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When Swedish twins Ursula and Sabina Eriksson suddenly began throwing themselves into speeding traffic on a UK motorway—captured on camera by a reality TV crew—it was only the beginning of a shared psychotic break that would lead to superhuman strength, psychiatric hospitalization, and ultimately murder.==========HOUR ONE: In 1761, a young Frenchman died violently. This tragedy would lead to what is still one of that country's most famous cases of judicial injustice. Assuming, of course, that it truly was an injustice at all. (The Mysterious Death of Marc Antoine Calas) *** Most know them as “The Hidden Folk.” The elusive and magical residents of Iceland, who live inside rocks and sometimes play games with unsuspecting passers-by. Are they real? That's a complicated question, if you ask Icelanders. (The Elves of Iceland) *** As two boys were walking back to the house on their farm, a small stone rolled past them. Then a second one. They immediately thought some other boys were hiding in the scrub and throwing stones for a joke. They couldn't have been more wrong. (Stone Throwing Spirits) *** Belle Gunness lured numerous suitors to her Indiana farm. Not to entertain them or to be courted by them. She simply wanted to kill them in cold blood and dump their bodies in her hog pen. (Belle Gunness – The Black Widow of the Midwest) *** "They're going to steal your organs!" screamed Sabina Eriksson, before running toward oncoming traffic on the M6 highway, having already been hit head-on by a Volkswagen. Her twin sister, Ursula, legs crushed by the truck that had just run her over, was spitting and screaming at paramedics on the side of the road. Now, many years after these events, we're still no closer to understanding the chaos that occurred over two days in 2008 involving psychotic twin sisters on a UK highway. (The Disturbing Case of the Eriksson Twins)==========HOUR TWO: In 1882 the Ma'amtrasna murders, the brutal killing of several members of the Joyce family in rural Galway, caused outrage in Irish society and remains one of the most notorious homicides in Irish history. However a few years later Cork was rocked by an equally heinous case which has largely been forgotten. We'll look at the brutal murders of four family members that took place in Castletownroche, Ireland. (The Castletownroche Murders) *** An Arizona family encounters a creature from the dark side of a Navajo legend. (The Arizona Skinwalker) *** John Blair liked to keep things “in the family”. But in his case, it wasn't just a saying. It was literal. Because John was infamous for being bigamous. (Bigamous Blair) *** Dozens of Korean War GI's claimed an unidentified flying object made them all sick. Theories range from high-tech Soviet death rays to extraterrestrials studying how we engage in battle to combat-stress-induced hallucinations. What actually happened? (The Korean War UFO)==========SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME: Were people ever really tortured in Iron Maidens? (The Iron Maiden)==========SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM TONIGHT'S SHOW:“The Disturbing Case of the Eriksson Twins” by Harrison Tenpas for Graveyard Shift: https://tinyurl.com/r6cbnxf“The Mysterious Death of Marc Antoine Calas” from Strange Company: https://tinyurl.com/rrs89rx“The Elves of Iceland” by Rob Schwarz for Stranger Dimensions: https://tinyurl.com/u4bcw6v“Stone Throwing Spirits” from The Fortean: https://tinyurl.com/qnuf7sd“Belle Gunness – The Black Widow of the Midwest” by Steven Casale for The Line Up: https://tinyurl.com/tqyceby“The Iron Maiden” by Karl Smallwood for Today I Found Out: https://tinyurl.com/t2y6vj6“The Korean War UFO” by Natasha Frost for History.com: https://tinyurl.com/y765nsgm“The Castletownroche Murders” by Fin Dwyer for the Irish Examiner: https://tinyurl.com/y9fhagfb“The Arizona Skinwalker” by Stephen Wagner for Live About: https://tinyurl.com/yxkdh9vv“Bigamous Blair” from London Overlooked: https://tinyurl.com/y9qpo54x==========(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for material I use whenever possible. If I have overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it immediately. Some links may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)=========="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46==========WeirdDarkness®, WeirdDarkness© 2025==========To become a Weird Darkness Radio Show affiliate, contact Radio America at affiliates@radioamerica.com, or call 800-807-4703 (press 2 or dial ext 250).
In this episode of 'Don't Cut Your Own Bangs,' host Danielle Ireland introduces John Kippen, a resilience and empowerment coach, magician, and motivational speaker. John shares his incredible journey of overcoming a life-threatening brain tumor and how it transformed his life and career. Throughout the episode, John discusses his healing journey, the power of vulnerability, and the importance of facing one's limiting beliefs. He also reveals the origins of his unique phrase 'impossible really means I am possible' and offers a special gift to listeners. Tune in to uncover valuable wisdom nuggets and be inspired by John's story of triumph over adversity. 