Podcasts about Asset

In this episode, Jenn and Chris dive deep into the essentials of structuring your business for long-term success and generational wealth. They discuss the differences between sole proprietorship and incorporation, the importance of separating personal and business assets, and how to make strategic decisions as your business grows. The conversation also explores the power of permanent insurance, the concept of infinite banking, and practical ways to leverage your corporation for investments and family legacy.   Key Topics & Takeaways Sole Proprietor vs. Corporation: Why and when to incorporate your business. Asset protection and tax advantages of incorporation. Real-life examples of transitioning from sole proprietor to corporation. Retained Earnings & Tax Strategy: How to keep more of what you earn. The impact of retained earnings on business decisions. When it makes sense to incorporate based on your business income and growth plans. Permanent Insurance & Infinite Banking: The difference between term and permanent insurance. How permanent insurance can be used as an investment vehicle. The basics of infinite banking and how it allows you to "be your own bank." Using insurance policies to build generational wealth and provide for your family. Practical Business Tips: The importance of knowing your numbers and tracking expenses. Structuring your company for income sharing and tax efficiency (e.g., board of directors, family involvement). Leveraging corporate investments, holding companies, and non-registered accounts. Legacy & Family Planning: Estate planning, wills, and passing on assets like family cottages. Teaching financial literacy and wealth-building to the next generation.   Let's dive in! Thank you for joining us today. If you could rate, review & subscribe, it would mean the world to me! While you're at it, take a screenshot and tag me @jennpike to share on Instagram – I'll re-share that baby out to the community & once a month I'll be doing a draw from those re-shares and send the winner something special! Click here to listen: Apple Podcasts – CLICK HERESpotify – CLICK HERE Free Resources: Free Perimenopause Support Guide | jennpike.com/perimenopausesupport Free Blood Work Guide | jennpike.com/bloodworkguide The Simplicity Sessions Podcast | jennpike.com/podcast Get 20% on thewalkingpad.com using code "JENNPIKE20" Get discounts at happybumco.com using code "JENNPIKE" *code doesn't apply with Black Friday sale* Programs: Ignite: Your 8-Week Body Transformation Program | https://jennpike.com/ignite The Peri & Menopause Project  - Join the Waitlist | jennpike.com/theperimenopauseproject Synced Virtual Fitness Studio | jennpike.com/synced Services: Work With Jenn | https://jennpike.com/work-with-jenn/ Functional Testing | jennpike.com/testing-packages Business Mentorship | The Audacious Woman Mentorship:  jennpike.com/theaudaciouswoman Connect with Jenn: Instagram | @jennpike Facebook | @thesimplicityproject YouTube | Simplicity TV Website | The Simplicity Project Inc. Connect with Chris: Instagram | @chrisborsellino Finance Discovery Session | Book Here Have a question? Send it over to hello@jennpike.com and I'll do my best to share helpful insights, thoughts and advice.

Across 152 conversations this year, a set of recurring patterns kept surfacing, regardless of whether the discussion focused on application security, software supply chain risk, AI systems, or creative work. The industries varied. The roles varied. The challenges did not.One theme rises above the rest: visibility remains the foundation of everything else, yet organizations continue to accept blind spots as normal. Asset inventories are incomplete. Build systems are poorly understood. Dependencies change faster than teams can track them. The issue is not a lack of tools. It is a willingness to tolerate uncertainty because discovery feels hard or disruptive.Another pattern is equally consistent. Integration matters more than novelty. New features, including AI-driven ones, sound compelling until they fail to connect with what teams already rely on. Security programs fracture when tools operate in isolation. Coverage looks strong on paper while gaps quietly expand in practice. When tools fail to integrate into existing environments, they create complexity instead of reducing risk.Security also continues to struggle with how it shows up in daily work. Programs succeed when security is embedded into workflows, automated where possible, and invisible until it matters. They fail when security acts as a gate that arrives after decisions are already made. Teams either adopt security naturally or route around it entirely. There is no neutral middle ground.Context repeatedly separates effective leadership from noise. Risk only becomes meaningful when it is framed in terms of business operations, delivery speed, and real tradeoffs. Leaders who understand how the business actually functions communicate risk clearly and make better decisions under pressure.Finally, creativity remains undervalued in security conversations. Automation should remove repetitive tasks so people can focus on judgment, problem solving, and design. The same mindset that produces elegant guitars, photographs, or products applies directly to building resilient security programs.These five patterns are not independent ideas. Together, they describe a shift toward security that is visible, integrated, contextual, workflow-driven, and human-centered.Read the full article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/five-patterns-from-152-podcast-episodes-2025-changed-i-martin-cissp-st1ge________This story represents the results of an interactive collaboration between Human Cognition and Artificial Intelligence.Enjoy, think, share with others, and subscribe to "The Future of Cybersecurity" newsletter on LinkedIn: https://itspm.ag/future-of-cybersecuritySincerely, Sean Martin and TAPE9________Sean Martin is a life-long musician and the host of the Music Evolves Podcast; a career technologist, cybersecurity professional, and host of the Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast; and is also the co-host of the On Location Event Coverage Podcast. These shows are all part of ITSPmagazine—which he co-founded with his good friend Marco Ciappelli, to explore and discuss topics at The Intersection of Technology, Cybersecurity, and Society.™️Would you like Sean to work with you on a topic/series to help you tell your story? Visit his services page to learn more: https://www.seanmartin.com/servicesWant to connect with Sean and Marco On Location at an event or conference near you? See where they will be next: https://www.itspmagazine.com/on-locationTo learn more about Sean, visit his personal website. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(0:00) Bestie intros! Nick Shirley joins the show to discuss his recent investigation on potential daycare fraud in Minnesota (3:32) Nick's background, how he got into investigative reporting and YouTube, independence, finding this story (16:36) Why this fraud story is resonating, why the national press initially avoided it (30:08) Future plans, California, possible Al-Shabaab connection, how high up does Minnesota's fraud go? (49:15) What the scale of fraud means for America, Minnesota's future, potential patronage scheme (1:09:06) CA's wealth tax: normalizing the seizure of private property (1:33:56) Chamath breaks down the $20B Groq-Nvidia deal Follow Nick Shirley: https://x.com/nickshirleyy Follow the besties: https://x.com/chamath https://x.com/Jason https://x.com/DavidSacks https://x.com/friedberg Follow on X: https://x.com/theallinpod Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theallinpod Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theallinpod Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allinpod Intro Music Credit: https://rb.gy/tppkzl https://x.com/yung_spielburg Intro Video Credit: https://x.com/TheZachEffect Referenced in the show: https://x.com/nickshirleyy/status/2004642794862961123 https://www.startribune.com/prosecutors-charge-5-people-in-a-minnesota-housing-fraud-scheme/601548944 https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/29/us/fraud-minnesota-somali.html https://www.fox9.com/news/fraud-minnesota-detailing-nearly-1-billion-schemes https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2005410646603473256 https://x.com/kevinkileyca/status/2006053056660541840 https://x.com/chamath/status/2006087862492582084 https://x.com/C_3C_3/status/2005722313795440956 https://x.com/OliLondonTV/status/2005988021946999166 https://x.com/tomhennessey69/status/2005556784228909441 https://x.com/WallStreetApes/status/2005849513676923358 https://x.com/MarioNawfal/status/2005179409465299219 https://dcyf.mn.gov/programs-directory/child-care-assistance-program https://x.com/susancrabtree/status/2006079778873565541 https://x.com/chamath/status/2005386348169953607 https://x.com/aaronburnett/status/2003874734661161064 https://newsletter.amuseonx.com/p/the-somali-patronage-system-has-taken https://x.com/realdailywire/status/2006122428196442388 https://x.com/rightanglenews/status/2006375449404866720 https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2025-601/

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training What a year. I sat down with over 100 incredible agency owners—and the insights were unreal. From million-dollar breakthroughs to hard-earned lessons, these founders brought the real talk. In this special year-end episode, I'm sharing the top 5 interviews that stood out most. To everyone who tuned in, shared an episode, or took action from something they heard—thank you. This show is for you, and because of you. Here's to a smarter, stronger, more scalable 2026. Let's go.   Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service.   AI, Efficiency & the Future of Digital Agencies | with Manish Dudharejia (E2M Solutions) If you're running a digital agency and wondering how the hell you're supposed to keep up with AI, automation, and shifting client expectations—this one's for you. Jason sits down with Manish Dudharejia, founder of E2M Solutions, one of the largest white-label partners for agencies, to break down where the real opportunities are—and what's about to get wiped out. Spoiler: Agencies that don't embrace efficiency will get eaten alive. Whether you're stuck in fulfillment hell or just trying to stay 3 steps ahead, this is a must-watch if you want to grow smarter, not grind harder.   From Freelancer to CEO: How Kriston Sellier Built a Scalable, Human-Centered Agency Kriston Sellier, Founder of Id8, shares how she broke free from the freelancer grind, stopped being held hostage by a single client, and transformed into a confident CEO with systems, a team, and a business that no longer revolved around her. We dig into the moment she realized she wasn't really running a business and how hiring a consultant changed everything (and brought in 25 new clients) This isn't fluff. It's the real path from chaos to clarity—one that too many agency owners skip because they're stuck reacting.   From $1M to $40M: How Chris Dreyer Scaled His SEO Agency with One Counterintuitive Strategy If you're an agency owner stuck managing chaos, wondering how the hell to grow without everything breaking—this is your blueprint. I sat down with Chris Dreyer, CEO of Rankings.io, who scaled his agency from barely breaking 7 figures to nearing $40 million in pure service revenue. And no, it wasn't because of some sexy funnel or overnight hack. It was because he doubled down on relationships. Favorite line from Chris: "You mean to tell me it's not worth $500 to go shake hands with a $125K client?" This isn't theory. It's what the top 1% of agencies are actually doing—and it's probably not what you're doing right now.   How to Build an Agency Team That Sticks & Clients Who Actually Respect You | Colin Hetherington I sat down with Colin Hetherington, founder of Dublin's Common Good and co-founder of Zoo Digital (which scaled to $3M+ with less than 5% turnover). Colin's the real deal—he's built agencies people love working at and clients want to stay with. You'll hear how Colin combined strategy, creativity, and technical execution to create an agency that stood out—and why focusing on team trust and clarity made all the difference. Whether you're scaling or starting fresh, there's gold in this conversation on how to lead without burning out.   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.

Key Takeaways: Asset Arbitrage: Asset arbitrage is a way to increase value by using new tools like blockchain and digital tokens. These tools help assets move more easily, making them simpler to buy, sell, or use as collateral. How Money Is Changing: Money has always changed over time. In the past, people exchanged goods, then coins, then paper money. Today, financial technology is creating new ways to move and manage money faster and more efficiently. Real Estate and Blockchain: Blockchain can help real estate owners unlock cash from their properties without selling them. Tokenization allows owners to access liquidity while still collecting rent. Bitcoin as a Measuring Tool: Bitcoin can be used as a benchmark to measure value. Because it is limited in supply and not controlled by governments, many people see it as a way to protect and grow wealth over time. Rethinking Investing: Traditional investing rules don't always work in a changing world. Investors need to think differently, stay flexible, and learn new tools to keep up with the evolving financial system. Chapters: Timestamp Summary 0:00 The Era of Money Changing and Blockchain-Enabled Strategies 4:13 Real Estate, Bitcoin, and Wealth Preservation Strategies 7:37 Tokenizing Real World Assets for Blockchain Liquidity 9:06 Innovative Home Equity Strategy for Tax-Free Cash Access 13:30 Bitcoin as the Most Secure and Scarce Investment Asset 16:54 Investing in Bitcoin-Backed Securities for Reduced Volatility 18:05 Comparing Real Estate and Bitcoin Investment Strategies 22:28 Tokenization and Wealth Building Through Real Estate Equity 27:43 Bitcoin as a Neutral and Immutable Financial System 32:51 The Importance of Neutral Economic Systems and Bitcoin Powered by Stone Hill Wealth Management Social Media Handles    Follow Phillip Washington, Jr. on Instagram (@askphillip) Subscribe to Wealth Building Made Simple newsletter https://www.wealthbuildingmadesimple.us/   Ready to turn your investing dreams into reality? Our "Wealth Building Made Simple" premium newsletter is your secret weapon. We break down investing in a way that's easy to understand, even if you're just starting out. Learn the tricks the wealthy use, discover exciting opportunities, and start building the future YOU want. Sign up now, and let's make those dreams happen!   WBMS Premium Subscription   Phillip Washington, Jr. is a registered investment adviser. Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

We're closing the book on an unforgettable year and celebrating Season 5 of The Swoosh Life the only way we know how — with hardware.

