that. Do more. So we will do more of this on a future episode of the Agency Leadership Podcast. But in the meantime, I’m Chip Griffin. Gini Dietrich: I’m Gini Dietrich. Chip Griffin: And it depends.

As agency owners settle into 2026, it’s easy to operate on autopilot—chasing the next tactic without reconnecting with what made the business work in the first place. In this episode, Chip and Gini make the case for looking backward before charging forward. Chip admits his first agency started because “consultant” sounded better than “unemployed.” But the real question isn’t just why you started—it’s why you decided to keep building. That motivation should be informing your strategy today. Gini shares how she once believed she wanted a large agency with hundreds of employees and global clients. When she hit 30+ people, she realized she’d built something she didn’t enjoy leading. She was buried in HR issues instead of doing the work that energized her. The Great Recession forced a reset, and she restructured the business around her strengths. Her advice: figure out what brings you joy in the business, and protect time to do more of it. Otherwise, you risk drifting into micromanagement or burnout. The episode also digs into practical growth tactics from the early days that still work. Gini recalls how she built her pipeline by developing relationships with business development leads at large agencies. When prospects came in below their fee threshold, they’d refer the work her way—a principle that remains just as relevant today. Both hosts encourage owners to revisit their “things I’d never do” list from when they started. It’s worth checking whether you’ve quietly drifted into those same patterns over time. Key takeaways Chip Griffin: “Agency owners often ask me, what should I do next? And the answer is very different depending on what you’re trying to accomplish with the business.” Gini Dietrich: “We say this to clients all the time, go back to the basics. It works. And it works for your agency, too.” Chip Griffin: “You need to do what’s right for you. And so, I think that the key to that is really going back to your roots, understanding what motivated you to get started, what drove that success in the early days.” Gini Dietrich: “You want to focus on the things that you are great at, and the things that make you the happiest, and the things that are most motivating to you, because that’s how your business will grow.” Turn ideas into action Write down why you started your agency and what drove your early success. Block 30 minutes to identify patterns from those early days that you could leverage again for growth or business development today. Identify one thing that energizes you most about the work—then carve out time to do more of it. Even if it’s behind the scenes (like strategic brainstorming or quarterly client reviews), injecting that spark back into your role helps prevent burnout. Make a quick list of “things I swore I’d never do” when you started. Check whether you’ve drifted into any of those patterns on inertia—and decide if it’s a learned lesson or a habit worth breaking. Related Do you remember why you started your agency? Why one-size-fits-all advice doesn't work for agencies View Transcript The following is a computer-generated transcript. Please listen to the audio to confirm accuracy. Chip Griffin: Hello and welcome to another episode of the Agency Leadership Podcast. I’m Chip Griffin. Gini Dietrich: And I am Gini Dietrich. Chip Griffin: And Gini, I’m thinking way, way back, way back decades now to why I started my agency. Gini Dietrich: Oooh. Decades, huh? Chip Griffin: And I can’t remember ’cause I’m too old now, so. No, Gini Dietrich: you can too remember. Chip Griffin: Well, I mean, the honest answer is that I started my first agency was because I was unemployed. And it was better to describe myself as a consultant than unemployed. Yeah. Sure. And then than accidentally started accumulating business. Yeah. But I, but I do think it, it is a helpful exercise for us to go back and, and think about why we started the businesses or, or maybe not, in some cases, like mine, because I was unemployed, is not the greatest explanation. So you know more why did I decide to, to, to build it into an actual business. Gini Dietrich: Why? To keep going. Yeah. I think that’s good, especially as we’re, we’re thinking about starting out the new year and remind ourselves, you know, of the reasons that we started this. Some of us do it because we’re, we’re unemployed. Some of us did it because we found a better, we, we think we had a better way of doing things. Some of us did it because we have a problem with authority. Some of us did it ’cause we’d make terrible employees. I mean, there are lots of different reasons, but I think reaching back into our archives in our brains and thinking about why we did it or why we, I think that you’re right, why we continue to do it is a, is a really good exercise. Chip Griffin: Yeah, I mean, I, and, and I’ve said over and over again over the years that, that I think too many agencies operate on inertia, as opposed to any kind of a, a fundamental strategy. And so, you know, it’s very easy to say as, as I’m sure many people ask you as they do me, well, what’s the, what’s my next step? Here’s where my agency is now, what, what should I do next? And the answer is very different depending on what you’re trying to accomplish with the business. So trying to think back to those early days and what motivated you to start the business. Evaluate it because it, that may have changed, right? You, you may have started it because it served a particular need in the moment, and maybe it’s different today, but thinking about that and thinking about what you really want from the business is usually a better way to come up with strategic decisions than it is to say, well, what do other agencies like mine do when they get to this stage of growth or to this challenge? It’s, you really need to to match it up because otherwise, what’s the point of taking on all of that risk and stress of being a business owner? Gini Dietrich: Yeah. I mean, a really good example of that is I really thought I wanted to build a great big agency with hundreds of employees and, and clients around the globe and all of the, all of the things. And as I started to grow and we got to about 30 ish, 33, 32 people, I realized that’s not what I wanna do. Right. It was not enjoyable. I had built a company that I was not thriving in, that I didn’t enjoy leading. You know, I was dealing mostly with HR issues and not doing the work. And so the, the Great Recession did afford me the opportunity, unfortunately and fortunately to kind of take a step back and, and think about what kind of business do I want to have? And what kind of business do I want to lead? And while we’re back up to that same size, it’s a different structured business that allows me to focus in on the things that I do best and do the things that I enjoy versus HR ’cause that is not something I enjoy at all. Chip Griffin: I, I think I’ve yet to meet an owner who likes, enjoys doing HR or accounting or those sorts of things. Not fun. There are some who do it well. But don’t enjoy it. But I, I don’t think I’ve found any that actually enjoy doing it. So, but, but I think that, you know, as you think back to those early days and you think about what motivated you, it can often help you to figure out, you know, what is, what is that spark that you need in the business for you to either continue enjoying it for a longer period of time or bring back some of that, that joy that you had in those early days. Because I know a lot of agency owners these days are, are frustrated and, you know, trying to figure out how to change things for the better. And I think part of the way you inform yourself of that is by thinking back to those early motivations and figuring out how you can inject more of that into your business today. Gini Dietrich: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I think it’s, I think it’s really important to do that. And I think there, you know, for me personally, I get really passionate and enjoy my job when I’m learning and doing new things. So artificial intelligence, of course, has been a great big thing for me because I’ve really enjoyed learning it and understanding it and implementing it into my business and then taking it to clients. You know, last month we launched the PESO operating system, AI edition, where the AI prompts you instead of you prompting it. So it will say, what are your