00:00 Introduction to the Episode 00:40 Meet John Kippen: A Multihyphenate Talent 01:23 John's Life-Altering Diagnosis 05:46 The Surgery and Its Aftermath 08:04 The Road to Recovery 13:30 Embracing the New Normal 17:29 The Power of Truth and Magic 29:14 The Power of Magic and Connection 29:31 Introducing Treasured: A Journal for Self-Discovery 30:44 The Magic of Personal Connection 32:59 Overcoming Personal Struggles Through Magic 34:38 The Journey to Self-Acceptance 35:42 The Importance of Asking and Vulnerability 50:24 The TED Talk Experience 54:34 Final Thoughts and Encouragement RATE, REVIEW, SUBSCRIBE TO “DON'T CUT YOUR OWN BANGS” Like your favorite recipe or song, the best things in life are shared. When you rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast, your engagement helps me connect with other listeners just like you. Plus, subscriptions just make life easier for everybody. It's one less thing for you to think about and you can easily keep up to date on everything that's new. So, please rate, review, and subscribe today. DANIELLE IRELAND, LCSW I greatly appreciate your support and engagement as part of the Don't Cut Your Own Bangs community. Feel free to reach out with questions, comments, or anything you'd like to share. You can connect with me at any of the links below. JOHN KIPPEN: https://www.ted.com/talks/john_kippen_being_different_is_my_super_power_magic_saved_my_life https://www.johnkippen.com DANIELLE IRELAND, LCSW Website: https://danielleireland.com/ The Treasured Journal: https://danielleireland.com/journal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielleireland_lcsw TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dontcutyourownbangspod?_t=ZP-8yFHmVNPKtq&_r=1 Transcript: John Kippen Edited Interview [00:00:00] [00:00:07] Hello. Hello, this is Danielle Ireland and you are catching an episode of Don't Cut Your Own Bangs. And today I have the great pleasure of introducing you to someone I can now call a new friend John Kippen. John is a multihyphenate. He has had quite a life and he's an excellent storyteller. So this episode you're gonna wanna buckle up. [00:00:31] It is so good. Get those AirPods in, go on your walk, get safely in your car, get ready to listen because this is just an absolutely beautiful episode. But let me tell you a little bit about John. John is a resilience and empowerment coach. He was and is the CEO of a very successful IT company. [00:00:49] He was a main stage performer at the Magic Castle in Los Angeles, so if that just gives you a little insight, is the level of his magic. He is a motivational speaker. He's a life coach, and. He has a TED talk that has received over a million views. And the heartbeat of this TED talk is how he triumphs over tragedy with a diagnosis of a tumor the size of a golf ball that is separating his brainstem and the procedure he needed to save his life, changed his life forever. [00:01:23] Doing the work of healing does not come easily to anyone, but as John so beautifully puts in this episode, if John can do it, you can do it. He's using his stories, his vulnerable and raw experiences, and talking about not only what happened to him, but how he moved through the impossible. [00:01:45] He actually coins a phrase that I love and I'm going to keep. Which is that impossible really means I am possible. So the ultimate magic trick, the ultimate illusion is what your limiting beliefs are about yourself, and how do you use facing those fears and those limiting beliefs to transform your life. [00:02:08] And in John's case, he takes that healing and offers it as a gift to us. As listeners to his clients and his coaching practice to the readers of his book, he has authored a book The Forward by None other than the Jamie Lee Curtis from all of the places. You know her most recently. The Bear where she won an Emmy, but everything everywhere, all at once. [00:02:32] She and John are buds, and she believes in him and believes in his work, and as a champion of that work, it just adds a little extra sparkle and fairy dust to the beautiful work that he's already doing to say that he's been vetted by someone who is so sparkly and magnetic and also deeply entrenched in holding space for the truth and honoring the truth. [00:02:52] This is a heartfelt episode, so what I would recommend. If you're in a place to do so is you might wanna jot some notes down because John drops some beautiful wisdom nuggets in this episode. And the book that he authored is playing The Hand You're Dealt. And what I wanna share too, we talk about it in the episode, but I wanna highlight this 'cause it's really important. [00:03:12] John is giving everyone who listens to the episode a free gift, but it is not linked in the show notes. It is only available to those of you who listen. It's a special little surprise embedded in the episode that you have to listen to find, but it is a free gift from him to you. So without further ado, get ready to sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful wisdom of John Kippen. [00:03:35] [00:03:36] Kippen, multihyphenate resilience and empowerment, coach magician, keynote speaker, author, and all around. Nice guy. Thank you for joining me today on the Don't Cut Your Own Bangs podcast. [00:03:47] Danielle: Hollywood legend wrote the forward of his beautiful book, playing the Hand You're Dealt Forward by the one and Only Take It Away, John, Jamie [00:03:58] John: Lee Curtis. [00:03:59] Danielle: Jamie Lee Curtis. Yes. So you have to stay and listen to the entire episode because he's going to tease out a special little giveaway that will only be revealed in the audio. [00:04:10] So you gotta listen. It's not gonna be linked in the show notes, folks. So