Podcast: ICS Arabia PodcastEpisode: Securing the Food Industry | 63Pub date: 2025-12-26Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationIn this insightful episode, host Dr Sulaiman Alhasawi sits down with Adnan Ahmad, CISO at Ornua, the global dairy cooperative behind Kerrygold, operating 11 factories across Europe, the US, and Saudi Arabia.They dive into the unique world of OT security in food manufacturing, where:

Spreaker as Parenthood as a Workplace Asset reveals why supporting working parents benefits companies.Betsy Wurzel welcomes authors Mark Kaplan and Mason Donovan to discuss their new book, The Parenthood Advantage, and how parenthood should be seen as a workplace asset. Drawing from research and their own experiences as parents of twins, they explore how parenting builds leadership skills like time management, empathy, and resilience.The conversation also offers strategies for companies to support working parents and caregivers while strengthening workplace culture.Listen to the full episode on Spreaker to learn how caregiving and parenthood contribute to stronger leadership and a more inclusive workplace.

In this episode of Durable Value, we explore the concept of real estate—especially multifamily and industrial properties—as essential infrastructure. We discuss how these asset types function as a public good, their role in the economic grid, and why secondary and tertiary markets are becoming increasingly important. Tune in for insights on market dynamics, institutionalization, and the future of real estate investment.Timestamps:00:00 – Introduction00:51 – Real estate as a public good: Housing and industrial as community essentials01:15 – The “capillaries” of commerce: Small businesses and last-mile industry01:36 – Real estate as a quasi-utility; the Western US grid analogy02:30 – Institutionalization of secondary and tertiary markets02:57 – Infrastructure as an investible asset class03:22 – Needs-based assets: Comparing real estate to bridges and utilities04:08 – Asset desirability vs. discretionary assets04:31 – Monopoly vs. competition: Utilities and real estate supply04:55 – The economics of new construction vs. existing apartments06:34 – Demographic shifts: Millennials, Gen Z, and housing demand07:21 – Post-COVID trends: Remote work and changing lifestyles08:23 – Owning the grid: The I-5, I-15, and I-25 corridors09:02 – The network lens: How properties reinforce each other09:21 – Data-driven conviction and deal flow09:42 – Building alpha through authentic data and off-market deals

Interview with Alex Black, Executive Chairman of Rio2 Ltd.Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/rio2-tsxrio-approaching-january-2026-production-targeting-20000tpd-ramp-up-7959Recording date: 23rd December 2025Rio2 Limited (TSX:RIO) represents a compelling investment opportunity at the critical inflection point between development and production, with first gold pour from its Fenix heap leach project in Chile scheduled for January 2026 whilst the recently acquired Condestable underground copper mine in Peru contributes immediate substantial cash generation. The dual-asset strategy directly addresses the binary risk inherent in single-asset junior companies whilst providing diversified exposure to both precious and base metals during favourable pricing environments characterised by gold exceeding $4,500 per ounce and copper benefiting from structural supply constraints.Management delivered the Fenix project on time and on budget at $150-160 million total capital expenditure, representing modest capital intensity for a gold operation of this scale. The operation targets 60-70,000 ounces during the 2026 ramp-up year before reaching steady-state production of 100,000 ounces annually by 2027 at nameplate throughput capacity of 20,000 tonnes per day. Critically, the starter project represents only 1.7 million ounces of the property's 5 million ounce resource base, which was defined using $1,800 per ounce gold price pit shells, creating significant reserve expansion potential in the current $2,600+ pricing environment. Systematic exploration drilling commencing in 2026 targets resource growth potentially reaching 5-7 million ounces by the late 2027 feasibility study for phase two expansion.The December acquisition of Condestable fundamentally altered Rio2's financial trajectory and risk profile. The transaction added 10 years of proven and probable reserves, unusual longevity for any producing operation that eliminates near-term reserve replacement pressures. The mine produces 27,000 tonnes of copper equivalent annually (60 million pounds copper) at current throughput rates of 8,400 tonnes per day, generating clean concentrate grading 80% copper and 20% precious metals. At current metal prices, Condestable generates over $100 million in annual free cash flow after taxes with sustaining capital requirements below $10 million per year, creating an 8% annual cash yield on Rio2's $1.2 billion market capitalisation before considering Fenix's contribution.The combined operations project to generate $150-175 million annual free cash flow once Fenix reaches steady-state production, providing capital to fund organic expansion at both properties without equity dilution. Condestable offers clear expansion pathway from 8,400 to 12,000 tonnes per day throughput (40% increase) with study underway, whilst the underexplored 45,000-hectare land package surrounding the mine provides blue-sky resource growth potential that previous private equity owners neglected in favour of cash flow extraction.Management's 25-year Peru operating history and successful prior mine development through Minera IRL validates capability to navigate Latin American permitting, community relations, and operational challenges. The successful $205 million financing with $800 million total demand (4x oversubscription) demonstrates institutional confidence in the execution track record and strategic vision. Rio2 currently trades at approximately 2x EBITDA on Condestable alone, before attributing value to Fenix production or substantial organic expansion potential at either asset. Comparable producers in the 100,000+ ounce gold and 50+ million pound copper production range typically trade at 4-6x EBITDA multiples, suggesting significant valuation convergence opportunity as quarterly production reports validate operational performance through 2026-2027.Management explicitly positions Rio2 as an active consolidator building toward eventual corporate transaction within 3-5 years rather than perpetual operator, with Executive Chairman Alex Black noting "we're not building a company for the next 20 years" but rather "taking advantage of the situation, the time, the metal prices and building something up that is very very valuable." G Mining's $8.5 billion valuation whilst operating two assets provides reference point for Rio2's potential valuation trajectory, representing 7x current market capitalisation as the production platform matures and demonstrates consistent operational execution across both jurisdictions.View Rio2's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/rio2-limitedSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Asset protection isn't about hiding wealth — it's about keeping what you've spent decades building. In this conversation, R. Kenner French breaks down what asset protection really means and why high-net-worth individuals, especially real estate investors, are prime targets for lawsuits. He explains that without a proper structure, a single legal action can wipe out years of hard work, forcing people to start over at the worst possible time in life.Kenner emphasizes that LLCs are one of the most effective tools for asset protection when they are structured correctly. An LLC creates legal separation between personal assets and business or investment properties, limiting exposure if a lawsuit occurs. By isolating assets into separate entities, investors can prevent one legal issue from spreading across their entire portfolio — a strategy often referred to as asset diversification.A major theme of the discussion is that asset protection is risk mitigation, not paperwork. Kenner uses the “moat around a castle” analogy to show how strong planning discourages lawsuits before they even begin. Proper structuring, documentation, and ongoing compliance make potential litigants think twice, often deciding the time and cost of pursuing a case simply isn't worth it.The conversation also highlights the importance of layered protection, combining LLCs with liability insurance, retirement accounts, trusts, and strategic planning. Kenner stresses that not all attorneys specialize in asset protection, making it critical to work with experts who understand how to design structures that hold up under legal scrutiny. Asset protection plans, he notes, are now more accessible and affordable than ever.Finally, Kenner reminds listeners that asset protection is not a one-time event. It requires regular review as asset values change, new properties are acquired, and risk exposure evolves. The key takeaway is clear: the best time to build an asset protection plan is before you need it. As French puts it, “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.”Takeaways• Asset protection is crucial for safeguarding wealth.• LLCs provide a legal structure for asset protection.• Proper planning is essential for effective asset protection.• Liability insurance is a key component of asset protection.• Regularly review and adjust your asset protection strategies.• Not all attorneys specialize in asset protection; choose wisely.• Asset protection plans are becoming more affordable.• Understanding your risks is vital in asset protection planning.• A well-structured LLC can limit exposure to lawsuits.• Consulting with an asset protection specialist is recommended.Sound Bites• What is asset protection?• Garbage in, garbage out.• You have to look at all your risks.Listen & Subscribe for More:

On this episode, Liz Wheeler is joined by Mike Benz, executive director for the Foundation for Freedom Online, to discuss the latest on the Epstein story. Will Pam Bondi release the transcript of the DOJ's 2020 interview with Alex Acosta regarding Epstein's ties to intelligence? Tune in to hear Mike Benz's prediction! -- Like & subscribe to make sure you don't miss a single video: https://youtube.com/lizwheeler?sub_co... Get the full audio show on all major podcast platforms: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4LhlHfo... iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-th... Subscribe to The Liz Wheeler Show newsletter: https://lizwheeler.com/email Get VIP access to The Liz Wheeler Show on Locals: https://lizwheeler.locals.com/. Stay in touch with Liz on social media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lizwheeler Facebook: / officiallizwheeler Twitter: / liz_wheeler Instagram: / officiallizwheeler Rumble: https://rumble.com/LizWheeler Website: https://lizwheeler.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Are you thinking about expanding your agency through acquisitions? Buying another firm can be one of the fastest ways to scale, but only if you choose the right partners and nail the cultural fit. Otherwise, growth can quickly turn into chaos. Today's featured guest has been through five acquisitions, each one teaching her a different (and sometimes painful) lesson about what truly makes a merger succeed. In this episode, she opens up about her biggest acquisition missteps, the cultural mismatches that nearly derailed integrations, forecasting errors she didn't see coming, and the identity challenges that arise when two teams collide. Kimberly Eberl is the Founder and CEO of The Motion Agency, a full service marketing and communications shop with offices in Chicago, Cincinnati, and Nashville. While the agency offers everything from creative to content, it is unusually strong in public relations with roughly 20 PR pros on staff. Kimberly has completed five acquisitions, navigated the cultural and financial highs and lows of M&A, and grown Motion into one of the most respected independent agencies in the Chicago market. In this episode, we'll discuss: When acquisitions help agencies scale—and when they backfire. Lessons learned from five agency acquisitions. Why agency owners often misjudge valuation and earnouts. 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. From Fired Account Director to Agency Founder Kimberly jokes that she is one of those founders who got fired into entrepreneurship. At her previous agency, the account director role was undefined and impossible to succeed in. The revolving door should have been a clue. She lasted a year before being let go and scrambling to figure out her next move. With no grand plan, she fell into freelancing in 2006. The economy was healthy. The demand came fast. And pretty quickly she reached that moment every accidental agency owner hits. Either say no to work or hire help. She chose to hire. That early decision set the tone for the next decade. Instead of trying to do it all herself, she leaned into building a team and letting the business grow past her personal capacity. Outgrowing a Single-Service Model: Moving Beyond One Specialty Kimberly started as a PR pro. That focus worked for a while, but eventually she noticed how much money she was leaving on the table. Clients wanted websites, creative, content, and she was constantly referring the work away. The big shift happened when she decided to expand beyond PR and bring more capabilities in-house. This meant hiring outside her comfort zone and learning how to oversee work she could not personally do. That decision opened the door to real growth. Many agency owners get stuck right there. They stay in their one specialty because it is safe. Kimberly pushed through that discomfort and built a service mix clients actually wanted. The Reality of Acquiring Another Agency: Lessons from 5 Acquisitions Kimberly opted to add these new services through acquisitions. So far, she has completed five and every one had a different lesson. Her first major acquisition was bold. She bought an agency twice the size of her own. Financially and emotionally, it was a lot. Looking back, she admits she may not do a deal that large again, especially in a specialty she did not personally understand. But she also learned that size does not determine complexity. A one-person agency with contractors had just as many integration headaches as a larger shop. What mattered most was agency culture. Some deals looked perfect on paper but fell apart because the values, expectations, and behaviors did not align. One deal in particular was financially great and culturally awful. She kept one client from that acquisition. Another deal was financially terrible but culturally perfect. Years later, most of those staff members are still with her. Her biggest warning: never ignore cultural red flags during the courting phase. Take time to hang out with the sellers, how they operate, and experience their company's culture. Go to dinner, Travel together. You'll notice small behaviors (snapping over minor problems, chronic lateness, lack of transparency) that won't disappear after the contract is signed. Valuation Mistakes That Kill Good Deals Kimberly also dove into how she approaches valuations and why so many sellers get this part wrong. She focuses on future performance, realistic forecasts, and removing costs that will not continue after the sale. She also pushes back on inflated projections. If an owner claims revenue will double, the earnout should reflect that. Big promises are fine, but they should come with big accountability. One agency she walked away from wanted a valuation equal to twice their gross revenue. They were using cash-based accounting and ignoring profitability. It was an immediate red flag. Kimberly's advice to owners is simple. Build a business that is sellable even if you never plan to sell. Get your financials clean. Use accrual accounting. And be realistic about your numbers. Leadership, Loyalty, and the Hardest Skill — Letting Go As the agency scaled, leadership challenges became just as complex as financial ones. Kimberly admits she is confused about why she is the largest woman-owned agency in Chicago at only seventy people. She is proud of the title, but she wonders why more women are not reaching similar scale. There are no differences in capability, but many female founders still hit a ceiling often tied to loyalty, delegation, or difficulty letting people go. Some owners, especially women, treat their team like family and struggle to make hard decisions around performance. She admitted she has been loyal to a fault at times and is working on finding a healthy balance. Agencies function more like all star sports teams. The roster changes every year. People get promoted, moved, or sometimes released. That does not mean you failed. It means you are adapting so the team as a whole can win. Kimberly is even working on building hobbies outside her agency because she noticed how much of her identity was tied to work. It is a relatable struggle for founders who have poured years into their companies. AI Changes the Work, Not the Need for Agencies Let's be clear, agencies are not going away because of AI. Kimberly certainly doesn't believe that. She treats AI like an intern. Helpful. Fast. But still needing quality control, creativity, and leadership. Clients still want real relationships. They want someone who understands context and nuance. Agencies serving tech-savvy individuals will feel churn from AI, but agencies serving plumbers, service-based businesses, and non marketers will be fine. These clients want to stay in their lane and hire experts for everything else. Marketing evolves, but agencies survive because the business model adapts. 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.