business objectives? What are you trying to achieve? What are your audiences? What are your messaging? And then it builds a PESO program for you that’s fully integrated versus you saying I need you to act like a marketing director who can, who understands PESO and can build this and this. It’s that. So I like, those are the kinds of things that really get me excited. And building those kinds of things gets me excited and motivated. So it’s, it’s easy because I understand that about myself. It drives my team crazy ’cause they’re like, oh, she’s got something new. Or my, their favorite thing is, I had an idea. And they’re like, oh no, no, not again. But that’s what keeps me, yeah, that’s what keeps me motivated. So finding a way to understand what brings you joy in the business, I think is incredibly important. So that without exhausting your team, of course, but doing it in a way that keeps you motivated and, and not burned out. Chip Griffin: Yeah. One of the things that always used to, to drive my teams nuts was I would say, you know, over the weekend I was playing with this new thing. And, and you could just see the looks on their faces and they’re like, oh, this is a lot more work for me now. Gini Dietrich: This is gonna be fun. Yep. Chip Griffin: This is, yep. Yep. They, they never seemed to appreciate it the way that I had hoped they would when I came to them. Correct. With these, these brilliant brainstorms of mine. Gini Dietrich: Yes. Chip Griffin: I, and I think as, as you know, founders of agencies, most of us come in with some sort of that. Idea that, that we want to be creative or strategic or those kinds of things. And as we end up in more of a management role, we have less and less opportunities to do it. So I, I think that, that rather than giving up on that dream, we need to figure out how we can sprinkle enough of that in there to keep ourselves motivated. We can’t give up the, the management piece. We can’t give up the business development piece. Many of us would like to. But the, the reality is that, unless you’ve built a fairly large agency, you just don’t have the ability to pull yourself out of that, as a solo owner. But it doesn’t mean that you have to give up on those things entirely. You can carve out a piece of time to work on that, and if you are structuring your role in such a way that you’re enjoying what you’re doing, it also means that you’re frankly less likely to be doing the, the, the bad things that founders of businesses can do, which is micromanagement and tinkering with things that you don’t really belong in because you, because you’re not occupying yourself with the things that really motivate you. And instead, you’re continuing to try to do every aspect of the business. And that’s where you start to, to run into team morale problems quite often. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. You know, I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the years is that, yes, I can do the work, and yes, I can probably do it pretty well, but is it really something that I should be focused on? And if not, is it something that I can pay an expert to do because in the long run, it’ll cost me less money, less time, less resources, all of the things. And I know as small agency owners, it’s really hard to say, gosh, I’m gonna have to spend $2000 or $3,000 a month on an expert. When in fact it might save you, you know, 15 or 20 grand on the backend. So I think you have to think about these things as investments in your business and investments in your time so that you can focus on the things that, that you are great at and the things that make you the happiest and the things that are most motivating to you, because that’s how your business will grow. Chip Griffin: Absolutely. And if, if that happens to be being creative and strategic, then, then you can, you shouldn’t be doing it day to day in all likelihood for clients. Sure. But you should find ways to do it either as part of, you know, quarterly or annual client reviews. Or internal brainstorming sessions that you’re engaging in. There’s a lot of things you can do behind the scenes to be useful and, and to, to exercise those muscles in a way that that gives you satisfaction. But doesn’t put you on the front lines so that you’re, you know, now the, the one that the, the client decides they’re gonna call every time they’ve got an issue. Because that, that ends up eating up a lot of your time in a way that probably you’re not going to enjoy. So sometimes it’s doing things behind the scenes that gets you the, the most value, or doing annual in person with the client. But they understand it’s special that you’re here, this is not. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. This is not something they can or should expect every week. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. You know, I, I know I’ve talked about this before on the podcast, but we do quarterly planning with our clients. We do a quarterly look back, and then we, you know, say, okay, based on metrics and data and all that and your priorities, here’s what we’re suggesting for quarter two or in the next quarter. And that has afforded many opportunities. A, for me to, to work in my where I’m, where I’m strong, but it also almost always gets us more money. So when you’re, when agency owners are like, oh, should I do a cost of living raise every year? Should I increase by 10 or 15% every year? That kind of goes away because you are getting new projects every quarter based on the the plan and the strategic strategy and creativity that you’re providing to the clients every quarter, because they’re like, oh gosh, yeah, we should actually do that. And some, and sometimes they’ll say, we don’t have extra budget. Can we move some things around? Which is okay, but most of the time they’ll say, you know, we, we have a little extra budget. Let’s focus on doing that. We have to launch a new website. Here’s some extra budget for that. We have to do a series of webinars to maintain our CEUs. Let’s here’s a little extra budget for that. So there are things and opportunities for you to, for lack of a better term, term upsell when you’re doing these quarterly meetings versus waiting for the annual. Chip Griffin: Yeah. And, and so, you know, finding a way to, to inject yourself in those things is a valuable exercise. Absolutely. From that, look back to the early days. But the other thing that that can be helpful in looking back to your early days of your agency is, you know, what helps drive your early success? Because a lot of times when we’re trying to find solutions to our current growth issues, we can find clues in some of those early days and mm-hmm. A lot of that, you know, in the early days of, of most agencies, it may be that low hanging fruit from personal networks and things like that. But there are usually other patterns that you might be able to see there that might help you to understand what are, what are the basics that you need to go back to? How do you, how do you employ some of those rather than, than focusing on, you know, all of the fancy new things that you see, you know, some, you know, genius podcast hosts talking about as far as how to grow an agency and instead say, Hey, this is what worked for me. Yep. Because you may find something that works again today. Gini Dietrich: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we say this to clients all the time, but going back to the basics. It works. And it works for you too, so absolutely you should think about those kinds of things. Chip Griffin: Yeah. I mean, you didn’t get here by accident. Well, maybe you got, maybe it’s a little bit of an accident sometimes that happens. Maybe, yeah. Some of it. But, if you’ve had any longevity at all, even a few years of longevity as an agency owner, there are patterns that you can find usually that started in those early days. That you can lean into for understanding and rather than trying to do something wild and different, focus on the things that you know, you’ve proved can work for your business. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. One of the things, if I were to dig back into the archives, one of the things that worked extremely well for us is I had developed relationships with people who did business development at the large agencies, and what I found is that if they had an RFP or a current client or a prospect come in and say, we only have a quarter of a million dollars to spend. They’re not even gonna look at that. And so they started just referring that business to us, which is how I grew the business. Mm-hmm. So if I think about that now, how could we replicate that kind of, you know, pipeline development? It was extremely effective. And I, I gift that to all the listeners too. Like there are larger agencies in all of your cities that they have a certain threshold, and if any something comes in below that, they are happy to refer business. So there is, there is one way for you to start thinking about how am I going to, you know, keep myself motivated? How am I gonna keep my pipeline full? How am I gonna keep cash coming in? That’s one of the things that you can think about. Chip Griffin: Yeah, and thinking those things through. I mean, sometimes it’s not a one for one where you did exactly the same way you did it originally, but you take that nugget of an idea. And you know, things like, finding other people who can refer you business that’s not quite a fit for, for them, but might be for you. It’s a good reminder to be out there and having conversations with your peers. With people even that you might perceive sometimes as competitors, because there are often opportunities. In the work that I do with agencies, it’s not uncommon for some of the other consultants in the space to refer clients to me that are a better fit for my background and the kinds of agencies that I work with and vice versa. Because you know, we all have our specialties. And as an agency you have your specialties, so it is very common for many agencies to have grown this way. So certainly something to be looking at today, particularly if you’re struggling to find that new business in 2026. Gini Dietrich: Yeah, I think I really love the advice of thinking back to how you got to where you are and some of the things that you did, and going back to basics a little bit, because those are the things that are going to continue to work. And to your point, maybe tweak a little bit to make a more, be more effective in ’26. Chip Griffin: I mean, it also puts you in the right mindset, I think, because if you’re thinking back to those early stages, that tends to be when many agencies have the most growth, when things are most exciting. And so if you can try to bring back even a sprinkling of that, that can be really helpful. Particularly when times are tougher, or you’re looking for the inspiration to take things to the next level or whatever challenge you may be facing today, those lessons can be extremely valuable and also motivating at the same time. Gini Dietrich: Absolutely. Yeah. I used to, I used to get mad at companies that would hire big PR firms for like brand awareness and, you know, sending news releases and they didn’t get any coverage. They didn’t get any results. And I would get, I would get angry and I would call the company and be like, you’re so stupid. I would never do that today. But I had such a, I was just so naive and passionate about what we were doing, that it didn’t bother me to call and be like, we can do this significantly better for you. And in some cases they laughed and hung up on me. And in some cases, like we became agency of record. Like we took AOR away from Fleischman Hillard one year from a big, big company with a big, big company. And it was because I made a phone call where I was like, I can’t believe that you’re spending this kind of money and getting these kinds, these lackluster results. They were like, all right, let’s listen. I don’t think I would do that today, but it worked. Chip Griffin: Right. But, thinking back to those things can help you do two things. One is to think some of the positive things that you can do or the affirmative steps, right. That you can take. But the, but sometimes looking back to, to how you got started can also be reminders not to do certain things. Gini Dietrich: Sure, sure. Chip Griffin: So, particularly if you’ve started an agency and maybe you worked at an agency previously when you started, you probably had this laundry list of things. I would never do these things as an agency. And I, I think back to my first agency and some of the agencies that I had worked with previously, you know, did a lot of what I felt was nickel and diming of you in terms of back in the day charging you for faxes and photocopies. Sure. Yes. And all sorts of little expenses. And so, you know, I was committed back then to making sure that my invoices were always clean and simple and fixed, and I just worked in the cost of all of these things. Into my total cost of doing business so that I never had to aggravate a client. Fast forward to today. If I found myself doing that, I, by looking back, I would say, wait a minute. Let me think about that. Am I, am I being true to what my vision was of the business? And if not, is that because I’ve actually learned something and it does make sense to do what I thought was wrong back then. Because I mean, you can learn and grow. There’s nothing wrong with that. Sure. Or have you just fallen into the trap because you walked around and you saw other people doing it. So you said, well, I’m gonna start charging for faxes too. And if you’re charging for faxes in 2026, by the way, Gini Dietrich: we have a problem, but Chip Griffin: we have a huge problem because, what the heck are you using that fax machine for? Let alone that you’re charging for it. And by the way, where did you find a fax machine? Because I haven’t seen a fax machine in person in a really long time, except maybe like at the back of a doctor’s office. The, you know, Gini Dietrich: the bank and the doctor’s office. Yeah, I think that’s it. Chip Griffin: Well, I haven’t, I don’t, I kind, I haven’t been inside a bank in a long time, but Gini Dietrich: yeah, Chip Griffin: everything’s, everything’s electronic now. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. There’s no need for that. Chip Griffin: But yeah, think, think back to those, those motivations that you may have had that rather than I want to do this, it was, I never want to be the kind of agency that does this. Because it, it is really so easy to fall down those rabbit holes over time without even realizing that you’re just, you’re doing the same things that, that you didn’t ever want to see when you started your business. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. And I think it’s so easy to sit on social media, and you’ll get served ads from experts who say this is the way that you should do things. And in some cases it might work. And in some cases you might be like, there’s no way. And I think it’s really easy to listen to somebody and say, yeah, but we went from $3 million in debt to making $3 million a day, like, you know, these wild claims. And then you kind of get sucked into that. I think if you’re really true to who you are and what kind of agency you want to build, that’s going to enable you to say, this just doesn’t feel right to me. I’m not, I’m just gonna… great if he’s really making $3 million a day, I need to just bypass this one. Chip Griffin: Because you need to do what’s right for you. And so, I think that the key to that is, is really going back to your roots, understanding what motivated you to get started, what drove that success in the early days. And by understanding the, the early months or years of your agency, the more that you can inform some of the decisions that you’re making going forward one way or the other. Gini Dietrich: Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. Think about it. It’s a good way to start ’26. Chip Griffin: Nice positive way. We, we managed to get through an episode here without beating up on our listeners. We didn’t start the year on a negative note, did we? We started positive. We did. Think about, we think about what has worked for you previously. Yes. And do more of that. Do more. So we will do more of this on a future episode of the Agency Leadership Podcast. But in the meantime, I’m Chip Griffin. Gini Dietrich: I’m Gini Dietrich. Chip Griffin: And it depends.