buckle up, sit down. This is gonna be a great episode with a fun gift for you, a special little dose of magic hidden inside. So, John, you, I mean, all the different fun things that we listed about what you do. You're a magician, you're a motivational speaker, you're a coach. [00:04:30] What I know doing the work I do as a therapist is the skills and trade that you're building your life on. Those were skills that they were. Hard one, like nobody chooses, in my opinion and in my experience, no one chooses to go into a helping profession that hasn't needed help in their life. It's like the, our healing becomes our medicine. [00:04:54] And I really wanna learn about not just what you offer, but your healing journey that put you in the unique position you're in to do the work you do. So, welcome and I'd love to hear from you. [00:05:05] John: So just quickly, the Reader's Digest version of my backstory. Grew up Los Angeles, middle class family, two great parents loving, no sisters or brothers, had everything I needed. [00:05:18] They sent me to a nice school and, I got into theater, started doing theater, in college. I studied theater and became the big man on campus because pretty much I grabbed every opportunity that presented itself. Started a computer company out of college. 'cause I'm a creative problem solver. [00:05:38] That's the thread that goes through everything I do in my life. [00:05:42] Mm-hmm. [00:05:42] John: I look at a problem, I say, how am I gonna solve that? [00:05:45] Mm-hmm. [00:05:46] John: And then in June of July of 2002, I was diagnosed with a four half centimeter brain tumor called an acoustic neuroma. [00:05:55] Danielle: Yes. And this was, so it was slowly severing your brainstem? Correct. [00:05:59] John: It was displacing the brainstem. Causing not only hearing issues, but dizziness upon standing or walking. [00:06:07] Mm-hmm. [00:06:08] John: I had to have something done with it. I would not have survived. [00:06:12] Mm-hmm. [00:06:14] John: And. It was a whirlwind , I went and saw the doctor who finally diagnosed it after seeing him the MRI films, and he, he had no bedside manner. [00:06:25] I remember sitting on the examining room table, right. And the, the tissue paper is crinkling under my butt. Mm-hmm. I could feel the, I could sense the temperature. I'm heightened sensitivity. [00:06:37] And he looks up at the MRI after talking to a neurosurgeon, and he turns around and says, John, you have a four and a half centimeter brain tumor. [00:06:46] It's killing you. We're operating you on Friday. You're gonna go deaf in your left ear, and there's a possibility for some facial weakness. We're gonna do everything we can to prevent that. And he left [00:07:01] Danielle: the room. So he knew, and in his own. Brash in abrupt way, essentially prepared you for the outcome and challenges that would come assuming the surgery was a success? [00:07:17] John: Yeah. He is a world renowned acoustic neuroma surgeon. He's one of the guys you go to, when you have this kind of tumor and that's all he does. Wow. But he literally left the room and I'm sitting there and I didn't bring anybody in and [00:07:31] yeah. [00:07:32] John: A tip to anyone who's potentially going in for a serious diagnosis. [00:07:36] Yeah. [00:07:37] John: Bring a friend or a family member. [00:07:39] Because it goes in one ear and out the other, you're in shock. Right. Right. When you get home and you say, wait a minute, he said that surgery gonna be four hours or 14 hours or 20. How, how long ago and you have all these questions. Yeah. And you know, getting ahold of the doctor to ask them again is just not the way our medical system works. [00:08:01] He's back to back, to back to back patients. [00:08:04] So, I checked in the night before, they did blood tests and I tried to get an hour or two sleep, 6:00 AM my clockwork the orderly came in and said, okay, get naked, get on this cold gurney. What a sheet over you and we're going take you to the operating room. [00:08:21] Danielle: I wanna pause your story for a moment. 'cause there's a couple things that I, I wanna tease out a little. So one is you, the way that you tell your story, so well probably because you've told it on stages, you've shared it with others, you've written about it. There is something about a trauma. [00:08:37] That really marks the sort of BCAD of life. And the way you shared, I felt like I was in the room with you when you were getting this bomb of news dropped on you so you were theater trained, theater kid, a creative person, a creative problem solver, and a business owner. [00:08:57] Like I, I think about that often when people are experiencing trauma. What, what was life sort of the, the illusion of normalcy. The, the, you know, the predictability of this is my life and this is my to-do list and this is my calendar. So before that moment, you were just a guy on the west coast running a business. [00:09:17] Is that right? [00:09:18] John: Very successful business. [00:09:19] Danielle: And I, I just wanna share briefly too, I haven't met too many other only children. Theater background 'cause that's me too. [00:09:30] John: Oh, really? [00:09:31] Danielle: I'm an only child and I was a theater major and started acting when I was 13, so before. But, the creative problem solver, God, my theater background has paid dividends in ways I didn't know at the time. [00:09:42] I didn't know that when I was preparing for this interview, but