Most people think financial stress is about income, but it's usually a broken cash flow system. In this episode of Wise Money, we walk through the three-bank account cash flow operating system that helps create stability, reduce stress, and build real financial confidence. You'll learn how to properly manage monthly expenses, plan ahead for non-monthly costs, and stop getting blindsided by predictable surprises.  Season 11, Episode 19 Download our FREE 5-Factor Retirement guide: https://wisemoneyguides.com/    Schedule a meeting with one of our CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERS™: https://www.korhorn.com/contact-korhorn-financial-advisors/ or call 574-247-5898.   Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/WiseMoneyShow Listen on podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/WiseMoney  Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qs1HCueWhvE  Submit a question for the show: https://www.korhorn.com/ask-a-question/   Read the Wise Money Blog: https://www.korhorn.com/wise-money-blog/    Connect with us: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/WiseMoneyShow  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wisemoneyshow/    Kevin Korhorn, CFP® offers securities through Silver Oak Securities, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. Kevin offers advisory services through KFG Wealth Management, LLC dba Korhorn Financial Group. KFG Wealth Management, LLC dba Korhorn Financial Group and Silver Oak Securities, Inc. are not affiliated. Mike Bernard, CFP® and Joshua Gregory, CFP® offer advisory services through KFG Wealth Management, LLC dba Korhorn Financial Group. This information is for general financial education and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations. All investing and investment strategies involve risk, including the potential loss of principal. Asset allocation & diversification do not ensure a profit or prevent a loss in a declining market. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization's initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.

  This Weekend's Show we are replaying two big-picture conversations from earlier in the week. Craig Hemke explains why this metals run looks structural (not...

In this week's inspiring episode of the Authors On Mission Podcast, hosted by Danielle Hutchinson, publishing strategist and founder of The Writer's Ally, Allyson E. Machate reveals why the “right book” is more than just words on a page—it's a powerful business asset that can generate leads, secure speaking engagements, and establish thought leadership.

Jeffrey Epstein wasn't merely a wealthy predator—he was a protected government asset, strategically positioned within elite circles to gather intelligence through blackmail and sexual exploitation. His 2008 sweetheart deal wasn't a fluke; it was part of a larger intelligence arrangement, confirmed by language in legal documents explicitly stating his cooperation with federal authorities. Former U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta even admitted that he was told to “back off” because Epstein “belonged to intelligence.” Epstein's homes were rigged with surveillance equipment, and his guest lists read like a Who's Who of global power. He didn't climb the ladder—he was placed. His value came not just from money or perversion, but from the secrets he collected and the people he compromised. His immunity, lenient sentence, and the broad protection extended to his associates all point to a system designed to protect the operation—not to stop it.Epstein's death in federal custody—under conveniently broken cameras and sleeping guards—wasn't the end of a scandal, but the trigger for a cover-up. The government and media have worked tirelessly to control the narrative, keeping client lists sealed, minimizing Maxwell's trial, and reducing the scope of civil suits. But the paper trail is undeniable: Epstein was a tool of intelligence, not an outlier. His silence was purchased not with a bribe, but with erasure. The public is expected to believe in coincidence, not corruption, even as the evidence continues to leak from beneath sealed records and redacted pages. The Epstein operation wasn't just a disgrace—it was a blueprint for how power protects itself. And until that blueprint is confronted, the machine that enabled him will keep grinding, unpunished and untouched.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Vom Schulhof-Hobby zum Milliarden-Markt: Matthias Peuckert von Collectors erklärt, wie Trading Cards durch Professional Grading zur ernstzunehmenden Anlageklasse werden. Im Insight Talk mit Christoph Burseg gibt er tiefe Einblicke in die Ökonomie hinter Pokémon- und Sportkarten. Er verrät, warum Collectors mit PSA nun nach Deutschland expandiert, wie man Fälschungen erkennt und welche digitalen Tools (wie Card Ladder) heute den Wert einer Sammlung bestimmen. Ein Deep-Dive in eine Welt, in der bedruckte Pappe für zweistellige Millionenbeträge den Besitzer wechselt.

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training What do you do when a business partnership fails? Do you try to engineer the perfect agreement so the exit is clean, or focus on alignment long before anyone signs anything? The truth is, most agency partnerships fail because owners rush into them without slowing down to see the cracks. Preparing for the worst is not pessimistic. It is how you protect the business you are trying to build. Today's featured guest has gone through failed starts, broken agency partnerships, and overcommitting his time as the owner for fear of losing opportunities. He'll unpack 25 years of wins, mistakes, and hard earned clarity, from building his agency and how the biggest breakthroughs came from leadership shifts rather than marketing tactics. Andy Crestodina is the co founder of Orbit Media, a Chicago based web development and optimization agency approaching its 25th year in business. Orbit has grown to a team of fifty five and more than eight million in annual revenue. Andy is also one of the most respected voices in content marketing, with millions of readers, hundreds of speaking engagements each year, and a reputation for teaching real strategy instead of recycled tactics. In this episode, we'll discuss: Slow, organic for consistent agency growth. What a failed agency partnership can cost you. The hire that gives an agency founder their time back. Learning when "yes" becomes the problem. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service. How Slow, Organic Growth Built a 25-Year Agency Andy was working as an IT recruiter in the nineties and found himself bored at his day job. He didn't get to build anything in that position and he had a lot of ideation urging him to do something else. Luckily, the internet offered him that chance. He could build a website and channel his creative energy through that side project. But could he do it full time? He had no resume and no portfolio to present to a potential employer. He realized it was easier to get a client to take a chance on him than it was to convince an employer to hire him. So he and a high school friend started building sites. The first partnership failed fast and then the second attempt grew slowly, quietly, and steadily for 25 years. The secret was not paid ads or cold outreach. It was content. Consistent publishing, useful insights, and a commitment to organic channels long before that became mainstream advice. When Agency Partnerships Go Wrong and What It Really Costs There are many stories of successful partnerships in the agency world, but overall the disaster stories are much more common. As Jason says, you either know the bad partner or you are the bad partner. Andy lived through one of the toughest versions of that story. He had three partners for a while. One of them ran an unprofitable department. Responsibilities were unclear. Values were not aligned. And when it came time to clean up the mess, a poorly written shareholder agreement became a bigger problem than the partner himself. Andy had to mortgage his home and personally lend the company money to buy out the partner. The agreement used the wrong valuation formula. The partner dragged his feet and what should have been a difficult but clean process turned into a long, expensive, emotionally draining separation. Looking back, Andy says something most founders never admit. A handshake would have been better than the shareholder agreement they had. The real mistakes came earlier: saying yes to a partner who did not share the same values, not slowing down long enough to evaluate the deal, and being hungry for growth and ignoring misalignment. The Leadership Hire That Gave the Founder His Time Back Around this time of misalignment between partners was when a long time client turned management consultant stepped in. He saw tension inside the partner group, so he moved to do a 360 review and surfaced the problems that no one wanted to say out loud. Andy was quick to spot that he would be a great addition to the agency, and so eventually, he became the CEO. That single hire changed everything. Andy was doing all the sales and marketing. Meetings all day. Proposals all night. Burning energy on tasks someone else should have owned years earlier. Once his new CEO came on board, he built systems, built a sales process, hired strategists to handle qualification and scoping. Suddenly Andy had 20 hours a week of his life back. He poured that time into content and went right into work. He doubled publishing frequency, launched a conference, wrote a book, held monthly live events, shot videos. The brand exploded. Their reach multiplied. The inbound engine went from effective to unstoppable. This is the founder shift so many agency owners avoid. Letting go. Delegating the work that drains you. Investing your best energy into the work that grows the company, not the work that maintains it. Saying Yes, Saying No, and Protecting Your Energy Andy admits he still overcommits. He still says yes to speaking engagements because he loves the stage and it generates leads, even though the constant travel wears him down. This is something many agency owners have to face. You may want the brand, speaking gigs and reach. But you also want to protect your energy so you do not turn into the hero who disappoints people when they finally meet you. At some point, you have to choose where your yes goes. Andy chose articles, newsletters, LinkedIn, webinars, a conference, and in person events. He let go of podcasting. He narrowed his focus so he could go deeper. That discipline, more than any tactic, is what keeps his inbound engine healthy 25 years later. The Tension Between Culture and Profit How do you balance loyalty to your team with the need for profit and EBITDA? Andy is still trying to figure this out. His team has an average tenure of eight years. Some team members have been there twenty. Andy cares deeply about them and their families. But agencies face moments when bonuses, salaries, utilization, and capacity collide. Where doing right by people and doing right for the business feel like competing priorities. There is no perfect answer. But there is a direction. Take care of your people first. Trust them to help you solve the profit problems. Fix leaks. Raise rates. Tighten scope. Operate like owners. And when the agency wins, let your team win with you. Culture breaks agencies faster than anything else. Profit can be fixed. Culture cannot be patched over. 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.

Did you know you can survive weeks without food but only days without sleep? Sleep is such an underrated necessity and it's time you start prioritizing it! You are your most valuable asset, so let this episode be a reminder to prioritize yourself with adequate sleep, hydration, and nutrition while in school. Showing up for yourself in these ways will not only boost your performance but also help you be more efficient in the long run. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro(02:53) Priorities in Dental Hygiene School(05:30) Importance of Sleep in Dental Hygiene School(08:02) Fueling Your Body Efficiently (11:19) Making Time for Yourself