Don and Dude continue the “I Love the 80s” journey with a trip to 1981, a year when economic anxiety and political tension coexisted with malls, arcades, and cable TV escapism. Country and Pop both learned how to look and sound modern. One host brings a polished, harmony‑driven Country blockbuster from Alabama, while the other counters with a nervy, hook‑stuffed New Wave debut from Men at Work, tracing how crossover production, global pop, and quirky storytelling reshaped early‑'80s radio.The AlbumsAlabama – Feels So Right (1981) A smooth, harmony‑rich Country set that blends traditional instrumentation with Southern rock and soft‑rock polish, Feels So Right finds Alabama sanding down honky‑tonk grit into warm, radio‑ready crossover anthems. Built on Randy Owen's conversational vocals, tight three‑part harmonies, and clean electric arrangements, the record moves from intimate ballads to dark Hollywood cautionary tales, sketching how early‑'80s country stepped confidently into the pop mainstream without losing its storytelling roots.Men at Work – Business as Usual (1981) An off‑kilter, endlessly catchy debut, Business as Usual fuses New Wave, reggae‑rock, and pop hooks into anxious, witty songs about paranoia, identity, and global culture, all filtered through an unmistakably Australian lens. Colin Hay's nervy vocals, Greg Ham's iconic sax and flute lines, and the band's elastic grooves turn tales of door‑knocking strangers, daydreaming kids, and Vegemite‑fueled wanderers into one of the defining pop documents of the early '80s.Diggin' AlbumsOurs – Rocket's Red Glare (2025) The long‑running alt‑rock project from Jimmy Gnecco returns with a cinematic, emotionally charged set that pairs soaring vocals and guitar crunch with themes of love, loss, and resilience. Rocket's Red Glare channels late‑'90s melodrama into a mature, widescreen sound that feels tailor‑made for headphones and midnight drives.Red Rider – As Far As Siam (1981) Canadian rockers Red Rider deliver melodic, thoughtful heartland rock on this 1981 LP, balancing straight‑ahead riffs with introspective writing. Anchored by “Lunatic Fringe,” the album became a staple of AOR radio and helped cement Tom Cochrane's reputation as a songwriter with both punch and atmosphere.NITE – NITE (2025) Dallas twins Kyle and Myles Mendes push their darkwave/synthpop project into a sleek, shadowy new chapter on this self‑titled release, blending post‑punk guitars, electronic pulse, and emotive hooks. The record dives into pain, obsession, and alienation over nocturnal beats and synths, landing somewhere between dancefloor melancholy and bedroom confession.Ashes and Diamonds – Are Forever (2025) A supergroup of post‑punk and alt veterans, Daniel Ash, Bruce Smith, and Paul Spencer Denman, craft a moody, cinematic collage of glam, dark pop, and experimental electronics on Are Forever. Recorded after a page‑one restart, the album leans into Hollywood decadence, identity crises, and existential drift, its clipped‑headline lyrics and atmospheric production feeling like a neon‑lit fever dream for aging club kids.Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and Bluesky @albumnerds, and support by subscribing, rating, reviewing, and sharing.“We'll never fully understand the 80s until we admit they were equal parts escape fantasy and quiet panic—and the best records let both feelings live in the same song.” – Cameron Crowe

¡¡¡Edición 489 ya disponible!!! Durante toda la semana puedes escucharlo en las emisoras de la Onda Local de Andalucía y por supuesto en tu plataforma de podcasts favorita. ¿Qué vas a escuchar? Lo mejor del HardRock, HeavyMetal, Power… y demás. Si quieres saber la playlist exacta, con las bandas y los temas, este es el enlace: https://corazonpurpurarock.blogspot.com/2026/01/programa-489.html Síguenos por las redes: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@corazonpurpurarock Instagram: https://instagram.com/corazonpurpurarock Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corazonpurpurarockradio Twitter: https://twitter.com/cpurpurarock Contacto: corazonpurpurarockradio@gmail.com https://corazonpurpurarock.blogspot.com/ Sobre Corazón Púrpura Rock: Está dirigido y presentado por Gracia Santiago. Es un programa de radio musical semanal: heavy metal, hard rock, power metal, rock alternativo, AOR, rock melódico, metal… Se emite en la Onda Local de Andalucía. Además de tener una versión podcasts en varias plataformas. Nació en 2014 en Córdoba (España). Esta es nuestra 12ª temporada.

Straight from Santa's sack: twenty more rare AOR nuggets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jake E is the only Swedish artist with projects simultaneously featured on Spotify's Metal Trends playlist and national commercial radio in the same month. Alongside music, he is an actor, starring in the upcoming Hollywood fantasy film Eonblade with Doug Jones. He has collaborated with Mark Mangold on cross-genre AOR and modern rock projects, contributed to over 40 albums, earned multiple Gold and Platinum certifications, and featured in international campaigns for major brands such as IKEA.EPISODE LINKS:https://www.youtube.com/@JAKEEOFFICIALTIMELINE:0:00 Intro4:03: what is the pressure like on stage versus on camera?8:10 Are singers are more introverted?11:30 Leg day18:30 Getting songs to ryhme22:00 Bands having backing track bass instead of real bass players and effects of COVID & #AI on the business and23:25 AI music backlash?27:10 What got you into singing31:15 What happened to guitar solosPODCAST LINKS:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nikos-show/id1240503636Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2dBlXuaLe1IHkXqG2whQNC

Happy Holidays to all of our InObscuriacs out there. Due to the abundance of amazing new releases in the world of rock n' punk n' metal, we are once again going to forego our annual Christmas episode for a 2-parter Shallow Graves 2024! At the end of every year, Kevin does a solo episode celebrating top releases of the year, but there are too many artists that Captain Content heard this year, where he said, “…I'd like a little more of that”! So, Kevin's Christmas present to the Captain is songs from artists that he said he dug… Hope you dig these 2025 tunes also!What is it we do here at InObscuria? Every show Kevin opens the crypt to exhume and dissect from his personal collection; an artist, album, or grouping of tunes from the broad spectrum of rock, punk, and metal. This week we look back on bands that released new rock n' punk n' metal in the year 2025 that piqued the Captain's interest. Hopefully, you get turned onto something new!Songs this week include:Thundermother - “Speaking Of The Devil” from Dirty & Divine (2025)ZOAHR - “Zephyr” from Mosaic (2025)Speed Of Light - “Pain On A Chain” from Pain On A Chain – Single (2025)The Night Flight Orchestra - “Stratus” from Give Us The Moon (2025)Bob Mould - “Neanderthal” from Here We Go Crazy (2025)The Gems - “Year Of The Snake” from Year Of The Snake – Single (2025)Hawkwind - “Neutron Stars (Pulsating Light)” from There Is No Space For Us (2025)Softcult - “Dress” from See You In Heaven (2025)The Damn Truth - “If I Don't Make It Home” from The Damn Truth (2025)Dead On A Sunday - “Pieces Of Myself” from In Memoriam (2025)Type O Negative - “Red Water (Christmas Mourning)” from October Rust (1996)Visit us: https://inobscuria.com/https://www.facebook.com/InObscuriahttps://twitter.com/inobscuriahttps://www.instagram.com/inobscuria/Buy cool stuff with our logo on it: InObscuria StoreIf you'd like to check out Kevin's band THE SWEAR, take a listen on all streaming services or pick up a digital copy of their latest release here: https://theswear.bandcamp.com/If you want to hear Robert and Kevin's band from the late 90s – early 00s BIG JACK PNEUMATIC, check it out here: https://bigjackpnuematic.bandcamp.com/Check out Robert's amazing fire sculptures and metal workings here: http://flamewerx.com/

In this video I discuss critical Second Amendment case up for reconsideration after a prior 8-1 denial! Check out AOR by going to: https://bit.ly/ARMEDSCHOLARUse my code ARMEDSCHOLAR and receive $50 off your individual sign-up fee or $25 of your family plan sign-up fee

In this video I discuss critical Second Amendment case up for reconsideration after a prior 8-1 denial! Check out AOR by going to: https://bit.ly/ARMEDSCHOLARUse my code ARMEDSCHOLAR and receive $50 off your individual sign-up fee or $25 of your family plan sign-up fee

The AOR team of Jeff Schulze and Josh Jamner offer their prognostications for the U.S. economy and equity market in the year ahead, building a case for positive momentum to shine through.

Jefferson Starship is an oddly overlooked band on classic rock radio. In the annals of late 70s-into-the-80s corporate AOR radio rock and roll, they sat firmly and fittingly with Boston, The Cars, REO, Styx, Foreigner, and the rest of that gang.  While those bands still get their four cuts played repeatedly on the classic rocker stations (and burn those few cuts out), Jefferson Starship was quietly placed to the side.  Hmm.  Let's revisit the rock of their catalog and see what we think.