now that you've said that, it's like that thing that I couldn't put my finger on has clicked into place. [00:09:49] John: I love doing improv. [00:09:51] Improv is the, you know, everybody talks about being in the moment. [00:09:57] Yeah. [00:09:57] John: What does that really mean, being in the moment? [00:10:00] When you do improv, you have to be in the moment. Otherwise you fall flat. And everybody, you're doing improv looks at you going. Well, it's your turn. [00:10:10] Danielle: You've tapped in. Now you've gotta say something. How are you gonna move the story forward? [00:10:14] Exactly. I feel most alive when I'm engaged in moments like that. And I, it's, I'm not a, a adrenaline junkie, but I would say that's my high, it's the, rush of connecting with somebody like that. So you were running a very successful business. This bomb has dropped. [00:10:32] You can barely remember what you were told and what your life is likely going to be. Assuming everything goes well, what is going to happen when you wake up off your op? And how long was your operation? [00:10:46] John: 15 hours. [00:10:48] Danielle: And the surgery was a success. They were able to remove the golf ice tumor. [00:10:52] Yeah. So they removed the fall sized tumor. [00:10:54] John: I didn't have time to think, you know, I got one of my guys who worked for me told him that he was gonna be running the company for a month or two. He agreed. [00:11:05] Mm-hmm. [00:11:05] John: Had to shovel up some more money to get him to do it, but, you know, it is what it is. You do what you have to do. [00:11:11] Yeah. And then,, I just tried to think positively, hope for the best. Plan for the worst. You know, I had someone gonna stay with me the first week, make food because I just wanted to recover and I didn't know what it was gonna be like. [00:11:27] Danielle: Yeah. You're like, I just need a week to recover, and then I'm just gonna hop back into life, hopefully. [00:11:31] John: Rolling the gurney into the surgical, prep area. [00:11:35] The nurse saying, Hey John, you know, we know we have to shape after your head. You want me to do it now or after you're under. [00:11:42] Danielle: So you didn't even know that they were gonna shave your head. Well, I didn't think about it. [00:11:48] John: I mean, if I had thought about it, I got a shaved part of my head. [00:11:51] Danielle: Right. [00:11:52] John: I said to her, please. [00:11:56] Danielle: Yeah. [00:11:58] John: And so, they roll me into the operating room. You got these really bright lights, , blinding you, and you're laying there and they're like, okay, you're gonna count back toward five. [00:12:09] The next thing I know, I hear faint voices and it was like I was 30 meters deep in a pool. Struggling to get to the surface. And I remember this like it was yesterday, literally trying to swim to the service to regain consciousness. [00:12:26] And finally when I got enough, I realized that my dad was sitting on the edge of my bed holding my hand, [00:12:34] and [00:12:34] John: he was smiling at me, but I didn't see my mom. [00:12:40] So I asked my dad for my glasses and he handed me the glasses. And I remember trying to put the, and then I realized my head's bandage. [00:12:48] Danielle: Oh, right. [00:12:50] John: So I had to figure out how to get the glasses in Cockeye to get 'em on my face, right? [00:12:55] And the look on her face was one of horror. What did these butchers do to my son's face? And at that point, I didn't know my face was paralyzed. Because I have full feeling, I just can't move it. [00:13:10] Danielle: So you currently, you still have full feeling in your face. You just lost mobility, [00:13:14] John: so I didn't really understand what that look was. [00:13:18] Danielle: Right. How could you? [00:13:19] John: And then my mom handed me her compact makeup. [00:13:22] And I opened it up and I'm like, holy crap. And then, I'm still getting [00:13:30] accustomed to, the one thing I noticed is leading into surgery, I was constantly dizzy and that dizziness was gone. [00:13:38] Danielle: Wow. [00:13:39] John: And that was like, oh my God, what a relief. [00:13:42] Mm-hmm. [00:13:43] John: So the doctor finally made his way in and I was like, so when's my face gonna move? And he said, John, we were, successful. [00:13:50] The tumors removed. Right when we were close the incision, your face stopped moving. But we think it's just to do the swelling, and once the swelling goes down, your face should start moving again. So I'm like, okay. I can handle that. That's a, it's not a permanent thing. I can deal with it. [00:14:05] So I'm in the hospital a week and, they're like, when you can do three laps around the hospital floor, without a walker, we'll send you home. [00:14:16] So that became my goal. I remember getting outta bed and then they said, no, no, no. Wait for the, I said, no. The doctor said that I need to rock three laps around. [00:14:26] I want to get the hell out of here [00:14:28] Five days I got home. My dad drove me home and I sat on my couch and now I'm like, okay, I can start healing and check email here and there. And I was taking lots of naps. And then I coughed and I touched the back of my neck and it was wet. [00:14:45] Mm. [00:14:47] John: Oh, it was a spinal fluid leak on the base of the incision. [00:14:51] Whew. [00:14:53] John: So immediately I called the doctor's office and the said, oh, get your ass back here. And I went back to the hospital three