SHOW 12-22-25 THE SHOW BEGINS WITH DOUBTS ABOUT FUTURE NAVY. 1941 HICKAM FIELD 1. Restoring Naval Autonomy: Arguments for Separating the Navy from DoD. Tom Modly argues the Navy is an "underperforming asset" within the Defense Department's corporate structure, similar to how Fiat Chrysler successfully spun off Ferrari. He suggests the Navy needs independence to address critical shipbuilding deficits and better protect global commerce and vulnerable undersea cables from adversaries. 2. Future Fleets: Decentralizing Firepower to Counter Chinese Growth. Tom Modly warns that China's shipbuilding capacity vastly outpaces the US, requiring a shift toward distributed forces rather than expensive, concentrated platforms. He advocates for a reinvigorated, independent Department of the Navy to foster the creativity needed to address asymmetric threats like Houthi attacks on high-value assets. 3. British Weakness: The Failure to Challenge Beijing Over Jimmy Lai. Mark Simon predicts Prime Minister Starmer will fail to secure Jimmy Lai's release because the UK mistakenly views China as an economic savior. He notes the UK's diminished military and economic leverage leads to a submissive diplomatic stance, despite China'sdeclining ability to offer investment. 4. Enforcing Sanctions: Interdicting the Shadow Fleet to Squeeze China. Victoria Coates details the Trump administration's enforcement of a "Monroe Doctrine" corollary, using naval power to seize tankers carrying Venezuelan oil to China. This strategy exposes China's lack of maritime projection and energy vulnerability, as Beijingcannot legally contest the seizures of illicit shadow fleet vessels. 5. Symbolic Strikes: US and Jordan Target Resurgent ISIS in Syria. Following an attack on US personnel, the US and Jordan conducted airstrikes against ISIS strongholds, likely with Syrian regime consultation. Ahmed Sharawi questions the efficacy of striking desert warehouses when ISIS cells have moved into urban areas, suggesting the strikes were primarily symbolic domestic messaging. 6. Failure to Disarm: Hezbollah's Persistence and UNIFIL's Inefficacy. David Daoud reports that the Lebanesegovernment is failing to disarm Hezbollah south of the Litani River, merely evicting them from abandoned sites. He argues UNIFIL is an ineffective tripwire, as Hezbollah continues to rebuild infrastructure and receive funding right under international observers' noses. 7. Global Jihad: The Distinct Threats of the Brotherhood and ISIS. Edmund Fitton-Brown contrasts the Muslim Brotherhood's long-term infiltration of Western institutions with ISIS's violent, reckless approach. He warns that ISISremains viable, with recent facilitated attacks in Australia indicating a resurgence in capability beyond simple "inspired" violence. 8. The Forever War: Jihadist Patience vs. American Cycles. Bill Roggio argues the US has failed to defeat jihadist ideology or funding, allowing groups like Al-Qaeda to persist in Afghanistan and Africa. He warns that adversaries view American withdrawals as proof of untrustworthiness, exploiting the US tendency to fight short-term wars against enemies planning for decades. 9. The Professional: Von Steuben's Transformation of the Continental Army. Richard Bell introduces Baron von Steuben as a desperate, unemployed Prussian officer who professionalized the ragtag Continental Army at Valley Forge. Washington's hiring of foreign experts like Steuben demonstrated a strategic willingness to utilize global talent to ensure the revolution's survival. 10. Privateers and Prison Ships: The Unsung Cost of Maritime Independence. Richard Bell highlights the crucial role of privateers like William Russell, who raided British shipping when the Continental Navy was weak. Captured privateers faced horrific conditions in British "black hole" facilities like Mill Prison and the deadly prison ship Jersey in New York Harbor, where mortality rates reached 50%. 11. Caught in the Crossfire: Indigenous Struggles in the Revolutionary War. Molly Brant, a Mohawk leader, allied with the British to stop settler encroachment but became a refugee when the British failed to protect Indigenous lands. Post-war, white Americans constructed myths portraying themselves as blameless victims while ignoring their own Indigenous allies and British betrayals regarding land rights. 12. The Irish Dimension: Revolutionary Hopes and Brutal Repression. The Irish viewed the American Revolutionas a signal that the British Empire was vulnerable, sparking the failed 1798 Irish rebellion. While the British suppressed Irish independence brutally under Cornwallis, Irish immigrants and Scots-Irish settlers like Andrew Jackson fervently supported the Continental Army against the Crown. 13. Assessing Battlefield Realities: Russian Deceit and Ukrainian Counterattacks. John Hardie analyzes the "culture of deceit" within the Russian military, exemplified by false claims of capturing Kupyansk while Ukraine actually counterattacked. This systemic lying leads to overconfidence in Putin's strategy, though Ukraine also faces challenges with commanders hesitating to report lost positions to avoid forced counterattacks. 14. Shifts in Latin America: Brazilian Elections and Venezuelan Hope. Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusapredict a 2026 battle between socialist accommodation and freedom-oriented transformation in Brazil, highlighted by Flavio Bolsonaro's candidacy against Lula. Meanwhile, Peña Esclusa anticipates Venezuela's liberation and a broader regional shift toward the right following leftist defeats in Ecuador, Argentina, and Chile. 15. Trump's Security Strategy: Homeland Defense Lacks Global Clarity. John Yoo praises the strategy's focus on homeland defense and the Western Hemisphere, reviving a corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. However, he criticizes the failure to explicitly name China as an adversary or define clear goals for defending allies in Asia and Europe against great power rivals. 16. Alienating Allies: The Strategic Cost of Attacking European Partners. John Yoo argues that imposing tariffs and attacking democratic European allies undermines the coalition needed to counter China and Russia. He asserts that democracies are the most reliable partners for protecting American security and values, making cooperation essential despite resource constraints and political disagreements.

As the year comes to a close, we're taking a moment to revisit a few of our favorite Retire With Style episodes from 2025. This week, we're replaying one episode that stood out in particular as Wade's favorite conversation of the year, based on both the discussion and the questions it sparked from listeners. We'll be back with brand new episodes after the holiday break. Thanks for listening this year, and we look forward to continuing the conversation in 2026. Repost from Episode 195 In this episode of Retire with Style, Wade Pfau and Alex Murguia talk with William Bengen, pioneer of the 4% rule in retirement planning. They explore the rule's evolution, how inflation and market valuations shape sustainable withdrawals, and Bengen's current recommendations. The discussion highlights the role of asset allocation, the importance of withdrawal strategies, and why ongoing monitoring is essential for a secure retirement. Takeaways William Bengen modernized retirement income planning with the 4% rule. Inflation is a critical factor in determining sustainable withdrawal rates. Market volatility can significantly impact retirement portfolios. A comprehensive withdrawal plan should consider multiple factors. Current recommendations suggest a withdrawal rate of around 5.5%. Asset allocation plays a vital role in retirement planning. Investors should consider a rising equity glide path strategy. Regular monitoring and adjustments to retirement plans are essential. High inflation can permanently elevate withdrawal amounts. The 4% rule is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Retirement Income Planning 01:14 The Birth of the 4% Rule 03:03 Understanding Withdrawal Rates 09:15 The Impact of Inflation on Withdrawals 12:45 Market Valuation and Its Effects 18:07 Current Withdrawal Rate Recommendations 21:10 Asset Allocation Strategies 24:04 Free Lunches in Investment Strategies 27:34 Key Takeaways from A Richer Retirement 31:15 Future Research Directions Links Get Bill Bengen's New Book – A Richer Retirement Want to dive deeper into the research behind the 4% rule and how retirement income planning has evolved? Bill Bengen's new book, A Richer Retirement, is now available—visit bengenfs.com to learn more and get your copy. Explore the New RetireWithStyle.com! We've launched a brand-new home for the podcast! Visit RetireWithStyle.com to catch up on all our latest episodes, explore topics by category, and send us your questions or ideas for future episodes. If there's something you've been wondering about retirement, we want to hear it! The Retirement Planning Guidebook: 2nd Edition has just been updated for 2025! Visit your preferred book retailer or simply click here to order your copy today: https://www.wadepfau.com/books/ This episode is sponsored by McLean Asset Management. Visit https://www.mcleanam.com/retirement-income-planning-llm/ to download McLean's free eBook, “Retirement Income Planning”

Na edição 178 do Outliers InfoMoney, Clara Sodré e Fabiano Cintra continuam a série que explica tudo o que você precisa saber sobre como investir fora do Brasil. O convidado da vez é Luis Oliveira, vice-presidente para América Latina e Caribe da PIMCO, uma das maiores gestoras de renda fixa do mundo e que acumula mais de US$ 2,20 trilhões em ativos sob gestão. Com mais de 50 anos de história, Oliveira revela onde estão as melhores oportunidades offshore, o que esperar dos juros lá fora (e aqui) e como investidores brasileiros podem começar, mesmo com pouco dinheiro.Acompanhe o bate papo e entenda como investir mais - e com mais retorno!

1. Restoring Naval Autonomy: Arguments for Separating the Navy from DoD. Tom Modly argues the Navy is an "underperforming asset" within the Defense Department's corporate structure, similar to how Fiat Chrysler successfully spun off Ferrari. He suggests the Navy needs independence to address critical shipbuilding deficits and better protect global commerce and vulnerable undersea cables from adversaries. 1898 DEWEY'S FLAGSHIP OLYMPIA

In this episode, Michael dives deep into the chaos at Turning Point USA's America Fest. With more than 30,000 attendees, the event revealed a growing rift within the GOP. From Ben Shapiro's scathing critique of fellow conservatives to the controversial presence of rapper Nicki Minaj, the conference exposed the future direction of the Republican Party. Is Turning Point USA a political asset or a liability for the GOP? Listen here then vote at Smerconish.com, and please rate, review and share this podcast! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Are you ready to graduate from the grind in 2026? Then here’s your most important project: Future You. Learn more “Eye opening and provocative.” “Challenged me to get out of the starting blocks and far down the path of really thinking about this next phase of my life in very different ways. I now feel like I have a solid road map.” “I wish I’d taken this program earlier.” __________________________ Start the new year right with new habits. FREE 3 session program – 3 Fridays in January at Noon Eastern January 2, 9 and 16 Sign up here __________________________ What if the most creative chapter of your life hasn't happened yet? Today's conversation is about second acts that arrive not quietly—but boldly. Kim Gottlieb-Walker published her debut novel at age 78 after a 50-year career as a photographer. She also leads the Vintage Writers, a lively weekly Zoom group of women authors over 70. Joining her is Roselyn Teukolsky, a former math and computer science educator who retired and now writes fiction. This conversation explores creative courage, identity shifts, the power of starting something new – and the value of community. Kim Gottlieb-Walker and Roselyn Teukolsky join us from California. _________________________ Planning for retirement? Check out our recommended Best Books for Retirement _________________________ Bios Kim Gottlieb-Walker's  career as a photographer covered a wide range of subjects, from classic rock and roll, reggae, and politics in the ‘60s and ‘70s to major motion pictures and television shows. Now in her late 70s, she has reinvented herself as a novelist. While still at UCLA (where she  received a BA in Motion Picture production) and shortly thereafter, she shot for underground LA newspapers and magazines including Crawdaddy, the Staff, and Music World. She  also shot the stills for John Carpenter's Halloween, The Fog, Christine and Escape from New York and worked at Paramount Pictures for nine years as the production photographer for Cheers, and five years for Family Ties. For three decades she  was an elected representative for still photographers on the National Executive Board of IATSE Local 600, the International Cinematographers Guild. Her coffee-table photo books Bob Marley and the Golden Age of Reggae and On Set with John Carpenter were published by Titan Press (UK) distributed by Random House (USA) and both are now in multiple printing. They have editions in Japanese, Russian and French. She's  had gallery shows in London, Los Angeles and New York. Her novels are  Lenswoman in Love – a novel of the 1960s & ‘70s (her debut) and the not-yet published historical novel Caterina by Moonlight, about a girl growing up in renaissance Florence in the late 15th century. Her short story “Summer of Love – 1967” appears in the multi-award-winning anthology Feisty Deeds. Former math and computer science teacher, Roselyn Teukolsky, is the author of A Reluctant Spy, an unconventional spy thriller, and The Fourth Woman, a cautionary tale about online dating. Teukolsky has long been intrigued by the dilemmas faced by smart women in male-dominated settings. Working as a computer science teacher has given her the familiarity to create an authentic female protagonist, a brilliant computer scientist, who, in the latest novel, must ward off a ransomware attack and an online-dating predator. Teukolsky has a B.Sc. in Math and Chemistry from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, and an M.S. in Math Education from Cornell. She is the author of the Barron's review book for AP Computer Science, which is currently in its 12th edition. Roselyn's favorite pastime is tournament bridge. She wrote How to Play Bridge with Your Spouse … and Survive (Master Point Press) in 2002. She lives in Pasadena, CA, with her husband, Saul Teukolsky. ________________________ Have a Question You’d Like Answered on the Podcast? Click here to leave a voice message or email me at joec@retirementwisdom.com _________________________ For More on Kim Gottlieb-Walker  Lenswoman in Love www.Lenswoman.com for an overview of her photographic history www.TheRenaissanceWoman.net www.KimGottliebWalker.com – her author website. — For More on Roselyn Teukolsky A Reluctant Spy The Fourth Woman _________________________ Podcast Conversations You May Like Why Retirement Was Just the Beginning – Neal Lipschutz A Creative Pursuit with an Intergenerational Assist – Neil & Michelle McLaughlin Edit Your Life – Elisabeth Sharp McKetta __________________________ About The Retirement Wisdom Podcast There are many podcasts on retirement, often hosted by financial advisors with their own financial motives, that cover the money side of the street. This podcast is different. You'll get smarter about the investment decisions you'll make about the most important asset you'll have in retirement: your time. About Retirement Wisdom I help people who are retiring, but aren't quite done yet, discover what's next and build their custom version of their next life. A meaningful retirement doesn't just happen by accident. Schedule a call today to discuss how the Designing Your Life process created by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans can help you make your life in retirement a great one — on your own terms. About Your Podcast Host Joe Casey is an executive coach who helps people design their next life after their primary career and create their version of The Multipurpose Retirement.™ He created his own next chapter after a 26-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking. Joe has earned Master's degrees from the University of Southern California in Gerontology (at age 60), the University of Pennsylvania, and Middlesex University (UK), a BA in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and his coaching certification from Columbia University. In addition to his work with clients, Joe hosts The Retirement Wisdom Podcast, ranked in the top 1% globally in popularity by Listen Notes, with over 1.6 million downloads. Business Insider recognized Joe as one of 23 innovative coaches who are making a difference. He's the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy. ___________________________ Wise Quotes On a Writing Community “One of the things I’ve loved best about this recreation of my life is the number of people it’s brought into my life because the writers are a very supportive community. And it keeps your brain alive. There’s so much you have to learn with the learning curve of writing a book that it keeps your brain cells going. It stimulates them. I think there are many people out there who, after having had very active careers that are now retired and are feeling at lost ends. Every person has met interesting people during their lives, has had things happen to them, have had tragedies, have had happiness. Everybody has experiences in them that they might want to communicate. And writing, even though it seems like a very solitary occupation, it gives you a chance to put all of your life experience out into the world and to then connect with other people, other writers, to get the support that you need and to learn all of the different aspects of it. So it’s a very satisfying way to spend your retirement. Oh, well, it’s an amazing group of women. They’re all over 70. They’ve all reinvented themselves as writers. Some were writers beforehand, but most have reinvented themselves. And they cover all different kinds of writing of every genre. There’s self-help, there’s romance, there’s mystery, there’s historical fiction, and they’re all very talented, alert, wonderful women. And we meet every Tuesday on Zoom and commiserate and celebrate and give advice. And it has been the most wonderful support group. So we’re not isolated in retirement. We have interactions with people who have similar goals and similar challenges. It’s a tremendous support group.” – Kim Gottlieb-Walker On Age as an Asset ” It is never too late to reinvent yourself. It’s totally within your reach. You don’t have to depend on anyone else. All you have to do is sit down and let your ideas flow. And I wouldn’t worry about ageism because now that we’re in an age where you can self-publish, it doesn’t matter how old you are. And the fact that we have had such rich lives and so many experiences informs the writing and gives the writing depth and gives it reality because it’s based on our real experiences. No matter what you’re writing, you’re bringing your life experiences into it, which is incredibly valuable. So don’t worry about ageism. Don’t worry about the publisher. Just get it out on paper. Do it yourself.” – Kim Gottlieb-Walker On Starting to Write “A lot of my friends have said to me, Oh, they would love to write a book. They would love to write a book. They’re going to write a book. But the point is, if you don’t sit down every day at the same time, backside in the desk, it doesn’t happen. It just doesn’t. Even if you sit and do nothing. I would ask, what are you going to do in the next 10 years? And I say, I don’t know what I’m going to do. And I say, Well, why not write in the next 10 years?” – Roselyn Teukolsky