Episode Summary In this episode of the Canadian Immigration Podcast, hosts Mark Holthe and Alicia Backman-Beharry shine a light on one of the most overlooked pathways to staying in Canada: the open work permit for spouses and dependent children of permanent residence sponsorship applicants. They clarify who qualifies, how the process differs for in-Canada vs. Family Class applications, and how to avoid costly mistakes. With processing delays, stricter rules, and fewer temporary pathways, this episode is essential for couples navigating the PR journey. Key Topics Discussed Who's Eligible: Only spouses and dependent children included in a PR sponsorship (not PGWP holders or student spouses). Inland vs. Outland Sponsorship: Family Class applicants can now apply for open work permits too—without losing the right to appeal or travel. Processing Times & AOR: You generally need an Acknowledgment of Receipt (AOR) to apply—but there's a two-week grace rule if your status is expiring. How to Apply Properly: Must apply online through IRCC's portal with correct job codes and supporting documents—no flagpoling or border apps allowed. Out-of-Status Pathway: A slower paper-based route exists for applicants with no valid status, but only after getting approval in principle. Key Takeaways A valid PR sponsorship with AOR unlocks the open work permit. Don't wait—timing and document accuracy are critical. Even Family Class sponsors in Canada may qualify. Seek legal help to avoid costly delays or misrepresentation. Quotes from the Episode Mark Holthe:“If you don't follow the instructions, the processing times are so long that if something goes wrong, you're probably landing in a really tough spot.” Alicia Backman-Beharry:“You only have a two-week window. This is why I wanted to bring attention to this category—it can make a huge difference in people's lives.” Links and Resources Watch this episode on YouTube Canadian Immigration Podcast Book a consult Enroll in the Express Entry Accelerator and Masterclass Subscribe for MoreStay up-to-date with the latest in Canadian immigration by subscribing to the Canadian Immigration Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, or YouTube. Don't miss future episodes on policy changes, strategies, and practical advice for navigating Canada's immigration process. Disclaimer This episode provides general information about Canadian immigration and is not intended as legal advice. For personalized assistance, consult an immigration lawyer.

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training What does it really look like when employees step up to buy the agency they've helped run for years? Today's featured guest will share how she and her partners carried forward the 30-year legacy of an agency founded in the days of print and stamp, a business that has not only survived but thrived through three different ownership handoffs. You'll hear how they transitioned from licking envelopes to leading digital campaigns, navigated buying the business during COVID, and tackled the imposter syndrome that comes with suddenly being “the boss.” If you've ever thought about selling your agency, or buying one, this conversation is packed with lessons on culture, succession, and keeping an agency alive for the long haul. Alyssa Ash is one of the principals and co-owners of AOR, a creative and digital agency focused on branding, marketing, and web, with a strong focus on real estate development, municipalities, and economic development projects. Think housing solutions, community connections, and projects that shape cities—that's their sweet spot. Alyssa and her two business partners are the third generation of owners keeping AOR alive since its founding in 1992. A rare kind of legacy in agency land. In this episode, we'll discuss: How employees can be groomed into ownership. Lessons from buying an agency during COVID. Why imposter syndrome is normal (and even healthy). Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources This episode is brought to you by Wix Studio: If you're leveling up your team and your client experience, your site builder should keep up too. That's why successful agencies use Wix Studio — built to adapt the way your agency does: AI-powered site mapping, responsive design, flexible workflows, and scalable CMS tools so you spend less on plugins and more on growth. Ready to design faster and smarter? Go to wix.com/studio to get started. A Legacy of Print and Culture Back in '92, AOR wasn't cranking out websites or SEO strategies. It was the time of print design, direct mail, licking stamps, and die-cut lounge chair mailers that made people long-time clients. It's not common that an agency that gets acquired lives on like this, but the founders had built something special. Each generation of owners didn't just grow the client list—they protected the culture. When the founders sold 13 years after starting the business, keeping that culture intact was non-negotiable. Fast forward again, and Alyssa's crew inherited not just an agency, but a philosophy: honor the people and the community as much as the work. Transitioning from Employee to Owner Unlike an outside buyer swooping in with an SBA loan, Alyssa and her partners were homegrown leaders. They'd each put in 10–15 years, running departments in strategy, sales, and operations. By the time the second set of owners started floating the idea of selling, the trio was already running day-to-day operations. At first, the conversation was casual, “Would you even want to own the agency someday?”, but over time it got real. The financial side was initially not even part of the conversation, although they did give a reasonable runway of five to ten years for the acquisition to happen. The fact that three of them shared the load made the acquisition possible. While the thought was intimidating at first, the gradual handoff built their confidence. By the time the deal closed, ownership felt less like a leap and more like the next natural step. Navigating an Agency Acquisition During COVID If you've ever thought about buying or selling an agency, you know the financing part can get tricky. For Alyssa and her partners, COVID hit right in the middle of negotiations. On one hand, this made it somehow easier for her and her partners to step even more into their roles as heads of the agency. While the owners stepped back from daily operations, Alyssa and her partners made the transition to their new roles. On the other hand, the pandemic did complicate things as SBA loans looked risky with interest rates climbing. Thankfully, the old owners worked out a five-year owner-financed note instead. That decision didn't just save them financially, it cemented trust. The outgoing owners wanted the next generation to succeed and structured the deal so everyone won. As Alyssa put it, “It didn't feel like a big shift… because we'd already been doing it.” Fighting Imposter Syndrome (and Why That's Healthy) Even with 15 years in the trenches, Alyssa admits stepping into ownership brought its fair share of imposter syndrome. She was still quite young, even though she felt comfortable leading day-to-day operations. This is where the former owner's trust really helped. They put her in a position to succeed and trusted she could make it. Ultimately, every agency owner feels that, no matter the stage of their career they're at when becoming an owner. In fact, it's the ones who don't who usually get tripped up by ego. Preparing the Next Generation So, is Alyssa grooming her team for eventual ownership? Not yet, it's too soon. But she is watching for the traits that made her and her partners natural fits: entrepreneurial thinking, leadership instincts, and a bias for taking responsibility. Her advice to other agency owners thinking about succession: Don't overlook your employees as potential buyers. Give them time and a runway to grow into the role. Protect your culture by keeping it in the hands of people who already live it. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.