times with them to redo the bandaging to try to prevent the leak. [00:15:05] Danielle: Wait, you call the hospital. Hey, their spinal fluid leaking out of my surgical incision. And they're like, yeah, you should get in a car and drive yourself to the hospital. [00:15:16] John: They didn't say how I should get to the hospital. [00:15:19] Danielle: Okay. Fair, fair. But that, [00:15:22] okay. Wow. ' [00:15:24] John: cause that's not good. [00:15:25] And there was potential for getting, spinal meningitis in that. From what I understand is one of the most extreme pains out there. [00:15:35] Okay. [00:15:35] John: I went back and forth three different times over that week. [00:15:39] They tried to, it was just as right behind my ear, right at the base of the incision. So, there was no way that they were going to be able to, put a pressure manage to keep that and so it could start healing. [00:15:51] Danielle: Mm-hmm. [00:15:52] John: So they finally said, all right, tomorrow you're gonna come in and we're gonna, redo the incision and pull more belly fat outta your belly to fill the hole. [00:16:01] And Yeah. This time they used staples, man, thick Frankenstein. [00:16:07] All the way up. [00:16:08] But then I'm like, I was only in the hospital for a day. And then, and I'm like, okay, I can relax. I remember getting up and brushing my teeth, you know, and I'm looking at the mirror and God, , I don't recognize that guy. [00:16:24] Yeah. And I got rid of all the mirrors in my house. [00:16:30] I didn't want a constant reminder. [00:16:33] My face was screwed up. [00:16:34] Danielle: I, there's so much specificity to what is uniquely your story. [00:16:46] Mm-hmm. [00:16:47] Danielle: But what I have found is when people. Are able to share elements of their experience. It's when you go into the specificity of what you experienced. I can see myself in so many elements of your story in my own, like when we get in deeper, it becomes somehow more accessible and universal. [00:17:16] And in that way, you're not alone, even though it happened to you and that detail about your removing the mirrors from your home. It, it brings me to something I really wanted to ask you about. You share by saying, and then also , by, actually demonstrating in your TED talk that, once you began the healing process of really addressing your depression after your operation, that, the story, it led you to magic, literally. And I also think in a more magical way, beyond performing an illusion. And I know not to call it a trick, I learned that from arrested development. [00:18:03] But, there's something you said that I wanted to quote that it's amazing how accepting kids are of the truth. You open up your TED talk, which I will link in the show notes so people can see. But that you mentioned that this in a way that your permission and your humor and your honesty, it created levity and lightness. [00:18:27] For something that would be considered maybe so precious and heavy. And what I wanna speak to, and open up a question if that's okay, is, I'm curious what your relationship with the truth is because I think humor in its highest expression is allowing us to laugh at something that we see the truth in. [00:18:49] And yet it's this razor's edge between laughing at someone or laughing at something versus inviting us to laugh at the, the human experience that we maybe don't know how to name or express in another way. But I wanna know personally for you, what your relationship is with the truth and the value of embracing it. [00:19:13] And then in your line of work as a coach, where do you see people struggle with it? [00:19:19] John: Truth is an illusion. [00:19:21] Danielle: Ooh, tell me more. That just, that was a zingy response that you popped right out. Please tell me more. [00:19:28] John: Yeah. Truth. Everybody has their own truth. [00:19:31] Danielle: Oh, well there you go. [00:19:32] John: Their own perspective, [00:19:34] Danielle: uhhuh, [00:19:35] John: And the truth is formed out of your limiting beliefs. [00:19:41] Danielle: So the truth is formed out of your limited beliefs, [00:19:44] John: your limiting beliefs. [00:19:45] Danielle: Limiting beliefs. Okay. [00:19:47] John: Yeah. [00:19:48] I just wanted to take a slight step back. [00:19:50] Danielle: Mm-hmm. [00:19:51] John: I told you this was gonna be the Reader's Digest version. [00:19:54] Danielle: Yes. [00:19:54] John: But it took me 12 years [00:19:57] To come out of that hiding. Wow. 12 years. [00:20:02] Danielle: How old were you when you had your operation? [00:20:05] John: 33. [00:20:06] Danielle: 33. Okay. [00:20:08] John: And fortunately for me, I could work from home. But I miss so many celebrations with friends and family. 