In this last episode of 2025, we discuss how artificial intelligence has moved rapidly into the mainstream, where it is already delivering measurable productivity gains, why so many companies remain stuck in pilot mode, and what execution, governance, and reskilling will mean for long-term growth and investment returns. To read this week's Sight|Lines, click here. The views expressed in this podcast may not necessarily reflect the views of Stifel Financial Corp. or its affiliates (collectively, Stifel). This communication is provided for information purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Asset allocation and diversification do not ensure a profit or protect against loss. © Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated | Member SIPC & NYSE | www.stifel.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training What would you do if the merger you believed would change everything suddenly collapsed? Agency owners often dream of the big exit: the acquisition, the payday, the validation. But if you've been in this industry long enough, you know the story rarely goes as planned. Today's guest lived through the dot-com boom, a merger gone sideways, a rare "un-merger," and multiple reinventions across three decades. Today's featured guest is an agency owner who lived through the dot com boom, a merger gone sideways, an unmerger (a rare event), and multiple reinventions over three decades. He'll talk about his journey and the lessons he's gained in resilience, clarity, and what it means to build a business that lasts. Tom Snyder is the founder and CEO of Trivera, a Milwaukee-based agency that originally launched in 1996 under the name Website Solutions. He got his start back when tables ruled the web, Netscape Navigator was leading the browser war, and you had to explain to clients what the internet even was. Tom's agency grew quickly through the dot com boom, became part of an early multi-agency rollup, unmerged after the dot com crash, and later rebuilt itself around strategic services, recurring revenue, and emerging technologies. Thirty years later, he has seen nearly every high and low this industry can deliver and has the scars and wisdom to match. In this episode, we'll discuss: The roll up that seemed like a dream and the subsequent meltdown. The rare chance to unmerger. Learning to adapt to new technologies. 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. The Early Days of the Web: A Front Row Seat to Digital History Tom got into websites before most people even understood what a web browser was. He recalls visiting a friend in 1995 who showed him a website for a local jeweler. The fact that someone in Milwaukee could suddenly sell jewelry to anyone in the world blew his mind. That spark soon became Website Solutions, a one-man shop in his duplex basement that grew into a million-dollar agency within three years. These early days were defined by scrappiness. There were no WordPress installs, no Mailchimp, no Shopify. Agencies wrote their own CMS platforms, email tools, and ecommerce systems. For years, Trivera worked on project-based engagements. Sell a website. Build it. Launch it. Then hunt for the next one. It created a revenue roller coaster that made it hard to grow. Then the breakthrough came when someone asked a simple question: Why are you not offering annual retained services? Once they shifted the model, everything changed. Retainers gave them predictable cash flow, stability during downturns, and the ability to build deeper, longer-term partnerships. Inside the Dot-Com Boom and the Rollup That Promised Millions By the late nineties, agency rollups were happening everywhere. Big groups on the West Coast were buying smaller shops at high valuations, promising stock payouts that would multiply as the group grew. Tom's agency was acquired by one of these rollups. The offer was attractive: $1 million in stock with the expectation that it could balloon into ten million within a couple of years. For Tom, this was more than a payday. It felt like a way to secure better opportunities for his team. Higher salaries, better benefits, more resources. All the things agency owners often think a larger parent company can provide. But as the ink dried on the deal, the dot com crash hit. Internal battles erupted among the agency owners inside the rollup. Some wanted to scale fast and sell. Others were emotionally attached to their agencies and resisted change. As the economy collapsed, so did the plan. When an Agency Merger Falls Apart Tom describes the internal environment as chaos. Agencies within the rollup started blaming one another for the downturn. Some owners viewed Tom's Midwest operation as a weak link and argued it was a mistake to acquire them. Then came the breaking point. At a Las Vegas meeting that was supposed to chart a path forward, Tom learned that he would lose control of his agency. His wife, who served as CFO, would be dismissed. His team would report to another agency owner. This happened on September 10th. The next morning, as they sat in their hotel room trying to process what to do, the news broke that planes had hit the World Trade Center. The world changed, and so did their priorities. In that moment of clarity, they made the decision to walk away and unmerge. How a Rare Un-Merge Saved the Agency Unmerging from an agency rollup almost never happens. But because the rollup was already fracturing, the leadership was surprisingly open to it. They returned most of the shares, let Tom keep a small portion, and released the original agency name. From there, Tom and his wife rebuilt everything from scratch under a new identity. Although it felt like the right decision to make, they were still exiting what was still a financially stable operation to start from scratch, which was a scary but necessary step to take. They brainstormed names that felt Greek or Latin until they arrived at Trivera. The name itself was available only because the previous owner had just let the domain lapse. It felt like a small sign that starting over was the right move. This reset allowed Tom to build the agency the right way. No irrational exuberance, burn rates, or pressure to sell. Just strong culture, smart financial discipline, and an eye on durable business fundamentals. How Adapting to New Technology Helped Survive in Crisis After the dot com crash, new technologies created fresh opportunities. SEO, email marketing, mobile, and social opened new revenue streams that helped Trivera rebound each time the economy dipped. Tom noticed a pattern. Every downturn was followed by a brand new marketing wave that rewarded the agencies willing to embrace it early. One of the most pivotal moments came during the 2009 recession. The agency had lost clients, payroll was tight, and they needed a breakthrough. Everyone was asking about social media at the time, so Tom and his team built an event called Social Media University. They hustled for two months and ended up selling 400 tickets. The sales and sponsorship revenue kept their payroll alive and catapulted them into a new service category. Events like this do more than create revenue. They cement authority, give an agency a story in the market, and in Tom's case, it opened doors to new clients and positioned them for the next evolution of the agency. Letting Go of Comparison to Stay Focused on the Journey Despite the wins, Tom admits there were years he compared his agency to others and wondered why they scaled or sold faster, especially some that got the tools from his very social media event. It is easy to feel behind when you see competitors raising money, getting acquired, or shouting big revenue numbers. However, there's very little one can actually know about other agency's purchase deals. These stories are incomplete. You never know what the real terms were. You never know the headaches behind the scenes. And you definitely never know if they actually took money home. Success in the agency world is rarely a straight line. It is more often a messy, winding path filled with reinventions, hard conversations, and moments when you question everything. So agency owners struggling and watching others reach new milestones should remind themselves that longevity comes from resilience, not a perfect upward curve. 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.

Are you planning to retire in 2026? In this episode of Wise Money, we cover the most important decisions to make in the final stretch before retirement. Learn how to stress-test your plan, align your income and investments, and coordinate taxes, Social Security, and healthcare so you can transition into retirement with clarity and confidence.  Season 11, Episode 18 Download our FREE 5-Factor Retirement guide: https://wisemoneyguides.com/    Schedule a meeting with one of our CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERS™: https://www.korhorn.com/contact-korhorn-financial-advisors/ or call 574-247-5898.   Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/WiseMoneyShow Listen on podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/WiseMoney  Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LwYuAzlY8F4  Submit a question for the show: https://www.korhorn.com/ask-a-question/   Read the Wise Money Blog: https://www.korhorn.com/wise-money-blog/    Connect with us: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/WiseMoneyShow  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wisemoneyshow/    Kevin Korhorn, CFP® offers securities through Silver Oak Securities, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. Kevin offers advisory services through KFG Wealth Management, LLC dba Korhorn Financial Group. KFG Wealth Management, LLC dba Korhorn Financial Group and Silver Oak Securities, Inc. are not affiliated. Mike Bernard, CFP® and Joshua Gregory, CFP® offer advisory services through KFG Wealth Management, LLC dba Korhorn Financial Group. This information is for general financial education and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations. All investing and investment strategies involve risk, including the potential loss of principal. Asset allocation & diversification do not ensure a profit or prevent a loss in a declining market. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization's initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.

  As 2025 closes with major indexes near highs – but investors still oddly cautious – Dana Lyons and Rick Bensignor step back to map...

Most owners work hard for money—few learn to make the tax code work hard for them. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Catrina M. Craft, a tax strategist and accountant who's advised business owners and previously learned elite tax strategy working with the wealthiest 2% of Americans. Creator of the CRAFT Money Map framework, Catrina specializes in turning reactive “tax season” chaos into proactive, year-round wealth strategy. She breaks down the KPIs that actually drive profitability, the entity and election decisions that matter, and timely plays like bonus depreciation, §179, and QBI that can free up cash to grow.   Key Takeaways: → Proactive vs. reactive taxes: what changes when strategy starts before year-end. → The five KPIs that matter: cash flow, profitability, A/R & A/P, LTV, and CAC—plus how to dashboard them. → The C.R.A.F.T. Money Map: Cash flow, Retirement, Asset management/protection, Financial freedom, and Tax strategies. → Entity structure ≠ paperwork: why LLC + the right tax election (S/C/partnership/sole prop) can swing your tax outcome. → When to hire a strategist: startup consults to avoid missteps; quarterly at ~$50k profit; monthly at ~$100k+.   Catrina M. Craft, CPA, CEO & Founder of Craft More Cash. "The tax code isn't fair — but that's your opportunity as a business owner.” This is the perspective Catrina Craft brings as the CPA and tax strategist behind some of the most profitable coaches, consultants, and creators in the industry. After climbing out of $100K in debt and losing 80% of her income overnight, she rebuilt her business by using the same advanced tax strategies and wealth-building tactics that the top 2% of the wealthiest rely on to protect and multiply their money. Now, she teaches her clients to do the same. Through her Craft Money MapTM system, she helps high-earning entrepreneurs cut taxes by 25% and boost profits by 20% — strategies most accountants won't even talk about. On the mic, Catrina pulls back the curtain on what the ultra-wealthy know: how proactive tax strategy lets you keep more, grow faster, and build real wealth. Listeners walk away with practical insights on entity structuring, overlooked deductions, and income planning that scales. Connect With Catrina: Website: https://www.catrinamcraft.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catrinamcraft/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catrinamcraft1/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nervous System Reboot: https://bit.ly/prosperity-pathwaysJoin me In Person: https://bit.ly/addicted-to-abundance-2026-mina-irfanSOURCED: https://bit.ly/sourced-mina-irfanWork with me: https://bit.ly/embodied-metaphysics

operationally, and financially—is where most practices struggle. A Problem Most Practices Recognize Many practices invest in advanced technology with good intentions—better care, differentiation, growth. Yet months later, the equipment is used inconsistently, reserved for rare cases, or quietly avoided because it disrupts flow. Dr. Brujic explains why this happens so often: Doctors buy equipment to be "cutting edge" without first identifying a real gap in care or existing patient demand. Workflow isn't designed to support consistent use Teams aren't aligned on when or why to use it The result is frustration—for clinicians, staff, and patients.