In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss how to handle situations when the problems affecting an agency’s client relationship stem from external contacts like procurement, IT, or the sales team. They emphasize treating client contacts as allies and not enemies, and provide strategies to navigate bureaucratic hurdles and internal politics. The discussion covers creative problem-solving techniques such as using MSAs, having biweekly calls with VPs of Sales, and understanding cultural differences. The importance of having a collaborative approach and pre-building relationships to effectively manage challenges is also highlighted. Key takeaways Chip Griffin: “Treat your client contact as an ally, not the enemy.” Gini Dietrich: “We have several clients who have procurement done in another country, and English is not their first language. And so we find that some of the barriers to success are not because of the things that we assume.” Chip Griffin: “When you run up against an obstacle, try to figure out is there a creative way that we can get from here to there?” Gini Dietrich: “We always ask what the threshold is for financial amounts because there’s usually an amount of money that your client contact can approve without it going to procurement or to their boss or whatever happens to be.” Related How agencies should handle procurement and legal How to onboard new agency clients Getting agency-client contracts done right View Transcript The following is a computer-generated transcript. Please listen to the audio to confirm accuracy. Chip Griffin: Hello and welcome to another episode of the Agency Leadership Podcast. I’m Chip Griffin. Gini Dietrich: And I’m Gini Dietrich. Chip Griffin: And Gini, I’ve got this, this invisible guy over here, and he’s telling me what we need to do for this show today. And, and we have to follow it to the letter if we wanna record. Gini Dietrich: Oh, who is it? Chip Griffin: I dunno, but if someone, someone is telling me that we need to, to record an episode about what to do when your problem isn’t the client contact for your agency, but it’s someone else, someone off screen who’s telling them what they have to do and it’s causing problems for your relationship. Gini Dietrich: Oh, someone like procurement or IT? Chip Griffin: Someone like procurement. Mm-hmm. IT, the sales team. Gini Dietrich: Mm-hmm. Chip Griffin: The CEO. Gini Dietrich: Mm-hmm. Chip Griffin: All sorts of people who may not be involved in any of the day-to-day work that our client contacts are doing, but they are just involved enough that they can cause trouble. Gini Dietrich: Mm-hmm. Kind of like me having to tell a client’s VP of sales the other day that we’re not their local Kinkos. Chip Griffin: Yes. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. I actually used those words. Chip Griffin: I mean, to be fair, FedEx Kinko’s now, so you’re, you’re dating yourself, but Gini Dietrich: I, fair, yes, you’re right. But also it got the point across. Chip Griffin: Yes, it got the point across, but, but did it resolve the situation or did they just say Gini Dietrich: It did resolve the situation. Okay, good. Good. I think it made him mad, but he understood that we’re not here to just print the brochures for him. Chip Griffin: Yeah. No, that is, that is not the role of an agency. But no, a lot of times we do have these, these pressures or our, or really it’s our client contacts who feel the immediate pressure, right? They get, they get told by procurement that they have to, to find a way to cut the budget with their agency. They get told by IT that, you know, you can’t do this with email or that with your website or those kinds of things, or there are all these extra hoops to jump through and there’s no budget to pay for all those extra hoops or, I mean, just any number of different things that, that we see as agencies that we have to find some way to deal with. And it’s tough because when it’s our client contact, we can at least have a direct conversation. But when it’s someone who is, who is literally off screen, for most of us, since we’re doing these conversations typically by Zoom these days. Someone offscreen meddling is a lot harder to deal with. So, so what is your advice to an agency owner who says, look, I’ve, I’ve got these challenges and, and my client contact agrees with me, but, but how can I help them to get this across the goal line the way we need to? Gini Dietrich: Yeah, it depends on what it is for sure. I mean, we’ve had the situation where procurement, of course, has wanted us to reduce fees. So then it’s a conversation with the client contact to say, Hey, listen, this is what they’re asking us for. That means we’re gonna have to take this, this, and this out of this scope of work. Typically the client contact can influence that and go down and talk to procurement or send an email or do a support ticket or whatever it happens to be, to be able to influence that. And sometimes they can even elevate it or escalate it above to their supervisor or their supervisor’s supervisor. It just depends. But that’s usually where, usually where we start is saying If we do this, this is what it, this is how it will affect the work that we’re going to do together. And this is what you can expect. And typically they’ll, they’ll go to bat for you. So I would start there for sure. Chip Griffin: Right. I mean, I think that that fundamentally what you’re describing is, is treating your client contact as an ally, not the enemy. Gini Dietrich: Yep. Chip Griffin: And, and it is tough because sometimes when we, when we hear these things, it’s, it’s often, you know, we often put ourselves in the position of wanting to shoot the messenger because that’s who we’re, we’re talking to our client contact on a daily basis. And when they tell us, you know, these are the rules or these are the things we need to do, you know, we, we can get frustrated with them, but we need to remember. Most of the time or many of the times, it’s not them. They, they have the same view we do. And so we need to try to figure out how we can work together to overcome their internal obstacle. And it, and it does mean that, you know, we may need to make some compromises ourself. We may need to, to invest a little bit more time and energy into helping things done. And some of that may be uncompensated time. If needed in order to, to try to, to clear these hurdles. But they are necessary hurdles to clear. Otherwise we may not be able to achieve the results or we may have to, to eliminate some of our profit margin or any number of different problems that we may run into if we’re not willing to invest in the short term in overcoming those difficulties. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. And I would say most of the time people are pretty reasonable. You can, you can say, and usually your client contact is gonna be like, Ugh, this is so frustrating. I can’t have you reduce the scope, right? Because we need to do these things and I’m held accountable to those results. And so, you know, so it, so the…It, it rolls downhill for sure. So usually they will go to bat for you and we’ve had a couple of examples where they’ve had to go to their supervisor and say, Hey, I need you to help me push this through. But for the most part, I think you’re right. If you can use your client contact as the ally, you can usually get things done the way you need it to, to be done. Chip Griffin: And I think the other thing we need to do is, is remind ourselves that, that these unseen actors are by and large, not bad people either. They’re just, they’re, they’re doing their job in the way that they think is best. So, so even procurement, and we all love to dump on procurement. Fairly in my view, because a lot of them are looking just at the numbers and not really, Gini Dietrich: it’s a little challenging. Yeah, yeah. Chip Griffin: So, but, but we need to remember that, that they are people. And so, you know, our first instinct as, as we usually advise on this show, is to treat other people like humans. And, and if you can, try to relate to them. If you can try to, I mean, one of the things I always advise is try to get them in the conversation. Don’t, don’t play a game of telephone because a game of telephone is hard to win. You, you can’t because you know, now you’re just trying to coach up your client contact on, on what they need to say. But you’re not part of the conversation. You’re not, you’re not sure if, if something is getting lost in translation in either direction, frankly. Right, right. And so you really want to try to get to a place where you can get in the same room with whoever, whatever that external force is that’s causing difficulty for your relationship. Gini Dietrich: Yeah, for sure. And I, I think that’s really good advice. I think it’s sometimes I have the tendency to wanna go directly to the source, and you also have to be careful that, that may, from a political standpoint, may not be the right thing. So again, start with your client contact. Say, Hey, I’m happy to help you with this. Or, you know, wanna schedule a Teams call for all three of us, whatever happens to be, but… I’ve also gotten in trouble for going straight directly to the source to say, Hey, like how can we do this? So I would say, bring your client contact in as much as you can until they say, I’m happy for you to take this on, or let me schedule a call, or whatever happens to be. Chip Griffin: Right. Or, or, I mean, I would say just the, the flip side to that is if you get all of you in a room, and I agree, that’s where you should start. If you read that room and there’s some friction between your internal contact and whoever you’re really trying to deal with, then I would try to extract your client contact sooner rather than later. Yes, absolutely. Yes, because sometimes there’s internal politics going on or just personality differences or whatever, and so sometimes you can actually accomplish more if you, if you politely move on from having your client contact in those. It, you really have to, it’s a case by case situation. Sometimes it’s better to have them there so they can see what’s happening and they can either intervene or translate or at least you know, know what’s going on so that they can’t say, well, I don’t understand why you’re not doing this well, ’cause, you know, so and so in procurement told us we couldn’t, or so and so in sales is pushing in this direction. You know, you, you want to try to, to figure out what works in that particular situation. But certainly sometimes taking someone out the room who is part of the, the challenge can be helpful. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. And you said the word translation. I think it, we have several clients who, procurement is done in another country, and so English is not their first language, and so we find that some of the, the barriers to success are because of that and not because of the other things that we assume it is. So we always try to bring in somebody who can translate between us and them. Even if they speak English, you know, English not being their first language, and certainly not the u US culture that we have. You, it’s always good to have somebody in the room or on the, on the teams call that can help kind of finagle those things for you, especially if you don’t speak, you know, the language. And many of, many of the languages aren’t, that we face are not even like Spanish, French. They’re like Arabic, right. Or Chinese. And really, I dunno. Chip Griffin: Well, and, and sometimes it’s not just the language, it’s the culture as well. That Right. That can impact. Right, because there are, yep. There are certain cultures where it, it may be that, that, you know, they will always demand more than what they actually expect. ’cause they’re expecting to, to have pushback and negotiation. There are others where people will just say this, this is what we need. Let’s figure out how to get there. And, and having someone internally who can help you to understand, you know, what are they really asking for? What, what, you know, is this, is this a take it or leave it kind of thing? Or is there room to negotiate, either on, on price or activity or whatever to, to get to a, a happy place. And, and without that knowledge, that can be shared oftentimes by your client contact, it’s not just that you know, that you’re literally speaking different languages. It might be that, that there’s a lot in the, the culture that is different as well, that you need to, to grasp in order to get success. Gini Dietrich: You raised such a good point because there are some cultures who expect negotiation, like that’s just part of their culture. So having that understanding I think is really smart. Because that will help you too, because if they’re expecting you to negotiate, don’t be scared of that. Like go into it to negotiate. It’s kind of fun. Chip Griffin: Right, right. And, and there are, I mean, there are, there are opportunities to negotiate. There are, you know, knowing the motivations of the people. Sometimes you’re dealing with a department that are, you know, absolute rule followers, right. You know, if you, if you, if you talk with most IT professionals for example, they’re like, well, our policy says this and, and there’s no real easy wiggle room there. But sometimes you can have a rational conversation with them if you try to find alternatives. And instead of saying, well, we have to do that. Well, well, what if we tried this instead? Is there some other… Is there some other path that that might get us? Mm-hmm. To the same result? Mm-hmm. Or try to help them to understand why this really isn’t the risk that you think it is. I mean, I’ve, I’ve done in the past a lot of negotiations with defense contractors and those sorts of things, and they often have a whole litany of security procedures that you need to, to follow and that kind of stuff, and, and then, you know, you sometimes sit with them and say, well, look here, we’re not dealing with any sensitive information here. Right. This is all. This is all public media information. There’s nothing here that, that needs that level of protection. So is there, perhaps, you know, can we perhaps reach some accommodation? Or sometimes procurement will say, you need to carry an insurance policy for, you know, vehicular accidents. And I’m like, well, why? Like, I’m, I’m never gonna be driving for this contract. So that doesn’t really make any sense. And, and oftentimes that’s like construction firms, right? Where, you know, most of their vendors have some sort of a, a physical presence or something like that. And so you need to, to be able to have those rational conversations and say, okay, I understand this is your policy, but, but let’s talk through how might this actually apply to us and our situation. Gini Dietrich: Yeah, I think that’s really smart. And one of the things that we’ve started doing is, especially with the, the big, big companies is becoming part of their network. So anything that we do, any information that we share goes through their network. We all have email addresses that are our client, that have our, that end in our client’s, URL. We have access to their teams environment, you know, so we, we, for all intents and purposes, are part of their organization just for distributing information and nothing can come to our side, because they’re worried about IT and security. Right? And another thing is, is that we’ve, we always ask what the threshold is for financial amounts because there’s usually an amount of money that your client contact can approve without it going to procurement or to their boss or whatever happens to be. So we always find out what that is and see if we can work within those constraints. And sometimes we split up scope of work so that it falls underneath that threshold so that our client contact is the one who gets to approve it and it doesn’t have to go through all these other hoops and and hurdles. Chip Griffin: Right. And a lot of time it is also yet another argument for what we generally advocate for here, which is having a master services agreement plus individual statements of work. Yep, yep. So a lot of these things get dealt with just once when you do that master services agreement. That’s right. And now you’ve got a lot more potential wiggle room to deal with issues later on. Because you’re not having to, to introduce as many people for renewals and all of that kind of stuff. And, and it’s, it’s why I’m such a big supporter of the evergreen MSA with, and just hang off individual SOWs as needed. Gini Dietrich: Yes. Yes. I totally agree with that. We have one master of services agreement and we alphabetize our SOWs and I think we’re on AO right now for the year. So yeah, that, you know, that just tells you like how we’re able to do that without having to go through that whole rigamarole every single time. I mean, if we had to do that for all of those… I wouldn’t be able to get my day job done. Chip Griffin: Right. Well, and and your your point about, you know, understanding, you know, what are some of the thresholds internally for things, it’s really helpful for you to, to do some of that creative problem solving with your client contact. And when you run up against an obstacle, or something like that, you know, trying to figure out is there a creative way that we can get from here to there? Yep. Yep. And that might be by becoming part of their email system. It might be by have coming under a financial threshold. It might be by doing something through some affiliated organization. You know, maybe, maybe you become a subcontractor to someone else who’s already dealt with a lot of that kind of stuff. And you know, there’s a lot of different options that that can help you. To solve these issues. It won’t solve every one of them. Sometimes you have to deal with them head on, but if you can find ways to creatively get around those obstacles, that can be really helpful. Gini Dietrich: Yeah, I know that a lot of the big companies have usually an agency of record and will the, the AOR can bring in smaller agencies under their umbrella so that you don’t have to deal with those kinds of things. So if that, you know, I would ask that question. Does it make more sense for us to come under the AOR? And in most cases, the agency of record is set up to, to handle that so that. You know, it makes, it makes it easier for the client to hire the teams that they want without the teams having to do all the insurance and all of the vehicular accident insurance and things that you really don’t need, but it prevents you from having to do that kind of stuff. So that’s another question you could ask is, is there an AOR that we could umbrella underneath. Chip Griffin: Right. So we, we’ve talked mostly about policy driven or financially driven obstacles from outside, but there are other, there are more strategic obstacles that can arise as well, or even tactical ones. And that typically comes from other business units. Particularly sales teams or senior executives who are not necessarily directly involved in your day-to-day work. And, and those can be sometimes a little bit trickier to deal with because you’re not dealing, I