'cause I just didn't want to have to explain it. I didn't want to have to deal with the looks, , and I tell this story on my TED Talk and in my book. You know, at a restaurant I wanted to get a burger at Tony Aroma's. And I'm sitting there by myself and in a booth, and there's a booth right in front of me and there's a family with a kid, two parents and a kid. And the kid's squirming and gets up and turns around and is now on his knees on the bench and looking at me. [00:20:44] And he gets up and he comes over and he says, Mr, what's wrong with your face? And in that moment, I didn't want to have a five or 6-year-old come over and Right. And I'm like, okay, I had the strength to come out and go to a restaurant. I have to deal with this. So I started talking to this little boy [00:21:06] Danielle: Mm. [00:21:07] John: And saying, I had a medical procedure that caused me not to with my face before I could continue his mom grabbing him [00:21:16] mm-hmm. [00:21:17] John: The arm and drug him back and said, don't bother him. The nice man, he has enough troubles already. And I couldn't leave it there. [00:21:25] Mm-hmm. [00:21:27] John: So I had to go to the little boy and I knelt down and I got eye level and I said, I love my new face because it's different. [00:21:34] It's different just like yours. And I remember it like it was yesterday, he took his fingers and he tried to distort his face to be crooked like mine. And he turned to his mom and said, look, mom, I could do that too. And then he went back to eating his meal. His question was answered. [00:21:56] He had no judgment. And his parents were like, holy crap, did we just learn a lesson? How to raise our child? [00:22:03] They whispered, thank you on their way out. [00:22:07] Danielle: But there is something I, there, there's something to that woman's response to you that really resonated with me. [00:22:14] And it also, highlights the point you made so well about the, essentially the truth being relative. Because she projected onto you what her perception of your life was. Don't bother the nice man one, she didn't know you were nice, though. You are. But she didn't know that. Right. And she also didn't know what your troubles were or weren't, and she assumed that. [00:22:39] John: But I always wonder what her motives were. [00:22:41] Danielle: Right. [00:22:42] John: was it to make me comfortable or was it to make her and her son comfortable [00:22:48] Danielle: it for her? I think so. [00:22:50] John: And that's how I took it. [00:22:51] Danielle: I remember. So I have two children and I was pregnant once before and lost that pregnancy. [00:22:57] 12 weeks in. And I haven't thought about this in a very long time, but I remember going into, a annual doctor's appointment and she saw on the chart that I was listed as pregnant and clearly now was not. And it was in her own discomfort of not, she was asking me about the baby thinking, 'cause she was not my ob, GYN it was a different type of doctor. [00:23:20] And, she caught. Oh, and then I had sort of explained to her what that meant, and then she said, well, I'm sure, you blame yourself and I want you to know it's not your fault. Like she took her discomfort and tried to turn it into, she positioned herself above as someone who knew what he was experiencing and wanted to offer me this sympathy that was, one, she was wrong. [00:23:45] I totally misplaced. Yeah. I didn't blame myself. And it, that, that moment was such an extension of her own inability to hold the moment and the discomfort of the moment, and, tried to offer it up as a gift for me, which that's, yeah. [00:24:03] John: It's your perception of how you deal with that. [00:24:06] Danielle: Mm-hmm. [00:24:07] John: Losing a child can be. Empowering because you know that you can try again and get a child that is not gonna have any kind of defects and is gonna have a good life. And you know whether or not you believe in God or not. [00:24:24] Danielle: Yeah. [00:24:25] John: Things happen for a reason and we don't always understand the reason for them. [00:24:30] Danielle: I don't know if it, what the reason was, but I can say a gift from that was that somebody who lived with a very active monkey mind and a lot of head trash and some anxiety in the experience of the early grief, not for very long, but there was a moment in time where my mind was quiet, not numb, but quiet. [00:24:55] And it helped me realize, oh, there's the observer within me. Then there are the different conversations that are happening in my head that aren't me, which are maybe the perceptions that I call truth sometimes I wanna bring that same question of truth, which you had an answer I was not expecting, which I love when I never see it coming, so thank you. [00:25:18] Where do you see your clients? Because you're a coach, right? You are taking your healing and offering it as medicine to people that are trying to make a connection in their own life. So where do you see people that you work with? Struggle with the truth? [00:25:36] John: Everybody's hiding from someone something in their life. [00:25:40] They have buried something so deep and it keeps them from moving forward in their lives. 'cause it erodes their self-confidence. [00:25:50] That's what I learned through my love for performing magic. [00:25:58] Going to the magic castle, sitting at a table with a paralyzed face. [00:26:03] Yeah. I'm this overweight guy with balding, balding with a paralyzed face. And I could sit at a table and have people come to me. I tell this story sometimes, that the Magic Castle is a place where you have to get dressed up to the nines, you know? And women love to get dressed up [00:26:22] Danielle: That's true. [00:26:23] John: They're wearing their best outfits, right? And all of a sudden I'd have five or six women sitting at the table, and their reactions are very guarded. [00:26:34] Hmm. [00:26:36] John: You know, they're sitting there with their legs and arms crossed. [00:26:39] Hmm [00:26:40] John: they're leaning back. They have a smile that's just more of a grin. [00:26:45] Mm-hmm. ' [00:26:47] John: cause I don't know what I'm about. Sure. They don't know if I'm gonna be inappropriate, if I'm gonna come