Ray Green answers a thought-provoking question from a friend: Is there a real difference between "play to win" and "play to not lose" people, and can you build an entire team of aggressive risk-takers? In this episode, Ray breaks down why he believes there are two distinct types of "play to not lose" people - Type 1 who are well-intentioned and think through proper risk mitigation, and Type 2 who operate from fear and lack of confidence. He explains why Type 1 people are actually assets who balance out aggressive play-to-win leaders, while Type 2 people are toxic liabilities that drain your organization. Ray shares a personal story from his first CEO role about constantly fighting with his co-founder, who drove him crazy but ultimately made him a better leader by having the confidence to speak truth to power. This is about understanding the balance you need on your team, knowing the difference between healthy defensive thinking and toxic negativity, and why you don't want a team of only one type of person.//Welcome to Repeatable Revenue, hosted by strategic growth advisor , Ray J. Green.About Ray:→ Former Managing Director of National Small & Midsize Business at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he doubled revenue per sale in fundraising, led the first increase in SMB membership, co-built a national Mid-Market sales channel, and more.→ Former CEO operator for several investor groups where he led turnarounds of recently acquired small businesses.→ Current founder of MSP Sales Partners, where we currently help IT companies scale sales: www.MSPSalesPartners.com→ Current Sales & Sales Management Expert in Residence at the world's largest IT business mastermind.→ Current Managing Partner of Repeatable Revenue Ventures, where we scale B2B companies we have equity in: www.RayJGreen.com//Follow Ray on:YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Il Consiglio Ue trova l'accordo su un prestito da 90 miliardi all'Ucraina attraverso uno strumento di debito comune. Restano congelati, quindi, gli asset russi. Il commento di Lorenzo Castellani, storico e politologo, docente alla Luiss. Nuova stretta al vaglio per il telemarketing selvaggio. Ci spiega tutto Andrea Biondi del Sole 24 Ore. Quella in cima alla classifica delle buone notizie di questa settimana ci proietta già al nuovo anno: da giugno 2026 infatti il treno notturno European Sleeper passerà anche per Milano. Sentiamo Giovanni Antoniazzi, vice presidente di Back-on-Track Europe e referente di Back-on-Track Italy.

Show Highlights Include: 00:00 – Introduction & Why These Topics MatterFrank and Stacey explain why this episode focuses on the six themes that got the most traction from advisors in 2025.03:28 – Data as an Asset and Its Impact on ValuationWhy CRM, data quality, and accessibility now play a major role in how buyers evaluate advisory firms.08:10 – Industry Consolidation and the LPL - Commonwealth Ripple EffectHow major M&A deals are reshaping recruiting packages, advisor leverage, and firm competition.13:56 – Staying in the Driver's Seat During AcquisitionsWhy advisors should evaluate whether they would still choose their firm if given a clean slate.17:04 – W-2 Models, Independence, and the “Swimming Upstream” TrendThe rise of independent W-2 structures and why some advisors are moving back toward them.21:51 – Deal Evolution, Multiples, and Private Equity Reality ChecksWhat advisors need to understand about headline multiples, deal structures, and long-term control.31:16 – From Practitioner to EntrepreneurThe mindset shift required to build scalable, enterprise-level advisory businesses.36:37 – Marketing, Video, and the Cost of InactionWhy visibility, authenticity, and decisive action are no longer optional for growth-focused advisors.This episode is a practical, candid look at where the industry is today - and what advisors should be thinking about as they plan their next move.Learn more about our companies and resources:-Elite Consulting Partners | Financial Advisor Transitions:https://eliteconsultingpartners.com-Elite Marketing Concepts | Marketing Services for Financial Advisors:https://elitemarketingconcepts.com-Elite Advisor Successions | Advisor Mergers and Acquisitions:https://eliteadvisorsuccessions.com-JEDI Database Solutions | Technology Solutions for Advisors:https://jedidatabasesolutions.comListen to more Advisor Talk episodes:https://eliteconsultingpartners.com/podcasts/

Welcome back to The Starting Line Podcast with host Cole Taylor!In this episode, Cole interviews Jake Kelfer, Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur and Founder of Big Idea to Bestseller a book publishing company.We discuss the power of authoring a book as a leader, how easy the process can be to become an author, and how business and sports are so closely alike.Tune in!Connect with our guest;Instagram.com/jakekelferwww.bigideatobestseller.com Our resources:Book a call with us here:Business Coaching Health Coaching Free health resources & community:The Optimized Entrepreneur GroupFree faith brotherhood:www.facebook.com/groups/winnerscirclebrotherhood/Connect with Cole:www.instagram.com/coledavidtaylorwww.cole360.com

Each quarter, hear from SWIB staff about the economy, the markets, and how the Wisconsin Retirement System trust funds are impacted. Hear how SWIB is working to help the Wisconsin Retirement System remain among the nation's most resilient pension funds – growing and protecting participants' benefits and giving them peace of mind to focus on work, life, and the future. In this market update, we welcome back SWIB's Head Economic and Asset & Risk Allocation Chief Investment Officer Todd Mattina to talk about the issues that impacted the markets through the fourth quarter of the year and what we might expect as we make our way through the final weeks of 2025.

What if you treated your business like an important asset? In this episode, I share a game-changing mindset shift that helped me build a multi-million dollar coaching business: thinking of my business as a growing asset, not just a job. This shift completely transformed how I showed up and how I invested in my business.   I explain why your business needs constant care and attention in its early stages, much like nurturing a baby. It requires ongoing effort, skill development, and commitment, even when it's tough. Rather than seeking quick passive income, this is about building your capacity to manage challenges and viewing your business as an asset with limitless potential.   If you want to start making serious money as a coach, you need to check out 2k for 2k. Click here to join: https://staceyboehman.com/2kfor2k! 

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training As a user, do you still use search engines or have completely defaulted to AI? How will this shift reshape the agency world? How will ads work when people are only getting the one answer they need? Most agency owners are still treating SEO like it's 2012 — optimizing keywords, buying backlinks, and praying to the Google gods. But search has already changed. People are asking AI for answers, not Googling for links. And if you want your agency or your personal brand to stay visible in this new era, the rules are completely different. Today's featured guest will unpack the shift from SEO to AEO and why most businesses are invisible to AI without even realizing it. Kasim Aslam is one of the world's leading voices on Answer Engine Optimization. He runs one of the largest AEO communities and leads a six person research team that has analyzed millions of AI citations to understand how large language models choose their sources. He is also the author of The AEO Blueprint and the founder of multiple companies, including a staffing agency, a mastermind, and AEO.co. Kasim has spent the past year deep in the trenches studying how AI crawlers gather, filter, and prioritize information. When it comes to AEO, nobody has more real data. In this episode, we'll discuss: SEO is over. Understanding AEO. Why brands may get lost in LLMs. The quiet Google change that just changed everything in AI citations. The future of ads. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service. Why SEO Is No Longer Enough: The Rise of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) To understand Answer Engine Optimization, we must first understand that, despite what some agencies may be saying, it is not the same as SEO. Traditional search engines prioritize links. That is why entire industries exist around buying them. In the world of LLMs, backlinks barely matter. The number one ranking factor for AI citations is schema markup. And only 12.4% of websites have clean, validated schema. In other words, nearly 90% of brands are invisible to AI crawlers, regardless of how strong their SEO is. Schema isn't just another optimization tactic. It is the visibility layer. It is the metadata that helps LLMs understand and categorize your content. If your schema is broken or missing, AI cannot reference you even if your content is excellent. This is the equivalent of having a beautiful storefront on a street no one can find. The second key is social mentions. In the same way SEO relied on links, AEO relies on people talking about you. For instance, a TikTok comment from someone in the agency industry saying Jason Swenk is their go-to agency guy counts as an authority signal. LLMs weigh these human mentions heavily. Finally, a lot of the nuances on AEO are changing every day, but Kasim has learned that the real key is building authority, long-form content. That along with clear schema and personal brand is the future of staying in the conversation. Why Personal Authority Beats Brand Authority in AI Search One of the biggest shifts Kasim highlights is that answer engines prefer individuals. A person can write a book, earn a PhD, share opinions, create content, develop mastery, and build authority in a way brands cannot. That means generalists are in trouble. If your expertise is scattered, AI won't know how to classify you and won't choose you as an authoritative answer. Meanwhile, someone who goes deep in a single topic becomes the preferred answer. It is a shift away from corporate brand authority and toward personal authority. Authority is not spread across a company anymore. It sits with people. Agencies that hide behind a brand name will lose visibility. Personal brands that plant a flag will win. For agency owners, this is huge. You do not need a bigger brand. You need clear expertise tied to a real person. This is exactly why Jason positions all the Agency Mastery content around him. Personalities thrive. Brands get lost. Where LLMs Get Their Data (and Why That Just Changed Overnight) Kasim's research revealed that 21 percent of all AI citations once came from Reddit. YouTube followed at 18.8 percent. These platforms had deep context and raw human conversation, which LLMs love. Then Google quietly changed everything. Twenty two days before the interview, Google cut off 90% of the internet from AI crawlers by reducing search results from hundreds to ten. Because LLMs rely on deep search results (not the top ten), reducing the searchable depth limits the information AI can access - removing platforms like Reddit from the AI training pipeline. AI tools rely heavily on these deeper results for nuance. By limiting access, Google essentially removed Reddit and other community based sites from the AI food chain. This change sent shockwaves through stock prices and visibility, and most people never noticed. Google is protecting the content needed to train AI because only two organizations truly own the global knowledge graph: Google and Amazon. OpenAI and the rest are crawling, not casing, the internet, which means they operate at a major disadvantage. Google is playing statecraft. And according to Kasim, Google will win the AI race. The Rise of Screenless Search and Voice-Driven Results According to Kasim, we are quickly moving toward a screenless world. Eric Schmidt has said the screenless future is years away, not decades. And the younger generation is already there. Over 55 percent of people under 25 use voice instead of text. Voice queries require different markup, structure, and formatting, and only 0.3 percent of websites use voice schema. Meanwhile, 65 percent of all searches end in zero clicks. People are asking, getting an answer, and moving on. That number does not even include the people who have stopped using search altogether and have already shifted to answer engines. This means your future website is not for your audience. It is for AI. Kasim is rebuilding his personal site in Notion because he believes CSS-light, simple, stripped down sites will perform better for AI ingestion. We are entering a world where content is created for machines first and humans last. How Google Gemini Is Rewriting the Future of Advertising Here is a wild data point. When Kasim set up new Chromebooks for his kids, he discovered the default search engine was not Google. It was Gemini. Google owns Chrome. Google owns Chromebooks. Yet they replaced its primary revenue driver on its own device with a product that currently has no ads. This tells you where the company is headed. They are rebuilding a new knowledge graph optimized for answer engines, while competitors still reply on the old search-oriented graph. And the future ad model will be nothing like what agencies grew up on. If one answer becomes the default experience, where do ads go? How are they shown? What are users willing to tolerate? And will businesses have to give away deep content to earn visibility the same way early YouTubers and bloggers did? These questions will reshape the entire lead generation ecosystem. Data, Moats, and the K-Shaped Economy The people who win in this new world are those who own data. Not tool access or workflows. Data. Custom GPTs, custom models, and proprietary knowledge bases become your moat. We are entering a K-shaped economy. Twenty percent of people and businesses will become unstoppable because their productivity will outpace demand. Eighty percent will fall to zero. The middle disappears. That means agency owners must adapt, evolve, and lean into deep expertise. Vibe coding (the rapid, exploratory use of AI tools) and no code platforms are accelerating this divide. Kasim's team recreated a software that normally costs ten thousand a year in a weekend. Entire SaaS categories are about to be wiped out. 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.

Private asset-based finance (ABF) is the catch-all of credit markets—a diverse and complex segment offering a wide range of investment opportunities. In this follow-up to our previous ABF discussion, we delve deeper into the asset class and what it takes to be successful from origination to underwriting and portfolio construction. We discuss investment areas of interest—as well as those we're apt to avoid—and examine the convergence of structured products and corporate credit through the lens of AI and data center finance. This episode also explores market dynamics, risk management, and where private ABF fits into multi-asset portfolio construction. PGIM's Brian Barnhurst, CFA, Head of Global Credit Research, hosts Oliver Nisenson, Head of Asset-Based Finance. Recorded on November 26, 2025.