mean, there, there’s some benefit to dealing with black and white policy, right? Because now you can figure out, okay, how do we, how do we deal with these? Mm-hmm. When you’ve got a sales team saying, well, you’re not, this is not accomplishing enough, or this is not generating the right kinds of leads, or whatever it may be. That can sometimes be a little bit more challenging argument because it does, it often becomes a little bit more subjective. It often becomes a little bit more, you know, based on opinion as to, to what the best path forward is. And so that can be a challenging one to deal with because, you know, now you’re, you’re dealing with things that are not as, as clear cut and you can just reach a simple resolution. Gini Dietrich: Yeah, I mean, I am a big believer in the account lead, having a relationship with the sales lead. In some cases that might be the agency owner. You know, I have a really good relationship with at least three VP of sales for our clients, and I have biweekly calls with those guys to make sure that we’re on the same page, we’re doing the right things. I also have a relationship with one where I can tell ’em we’re not their Kinkos and we’re not here to print brochures. But I, I’m a strong believer in that. And I know we also talked last week about my process of doing quarterly assessments, and I think both of those things help in those kinds of relationships because now you have that ongoing relationship with sales. Who can, who you can say, let’s test this, or let’s test that. Or you know, you were in our quarterly assessment and we agreed to these things. Do you wanna keep going or do you wanna move to focus on that? And I will say that in some cases, especially, you know, if you’re working with a mid-sized company, the sales leader is constantly being, you know pressured to do more sales. And sometimes they’ll come and say, I just got my sales number increased by 20% and I need your help to do that. And I understand that it wasn’t part of our quarterly assessment. What can you do to help? So, you know, having those relationships and those on ongoing conversations I think helps a ton. Chip Griffin: And I, I think a lot of the same advice that we offered earlier in this conversation applies. Treat them as human. Don’t view them as the enemy, and instead say, okay, you know, I, I understand your challenge. How do we get there? And too often I see in organizations it’s, I think it’s fairly common for marketing to blame sales. Sales to blame marketing and sales and marketing both blame product or client service or whomever. Sure. May be in that particular organization and, and none of that is helpful because you are all on the same team ultimately. And so you need to try to find ways to work together and figure out, okay, how can we get the best possible outcome? Yes. And if it’s simply marketing saying, well, sales isn’t doing a good job of closing. Or sales saying, you’re not giving me enough good quality leads, that’s not helpful. Have a conversation, figure out, you know, why is it not achieving the results that, that you want or that executives want? Are, are those results even possible? If so, how do we get there? Is it changing our ideal client profile? Is it changing some of our tactics? Is it investing differently? There’s a lot of ways that you can get there, but it needs to be done collaboratively. And so in those cases, I strongly encourage you to work with your client contact to bring those other parties into the room and have a candid conversation. Yeah, yeah. And talk through what’s possible and honestly what isn’t. I mean, sometimes there are unrealistic views of what can be done. You know? Oh, let’s, you know, let’s double our leads next month. Okay. Well. How are we gonna do that? Mm-hmm. You know, you don’t just wave a magic wand say, okay, we’re gonna Gini Dietrich: Right. Woo, double your leads. Woo. Chip Griffin: We’re gonna, we’re gonna send you twice as many SQLs next month as last month. Or all of a sudden we’re gonna get, you know three times the earned media coverage. So sometimes it is just you really have to educate. This is not possible to do this on this timescale and instead talk about what is possible on that short timescale and what it would take to get to some of those more ambitious numbers. But you can only do that if you are having a real conversation in the room or if you’re talking with your client contact and saying, what do you need from us? How can we help you to have this conversation? Because sometimes they, they can’t or won’t bring the agency directly into the conversation. That’s your ideal. But you may just need to try to coach up, educate and provide resources to your client contact so that they can carry the water forward. Gini Dietrich: Yeah. You know what, last week we talked about. Not doing proposals for free and not giving away all your ideas and, and creating a sort of discovery phase in your process so that you’re getting paid for your ideas. And I think that’s part of this is part of that, which is as you’re doing your discovery and having conversations. It’s not just with the CEO and the CFO and the CO, like bring in the sales team, bring in the IT team, bring in members from those other customer service, the other teams that are gonna help you do your job. And not only that, but understand the culture and the organization better. Start to build those relationships in the beginning so that when these things happen, and they inevitably do happen, that you have those relationships already built and can have those really have really good, robust collaborative conversations. Chip Griffin: Right. I mean, that, that’s a, that’s a great point is to, to make sure that those relationships are not the kind of thing that you only think about when you’ve got these challenges arising. Yeah. They, they need to be pre stocked, if you will. I, I will say that, that I had a mild moment of panic when you said last week we talked about, and I’m like… I can’t remember what we talked about last week. Thank you. So thank you for elaborating on that. So I was not Gini Dietrich: So you may remember. You’re welcome. Chip Griffin: And I, and I realized that last week in our universe for this is only like four days ago, Gini Dietrich: Two days ago. Yes. Chip Griffin: Because of some scheduling anomalies. But yeah, my, my elderly brain was not able to remember that. Gini Dietrich: I think it’s ’cause you’re overly tired. Chip Griffin: Uh, that’s possible. It happens. Yeah. Plus I’m old, so there’s that too. On that note, I think, before I forget what we’re actually talking about here today, we’ll just draw this episode to a close. I think we’ve offered some useful tips that hopefully will help you to navigate some of these difficult challenges. And, and meanwhile, I’m gonna go talk to the invisible man and see if I did a good enough job that, that we can continue this show moving forward. Gini Dietrich: Maybe we’ll get a raise. Ask for a raise too, please. Chip Griffin: I mean, I just, I just, I don’t, I don’t want him to cancel the show, that’s all because I, I do enjoy recording this, even if I can’t remember what we talked about. So on that note, I’m Chip Griffin. Gini Dietrich: I’m Gini Dietrich, Chip Griffin: and it depends.

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Phil Stacey about songs we hate to love.  Show notes: Surprised at how good the Who were in concert despite their advanced age Songs we hate to love, not necessarily guilty pleasures Things we were embarrassed to say we liked when we were in school Most of our picks were from when we were kids Jay: I liked hard rock and metal and would never admit I liked poppier stuff like Duran Duran Jay: In doing research, I discovered there was a "rock" version of the Lord's Prayer that was a minor hit in 1973 Phil: ABBA wrote some pop classics When REO Speedwagon had that one huge album AOR was huge in the early '80s Jay: I loved KISS's disco song, but never got into the band Phil: Listened to a lot of Manilow as a kid Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" captured that swinging '60s vibe The pop goodness of the Association Phil: The band Boston has been played to death in these parts, but they had their moment Controversial choice: Phil likes the worst Genesis song Dumb song, dumb video When Eddie Murphy became a pop star Phil also likes Crazytown's hit Released at the height of nu metal/rap rock Jay: Begrudgingly liked Animotion's big hit First album Jay had as a kid was by Glen Campbell Campbell wasn't a typical country singer Jay: Got into some of Paul Simon's mid-70s solo work Getting into early Loverboy deep cuts Billy Joel wrote a lot of bad songs, but a few good ones Jay: Always a big fan of "Rump Shaker" ABC was good at the foppish synth pop Jay: I hate everything about Smash Mouth except their first single Totally dig one George Michael song above all others Late '70s pop blast from M Foreigner struck gold with catchy rock jams To be continued Completely Conspicuous is available through Apple Podcasts. Subscribe and write a review! The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Diana Nehro (shareholder, New York/Boston), who is the chair of the Cross-Border Practice Group, and Kate Thompson (associate, New York/Boston) discuss the nuances of global hiring, focusing on the differences between an employer of record (EOR) and an agent of record (AOR). The speakers evaluate the pros and cons of each model, highlight compliance risks, and provide practical tips for employers to effectively and compliantly build their international teams.