onto them, if I'm what it is. So they have no expectations other than they're gonna see some magic. [00:26:58] Mm-hmm. [00:26:59] John: So I start my act saying, hi guys. My name is John and I'm doing magic all my life. [00:27:05] But in 2 0 2 I had a brain tumor. And when they cut over my head, they traumatized medication, nerve offense, a paralyzed face. But something happened to me on that talk table that day, Danielle. [00:27:16] Mm-hmm. [00:27:17] John: I'm not sure what it was because I was unconscious. All I know is I recovered. I realized I had acquired some new skills and I pause. [00:27:29] Yeah. And I wait for everybody to get on the edge of their seat. Like, what happened, John, what? Skills. Skills I could acquire. I'm having brain surgery. [00:27:40] Mm-hmm. I [00:27:41] John: looked to my right and I looked to my left like it's the biggest secret. [00:27:45] Lean in and I whisper in a loud voice as I am able to visualize people's thoughts. And then I do some mental magic mentalism. Love it. And what I just did was I turned my biggest challenge into a superpower. [00:28:07] Danielle: Yes, you did. And I wanna pause you because when you said that in your talk, have, have you read Elizabeth Gilbert's book, big Magic? [00:28:15] Yes. [00:28:15] Danielle: When she talks about trickster energy, I was like, John Kippen is a freaking trickster. [00:28:22] That is trickster energy that you can shift. Before someone's very eyes. It's like you are performing magic and you are performing magic. You shifted before them and you invited them, your audience to see beyond their own limiting beliefs, their own projected truth. [00:28:47] John: They were distracted. They wanted to know why it was paralyzed, but they couldn't ask, did he have a stroke? Did he have be palsy? What was the reason? So I found them being distracted when I was performing. So I got that outta way in the first two minutes. [00:29:00] Mm-hmm. [00:29:01] John: I explained why my face is paralyzed. [00:29:03] And now I treat it as the experience is now I'm able to do superhuman things. [00:29:10] And now they're like, okay, cool. So as I perform [00:29:16] I focus on the spectator. Magic happens in your mind as a spectator. [00:29:22] Danielle: Oh, I love that magic happens in your mind [00:29:26] [00:29:31] If you've ever wanted to start a journaling practice but didn't know where to start, or if you've been journaling off and on your whole life, but you're like, I wanna take this work deeper, I've got you covered. I've written a journal called Treasured, a Journal for unearthing you. It's broken down into seven key areas of your life, filled with stories, sentence stems, prompts, questions, and exercises. [00:29:51] All rooted in the work that I do with actual clients in my therapy sessions. I have given these examples to clients in sessions as homework, and they come back with insights that allow us to do such incredible work. This is something you can do in the privacy of your own home, whether you're in therapy or not. [00:30:10] It has context, it has guides. And hopefully some safety bumpers to help digging a little deeper feel possible, accessible and safe. You don't have to do this alone. And there's also a guided treasured meditation series that accompanies each section in the journal to help ease you into the processing state. [00:30:29] So my hope is to help guide you into feeling more secure with the most important relationship in your life, the one between you and you. Hop on over to the show notes and grab your copy today. And now back to the episode. [00:30:44] John: Magic is what you see in your mind or someone else sees in their mind. [00:30:49] Magic is that thing that immediately makes you present. [00:30:56] Danielle: Yeah. [00:30:57] John: And your, all of your sensors are now in a heightened state , whether it's a sunset or a beautiful beach or a beautiful woman or a magic trick or whatever it is, there's that sense of awe and wonder. [00:31:15] So as I would start to take each spectator, I would learn their names. [00:31:19] And I would use their names throughout the show. [00:31:22] Danielle: People love that. [00:31:23] John: People, I ask them, the one word in everybody's language that they love to hear the most is their own name . and so I use that as a way of engaging the audience. [00:31:33] They start leaning in and now they've got real smiles on their face [00:31:37] and I can literally see this wall that women in today's society are forced to put up as a self-protection mechanism. [00:31:45] Yeah. [00:31:46] John: I see this wall start to grow as they start to identify with me and they're like, I'm okay being myself. [00:31:54] And then the end of this [00:31:56] they're asking permission to hug me. [00:31:58] And , having a creative mind, I wanted to understand. What that is. What that, what was going on. [00:32:06] Danielle: You also, not only through performing magic, inviting the curiosity you could see in other people's faces into your opening act essentially, or your sleight of hand. [00:32:17] I'm gonna show you this over here so that you can not see what's coming here. Vulnerability in its purest form is magic because it's the one thing sharing the story you feel like you couldn't share. Letting somebody see the one part of you that you would never let anybody see 'cause you were so utterly convinced you would be outed or you would be cast out by exposing that vulnerability is the birthplace