Overview In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, Michael Levitt welcomes Henry Yoshida, founder and CEO of Rocket Dollar, for a deep dive into how technology is reshaping investment accessibility. Together, they explore how average Americans can take control of their financial futures through self-directed IRAs and alternative asset investing. Empowering Diversified Investment Access Henry Yoshida opened the conversation by outlining the sharp decline in publicly traded companies—from roughly 16,000 to around 4,000 over the last century. He explained that a small group of leading firms in the S&P 500 now drive the majority of market returns. This imbalance inspired him to create Rocket Dollar, a platform designed to help investors diversify into non-correlated assets such as real estate. Interestingly, the company's name came from his six-year-old daughter, representing the idea that investors can “go further” with their money. Enhancing Investment Accessibility Through Technology Michael and Henry discussed the evolution of financial markets and the crucial role technology plays in improving access to alternative investments. While the stock market has historically trended upward, Henry emphasized that returns depend heavily on timing. He shared how Rocket Dollar uses technology to simplify complex investment processes, giving everyday investors access to opportunities once reserved for institutions. Real Estate Investment Opportunities Michael turned the discussion toward real estate, describing it as one of the most tangible and stable investment opportunities. He noted how modern platforms like Rocket Dollar make it easier to participate without the traditional headaches of property management. Henry agreed, highlighting that real estate investing can provide not only financial returns but also personal satisfaction and control. Self-Directed IRA Real Estate Investing Henry explained the advantages of self-directed IRAs in allowing investors to use retirement funds for local real estate ventures. Unlike the abstract nature of public markets, this approach connects investors directly with their communities and properties. He pointed out that the ability to personally inspect and enhance properties provides a deeper level of engagement and understanding. Investments and Community Belonging Michael and Henry explored how investments can build stronger local economies. They discussed Austin's growth as an example of how local investments can benefit both residents and investors. Michael emphasized that meaningful investments don't just generate profit—they foster a sense of belonging and collective progress. Local Investment Strategies for Retirement Henry described Rocket Dollar as a bridge between traditional retirement savings and local investment opportunities. By investing in local startups or real estate, individuals can strengthen their communities while diversifying their portfolios. Michael underscored the mutual benefit of this model, which supports small businesses and generates sustainable growth within neighborhoods. Private Investment Opportunities and Trends Wrapping up the conversation, Henry and Michael discussed the growing shift from public to private investments. Henry highlighted the potential for investors to tap into emerging opportunities in private companies such as OpenAI and SpaceX, leveraging their existing retirement funds through Rocket Dollar's platform. Michael encouraged listeners to explore diversification, think locally, and take advantage of new investment pathways that align personal wealth-building with community impact. Connect with Henry Yoshida: Visit RocketDollar.com to learn more about self-directed IRAs and alternative investments. Listen to more episodes and insights at: BreakfastLeadership.com/blog   Henry Yoshida, CFP® CEO & Co-Founder, Rocket Dollar | SVP, Retired.com Henry Yoshida is a financial innovator who's reshaping how Americans invest for their future. As the CEO and Co-Founder of Rocket Dollar, Henry empowers everyday investors to take control of their retirement savings through self-directed IRAs and Solo 401(k)s that unlock access to real estate, startups, and alternative assets traditionally reserved for the wealthy. Before launching Rocket Dollar, Henry founded Honest Dollar, a robo-advisor retirement platform backed by venture capital and later acquired by Goldman Sachs, and MY Group LLC, which was acquired by Captrust. His decade at Merrill Lynch built the foundation for his mission to democratize wealth-building through smarter, tax-advantaged investing. A Certified Financial Planner with an MBA from Cornell University and a degree from The University of Texas at Austin, Henry blends Wall Street expertise with a visionary approach to fintech innovation. His work has been featured across leading media platforms for its impact on the future of retirement investing. When he's not helping investors rethink what's possible with their money, Henry enjoys life in Austin with his two daughters. Signature Topics: – Tax-Advantaged Wealth Building – The Future of Retirement Investing – Real Assets in Retirement Portfolios – Democratizing Alternative Investments Learn more: rocketdollar.com/podcast | LinkedIn: Henry Yoshida  

Many retirees today feel squeezed. Rising costs, fixed incomes, and market uncertainty can make the retirement years feel more fragile than expected. Yet for many households, one of their largest assets—their home—often sits unused in their financial plan.For years, reverse mortgages carried a mixed reputation. But significant reforms over the last decade have reshaped the program, making today's options safer, more flexible, and better aligned with thoughtful retirement planning. Today, we are joined by Harlan Accola, National Reverse Mortgage Director with Movement Mortgage, to explore how home equity can play a more intentional role in retirement.Why Home Equity Is Often OverlookedFor many retirees, their home represents their single largest asset. Yet it's frequently absent from retirement conversations.One reason is perception. Outdated assumptions and negative press have long hampered reverse mortgages. Another reason is structural: many financial advisors simply aren't trained—or compensated—to incorporate home equity into retirement planning. As a result, planning conversations often focus on investments, Social Security, pensions, and insurance, while equity is quietly ignored.That oversight can create strain. When too much wealth is locked inside a home, retirees may feel cash-poor even while sitting on significant net worth—especially if they're still making monthly mortgage payments.Much of what people fear about reverse mortgages no longer applies. Major legislative reforms roughly a decade ago addressed earlier concerns and strengthened consumer protections. Today's reverse mortgage programs are federally regulated and far more transparent.In fact, recent industry surveys—including data from J.D. Power—show that more than 90% of reverse mortgage borrowers report being satisfied with their experience. As more people hear positive stories from neighbors and friends, perceptions continue to shift.Key Benefits of Today's Reverse MortgagesThe most immediate benefit for many retirees is simple: eliminating a monthly mortgage payment. I've spoken with retirees who are using a significant portion of their Social Security income just to cover housing costs. Removing that payment can dramatically improve monthly cash flow—even for those who technically “can afford” the payment.Another powerful benefit is preparation. Long-term care remains one of the largest unfunded risks in retirement. For homeowners who have already paid off their house, a reverse mortgage can establish a guaranteed line of credit before it's needed. Think of it as getting an umbrella before it starts raining—access to funds that can be used later if health care needs arise or unexpected expenses surface.A Third Bucket in Retirement PlanningTraditionally, retirees think in terms of two buckets: income and investments. But home equity can function as a third.The early years of retirement are often the most critical. Drawing too quickly from investments doesn't just reduce the balance—it also eliminates years of future growth. By using home equity strategically, retirees may be able to reduce pressure on their investment portfolio, delay Social Security, and extend the longevity of their overall plan.In many cases, this isn't about necessity—it's about stewardship. Rather than leaving a major asset idle or waiting until it must be accessed in distress, home equity can be used intentionally to support stability, flexibility, and peace of mind.Reverse mortgages aren't for everyone, and they should always be evaluated carefully within a broader financial plan. But for those in the later seasons of life—especially homeowners still making payments or struggling to meet monthly expenses—they can be a valuable option.When used wisely, home equity isn't about giving something up. It's about stewarding what God has already entrusted to you, so your resources serve you well throughout retirement.To learn more, visit Movement.com/Faith.On Today's Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:I own a small business with about 10 employees, and I'm looking to set up a 401(k). I'm not sure which type makes the most sense or how to get started—can you help point me in the right direction?I've been furloughed, and I'm considering borrowing from my 401(k). I'm trying to understand the tax implications of taking out $50,000 and splitting it between 2025 and 2026. Would it be wiser to take half each year, especially given the uncertainty ahead?I'm a widow with no children or close family. I've heard of revocable trusts and powers of attorney, and I'm trying to understand the difference between them. Specifically, how does having a power of attorney compare to setting up a revocable trust—especially if I were to become incapacitated?Resources Mentioned:Faithful Steward: FaithFi's Quarterly Magazine (Become a FaithFi Partner)Movement MortgageIRS.gov | 401(k) Plans For Small Businesses (U.S. Department of Labor) | ADPWisdom Over Wealth: 12 Lessons from Ecclesiastes on MoneyLook At The Sparrows: A 21-Day Devotional on Financial Fear and AnxietyRich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich FoolFind a Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA)FaithFi App Remember, you can call in to ask your questions every workday at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. You can also visit FaithFi.com to connect with our online community and partner with us as we help more people live as faithful stewards of God's resources. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Many retirees feel the pressure of rising costs and limited income—yet one of their largest assets often sits completely unused: their home equity. For years, reverse mortgages have carried a mixed reputation, but significant reforms have made today’s programs safer, more flexible, and better suited to help retirees navigate financial uncertainty. Harlan Accola and Rob West explain on the next Faith & Finance Live. Then, it’s on to your calls. That’s Faith and Finance Live . . . biblical wisdom for your financial decisions, weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio. Faith & Finance Live is a listener supported program on Moody Radio. To join our team of supporters, click here.To support the ministry of FaithFi, click here.To learn more about Rob West, click here.To learn more about Faith & Finance Live, click here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By Adam Turteltaub Neurodiversity tends to be spoken of as an issue to be recognized and, quite often, as a barrier to overcome. Katie Roemer, Vice President, Compliance & Privacy Officer at Alta Hospital Systems see it differently: as an asset to your compliance team. In this podcast she points out that many neurodivergent people excel at pattern recognition and system level thinking, as well as root cause analysis, all of which are of great value to compliance teams. They can also help us to communicate better. Meeting their needs can help with general workforce training. Some examples include: Avoiding densely packed slides with light fonts that are hard to read Breaking the learning up into discreet pieces Previewing what is going to be learned and the length of training Letting the audience know what is the most important part of the training Giving key takeaways and highlighting key points To leverage the neurodiverse fully, she recommends creating a psychologically  safe environment that encourages everyone to speak up without fear of consequences. This enables the expression of a diverse range of ideas from the entire team. Listen in to learn more about the how the neurodivergent can be an asset to your compliance efforts.

The Day the “Emergency Fund” Met Real Life Rachel here. Many tell us the same story: “I saved the emergency fund, but I'm worried I'm losing ground to inflation and missed opportunities.” https://www.youtube.com/live/T7O8abZDKw8 Because for most people, the “emergency fund” is a lonely pile of cash—stuck in a corner doing next to nothing. It feels safe, until inflation and opportunity cost quietly erode it. Today Bruce and I want to reframe that pile into something far better: emergency fund alternatives that give you liquidity and momentum. What You'll Get From This Guide If you've ever wondered how to stay liquid for the unknown without parking money in low-yield accounts, this is for you. We'll show you how to: Design liquidity that protects your family and keeps compounding intact Think “emergency and opportunity,” not either/or Decide how much liquidity you actually need Compare storage options (banks, brokerage, HELOCs, and emergency fund alternatives like cash value life insurance) Understand policy loans, interest, IRR, and why control and flexibility often beat chasing the “best rate” By the end, you'll have a practical blueprint to keep cash ready for life's surprises—without stalling your long-term growth. The Day the “Emergency Fund” Met Real LifeWhat You'll Get From This Guide1) Why Most People Misunderstand “Emergency Funds”Emergency Fund Alternatives vs. Cash-in-the-Bank2) How Much Liquidity Do You Actually Need?Emergency Fund Alternatives for Real Estate Investors3) Liquidity from Cash-Flowing Assets4) Where to Store Liquidity: A Practical Comparison5) Cash Value as an Emergency–Opportunity FundEmergency Fund Alternatives Using Whole Life Insurance6) “But What About Loan Rates vs. Policy IRR?”7) Real Estate, HELOCs, and Policy Loans—How They Compare8) Early-Year Liquidity & Design Reality9) The Two Big Mindset ShiftsEmergency Fund Alternatives That Keep You in Control10) Implementation Steps You Can Start This WeekWhy This MattersListen In and Go DeeperFAQWhat's the best place to keep an emergency fund?Are whole life policies good emergency fund alternatives?How much liquidity should real estate investors keep?Do whole life policy loans hurt compounding?Policy loan rate vs. policy IRR—what matters most?HELOC or whole life policy loan for emergencies?Book A Strategy Call 1) Why Most People Misunderstand “Emergency Funds” Most picture a rainy-day stash: a fixed dollar amount “just in case.” The problem? That mindset narrows your field of vision to only bad events. You end up over-saving in idle cash, under-preparing for real opportunities, and missing compound growth. The better frame is liquidity for emergencies and opportunities—capital that can pivot quickly, without losing momentum. Emergency Fund Alternatives vs. Cash-in-the-Bank Savings accounts provide easy access but pay little, expose you to inflation, and interrupt compounding when you withdraw. Emergency fund alternatives aim to keep liquidity and let your money continue working. 2) How Much Liquidity Do You Actually Need? Rules of thumb (3–6 months) don't account for your real situation: expenses, income volatility, business ownership, real estate cycles, and your emotional comfort. Bruce and I coach clients to answer three questions: Cash flow cushion: If your income paused, how long until you're back on track? Asset mix & access: Where is your capital now, and how liquid is it (including taxes/penalties)? Personal margin: What amount helps you sleep at night without freezing progress? The right number blends math and emotion. Peace of mind matters because you'll only stick with a plan you believe in. Emergency Fund Alternatives for Real Estate Investors Great operators earmark a percent of rents for vacancies, repairs, and cap-ex—plus a broader, flexible reserve. Emergency fund alternatives make that reserve productive while keeping it accessible. 3) Liquidity from Cash-Flowing Assets One overlooked “emergency fund” is consistent cash flow. If assets deposit $5K–$20K/mo. into your checking account regardless of your job, you may need less static cash. Let the monthly stream cover life's bumps—while your capital base keeps compounding. Cash flow accumulates → periodically deploy to premium (more on that next) Short-term bank buffer exists, but money doesn't linger there You stay positioned for both emergencies and deals 4) Where to Store Liquidity: A Practical Comparison VehicleLiquidityGrowth/DragTaxes on AccessProsConsBank savings/HYSAInstantLow; inflation dragNo capital gains on principalSimplicity, FDICOpportunity cost; interrupts compoundingBrokerage (cash/short-term)High–moderateVariesPossible gains taxesOptional yieldMarket risk; sale can trigger taxesHELOCOn-demand (if open)House appreciates regardlessLoan (not income)Flexible; common for investorsBank approval; can be frozenCash Value Whole Life3–5 days via policy loansUninterrupted compoundingLoan (not income)Control, guarantees, death benefitMust qualify; early-year liquidity is lower Bottom line: Banks are fine for swipe-ready cash. But for meaningful reserves, emergency fund alternatives that preserve compounding and add optionality often fit better. 5) Cash Value as an Emergency–Opportunity Fund This is where Infinite Banking principles shine. Premium dollars build cash value (guaranteed growth + potential dividends) and a rising death benefit. When you need liquidity, you borrow against cash value. Your cash value keeps compounding uninterrupted while the insurer's general fund provides the loan. Result: Capital keeps working; you gain flexibility Mindset: Be both the producer and the banker in your life Governance: Treat loans like a bank would—repay with intention to restore capacity Emergency Fund Alternatives Using Whole Life Insurance Liquidity in days (not months) Access via loan documents—not a bank underwriter If you pass away with a loan outstanding, it's simply deducted from the death benefit; your heirs still receive the net 6) “But What About Loan Rates vs. Policy IRR?” Bruce said it well: I care less about a single rate and more about the system—control, flexibility, and volume of interest over time. IRR reflects long-term, policywide performance. Loan rate is what you pay while capital continues compounding inside the policy. Volume matters: The faster you repay, the less interest volume you pay—at the same rate. Meanwhile, rising death benefits and dividends work in your favor. Chasing the perfect spread can stop you from using a system designed to keep your compounding intact and your options open. 7) Real Estate, HELOCs, and Policy Loans—How They Compare A helpful analogy: a policy loan works like a HELOC on your house—the property can keep appreciating whether a lien exists or not. With cash value, your “property” is the policy: growth continues by contract, and you place a lien to access cash. Differences: Access: Policy loans are paperwork-simple; HELOCs require bank re-approval and can be frozen. Speed: Policies often fund in 3–5 business days; HELOC timing varies. Control: With a policy, you set repayment terms; with banks, they do. For investors, combining a small bank buffer, a HELOC, and cash value creates layers of redundancy—plus uninterrupted compounding. 8) Early-Year Liquidity & Design Reality Honest trade-off: in the first year(s), you won't have access to 100% of premium dollars. That early drag buys you guarantees, long-term compounding, and a growing death benefit. Design matters (base + paid-up additions) and expectations matter. Ask: Do I really need every dollar back in 30 days? Most don't. By years 3–4, well-designed policies are commonly close to dollar-for-dollar access on new premium—and rising. 9) The Two Big Mindset Shifts From Emergency to Emergency–OpportunityStop saving only for the worst. Start storing capital that can respond to anything—repairs, vacancies, investments, giving, tuition, tithing, trips. From Saver to BankerDon't just hold capital; govern it. Design rules. Repay loans. Value your capital at least as much as a bank would. This shifts you from scarcity to stewardship. Emergency Fund Alternatives That Keep You in Control The aim isn't a magic product; it's a governed system that preserves compounding, widens options, and serves your family for decades. 10) Implementation Steps You Can Start This Week Clarify your true liquidity need. Calculate 90–180 days of net cash flow needs, not just expenses. Segment reserves: Keep a thin swipe-ready bank buffer; move the rest to emergency fund alternatives (e.g., cash value). Document loan rules: When you borrow, how will you repay? From what cash flow? On what rhythm? Automate funding: Set recurring transfers to build capital consistently. Review quarterly: Check buffer size, upcoming premiums/PUAs, deal pipeline, and family needs. Think generationally: Policies on multiple family members expand access, diversify insurability, and strengthen your long-term plan. Why This Matters Your “emergency fund” shouldn't be a deadweight expense. With emergency fund alternatives, you can keep liquidity, protect your family, and maintain uninterrupted compounding. Cash-flowing assets provide monthly cushion. Cash value provides controlled access, contractual growth, and a rising death benefit. Together, they create a resilient system that handles storms and seizes sunshine. Listen In and Go Deeper Want the full conversation—including examples, loan mechanics, and our candid takes on rates, IRR, and real-world trade-offs? Listen to the podcast episode on Emergency Fund Alternatives to hear how we actually apply this with clients and in our own families.

If you've just made a decision for Christ, please respond HERE: https://www.one.church/jesusTo Support this Ministry: https://www.one.church/giveWebsite: https://www.one.church/One Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onedotchurchOne Church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onedotchurchGreg Ford Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregoryafordOne Church is on a mission to ignite a movement that reaches adisconnected culture.#onechurch #gregford #purpose

If you've just made a decision for Christ, please respond HERE: https://www.one.church/jesusTo Support this Ministry: https://www.one.church/giveWebsite: https://www.one.church/One Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onedotchurchOne Church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onedotchurchGreg Ford Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregoryafordOne Church is on a mission to ignite a movement that reaches adisconnected culture.#onechurch #gregford #purpose

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Have you ever felt like enterprise clients were running your agency instead of the other way around? Buried in endless proposals no one reads, forced into rushed timelines, or watching your margins shrink every time a project drags out? Today's featured guest opens up about how he broke out of that exhausting cycle. Instead of over-delivering just to keep big clients happy, and seeing little return, he made the bold decision to focus on smaller, more committed clients who were ultimately more profitable and easier to build long-term relationships with. He'll share what he learned about sustainable growth, including why productizing your services sounds great in theory but can actually become counterproductive when it only happens externally. He'll also explain the sales shift that changed everything: offering a low-risk, "foot-in-the-door" engagement that qualifies prospects, builds trust, and creates a smooth path into deeper service offerings. Charlie Clark is the founder of Minty Digital, a boutique SEO agency focused on travel and lifestyle brands that originally launched in Barcelona and now operates from London. In this conversation, he'll break down the mindset, systems, and strategy needed to stop chasing validation from big brands and instead build a business where profitability, alignment, and respect come first. In this episode, we'll discuss: Why mid-market clients deliver higher profits than enterprise. How internal productization increases efficiency by 3X. How clear pricing transforms the sales cycle. How AI forced a new level of adaptability in SEO agencies. 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. From Struggling Freelancer to Sustainable Agency Growth After a short stint in an agency at age 22, Charlie tried to go solo before realizing he didn't yet know how to grow a business. He assumed he could do it on his own and quickly learned he wasn't ready yet. Instead of quitting, he got a job as a Digital Marketing Manager, where he could make mistakes, learn operations, and understand what actually works inside a business. Moving to Barcelona created the perfect environment for momentum. His one-month stay turned into ten years after he landed several clients within weeks. His first retainer was €500 a month, which he laughs about now, but he admits it took years before he learned how to price correctly and move away from low-margin retainers. Those early years were full of trial and error, but the big breakthrough was realizing that charging more wasn't always the key to profit. Charging smarter was. Real Profit Lives in the Middle, Not the Top One of the strongest lessons Charlie learned was that bigger retainers did not equal bigger profit. Working with enterprise clients, he saw they could easily squeeze margins, the team would end up over-delivering, and on top of it all, payment terms were a nightmare. After years, he realized these clients often cost the agency money when the team over-delivered just to keep them happy. By contrast, the clients who had been with him since the early days, the ones paying between three and six thousand per month, were the most profitable and the most loyal. They bought the same deliverables. They stayed for years. And they matched the agency's internal processes beautifully. Once he realized this, he moved to intentionally pursuing that sweet spot. Not the five figure monthly retainers or the cut rate ones. The predictable, operationally aligned middle where the team can deliver consistently and profitably. For Charlie, this changed everything from sales cycle speed to team alignment to lifetime value. Internal Productization: The System that 3X Efficiency Many agencies think productization means selling rigid packages that make you look less strategic. Charlie took the opposite approach. Internally, his team adopted highly productized systems, templates, and SOPs. They knew exactly what to do for a three thousand dollar client versus a six thousand dollar one, and how much effort each one required. Externally, the offer still looked consultative and customized. Clients saw a broad range of what could be included, but the delivery stayed tight behind the scenes. This improved profitability, gave the team clarity, and dramatically sped up onboarding. The biggest win? It eliminated the "start from scratch every time" problem that slows agencies down and kills margins. How Clear Pricing Transforms the Sales Cycle Before productization, Charlie would spend hours on proposals that often got ghosted. Once he added transparent pricing, clear expectations, and prequalification to the website, the right clients were self-selecting before the call even happened. By the time he spoke with them, they understood the price and the structure. Now he closes clients on the call or even through a single WhatsApp message. This is the power of clarity. It shortens cycles, reduces friction, and saves enormous amounts of time for a lean team. However, transparent pricing attracts budget mismatches, so Jason recommends removing pricing from agency's websites and switching to triage calls and the Foot-In-The-Door model. At the end of the day, there are a thousand ways to create a better sales process. What matters is that it filters, qualifies, and positions you as the advisor. Why a Paid Discovery Offer Builds Trust and Prevents Ghosting Both Charlie and Jason agree that a small, paid upfront engagement solves the biggest challenge in agency sales. Trust. SEO agencies in particular fight an uphill battle here. The barrier to entry is low. There are thousands of one-person shops. Many prospects have been burned before. A small paid engagement builds confidence, shows value quickly, and prevents ghosting. The Foot-in-the-Door offer should be simple, done live with the client, and designed to build the relationship. Not overloaded with deliverables that overwhelm the client and make them feel uneducated. When done right, it leads naturally into a larger project and then a retainer. Charlie's Kickstart product functions the same way. For eight hundred dollars, clients get quick wins and clarity. It works because it gives prospects a safe way to test the relationship and because it positions the agency as a trusted advisor instead of a vendor chasing a proposal. How AI Forced a New Level of Adaptability in SEO Agencies Charlie admitted that two years ago he felt bored with SEO. Then AI exploded. Search interfaces changed. Clicks shifted. And suddenly the industry was moving faster than ever. For many agencies, this uncertainty created fear. For Charlie, it sparked energy. He leaned back in, started speaking at events, ran experiments on AI search, and brought a fresh curiosity back to himself and his team. He described the past year as a sink-or-swim moment for agencies. The ones who coasted struggled. The ones who adapted thrived. Lean teams with solid systems could move faster and deliver more value. In his words, being nimble is now a competitive advantage. Figuring out AI reignited his passion in the business but it was far too much to tackle alone. This is why agency owners should have a community to lean on to try to figure out changes in the industry. Your network will determine your speed of growth. Agency owners who surround themselves with peers sharing what works and what fails will survive the next wave of industry change. The ones who go alone will struggle. 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

Marty sits down with Ryan Gentry to discuss his new $220 million SPAC aimed at taking Bitcoin operating companies public, the five-year evolution of the Lightning Network from single-digit millions to $10 billion in annual volume, and why Bitcoin businesses are finally mature enough to compete in public markets. Ryan on Twitter: https://x.com/RyanTheGentry STACK SATS hat: https://tftcmerch.io/ Our newsletter: https://www.tftc.io/bitcoin-brief/ TFTC Elite (Ad-free & Discord): https://www.tftc.io/#/portal/signup/ Discord: https://discord.gg/VJ2dABShBz Opportunity Cost Extension: https://www.opportunitycost.app/ Shoutout to our sponsors: Bitkey https://bit.ly/TFTCBitkey20 Unchained https://unchained.com/tftc/ Obscura https://obscura.net/ SLNT https://slnt.com/tftc CrowdHealth https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/tftc Salt of the Earth: https://drinksote.com/tftc Join the TFTC Movement: Main YT Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/TFTC21/videos Clips YT Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUQcW3jxfQfEUS8kqR5pJtQ Website https://tftc.io/ Newsletter tftc.io/bitcoin-brief/ Twitter https://twitter.com/tftc21 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tftc.io/ Nostr https://primal.net/tftc Follow Marty Bent: Twitter https://twitter.com/martybent Nostr https://primal.net/martybent Newsletter https://tftc.io/martys-bent/ Podcast https://www.tftc.io/tag/podcasts/