of true connection. [00:32:47] Yeah. Which is the ultimate magic trick. It's, it's like what they say in nightmares, if you stop and face the thing that's chasing you, it, it can't chase you anymore in the dream. And so you spent a decade, did I remember that correctly, you wanted to be a main stage performer at the Magic Castle? [00:33:06] It took you about 10 years and you did it. [00:33:08] John: I did. [00:33:09] Yeah. [00:33:09] Danielle: 10 years. [00:33:11] John: Yeah. [00:33:12] Danielle: 10 years. [00:33:13] John: It was my creative coping mechanism. I had hit rock bottom, was I suicidal? No, not really. But I was unhappy. [00:33:25] Danielle: Yeah. [00:33:26] John: I was, my girlfriend left me, and, fortunately I had a job that I could focus on. But I needed something more. And through sharing something so personal and tying magic into it and making it a positive instead of a negative [00:33:45] people are attracted to it. [00:33:49] Danielle: Yeah. Well, because you're holding fire in your hand. Yeah. You're not just saying it's possible, but you're living. You're turning it into a performance, which I think for an artist is one of the most selfless, beautiful acts. [00:34:11] John: It's what separates great artists from mediocre artists. What is he giving me to care about? [00:34:18] Danielle: I never thought about that with magic. What are they giving me to care about? [00:34:22] John: Yeah. What do I want them to think when they leave the theater? [00:34:27] Ability to put your own life in perspective. If John can, so can I. [00:34:33] That's my true message. [00:34:36] Any different is your superpower. [00:34:38] Now, my facial paralysis does not have to define me if I don't let it. [00:34:44] You know, Danielle I live my life that it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. [00:34:51] And that's bit me in the butt numerous times. [00:34:54] Danielle: I can also say the opposite, can bite you in the butt. I think I waited probably too long, many times for permission that wasn't really coming because no one can ultimately grant it. Right? Like, if there's a path you wanna carve, like the job that you built, all of the different things that you've done, there's no resume posted on LinkedIn. [00:35:15] No one's hot. Like that's an empowerment coach slash magician slash keynote speaker, slash documentarian like that. You have to get curious and still, and listen to that little voice inside and follow that curiosity to a path that may not make sense for anyone for a really long time. And I didn't do that. [00:35:40] And that can bite you in the butt too. 'cause regret's hard to hold. [00:35:42] John: Alex SBE came out on national television [00:35:45] to his fans, to the world and said, I'm scared. I am fighting the battle of my life and I'm gonna ask for everyone's good thoughts and prayers . of what I'm going through. I reached out to Nikki Trebek, Alex's daughter and I said, Nikki, I need to perform for your dad . we're having a 75th birthday party and we don't have any entertainment. [00:36:13] So if you wanna be the entertainment, and I was like. Damn. Yes. [00:36:18] Danielle: Well, yeah. I will go to his house and perform magic for him. a [00:36:22] John: restaurant, but [00:36:23] Danielle: Oh, a restaurant. Okay. [00:36:23] John: Wrote a unique magic show [00:36:25] With Jeopardy themes and the whole nine yards and he was actually at the table as one of my assistants. [00:36:33] Oh. Along with his daughter. so he was this, he needed to understand how things worked. [00:36:39] Was a genius. And so he was constantly looking at me like, wait a minute. That's not possible. Just embrace it, Alex. You're not gonna figure it out. Just enjoy it. [00:36:52] Danielle: That's awesome. [00:36:54] John: And there's, on my website, john kipp.com. There are some magic videos and there are two videos of me performing for Alex , sat with him, and I said, Alex, I need to share something with you that, when you came out so publicly about your diagnosis [00:37:10] I asked for everybody's support and love and prayers that resonated with me. I am here to give to you. You've been a part of my life and the lives of millions of people. [00:37:27] And your life's work is meaningful. [00:37:30] I just wanted to tell you that, 'cause I had a feeling that no one ever takes the time to say thank you for your life's work. [00:37:37] And he immediately started welling up. [00:37:39] Danielle: Well, anybody who makes something look easy that we do take for granted. [00:37:45] And I think that, like I appreciate so much in the telling of your story, you share not just the struggles, but the time you had a vision of yourself. On the main stage performing at the Magic Castle, like the most elusive place where magic is. And you didn't just wanna get in, you didn't just wanna get an audition, you didn't wanna just like get to per perform an illusion, like main stage. [00:38:23] You didn't just have a goal. You had the goal and you did it, but you also say that it took you 10 years. And there's usually themes that run with anxiety, about not enoughness and the crunchiness of time. There's never enough time. I'm not enough and there's not enough time. And not being worthy. [00:38:42] Yes, yes, yes. One of my main motivations when I started this podcast originally several years ago, was I was. Starting to increasingly feel, trapped in this sort of, world of before and after story. And it was no longer feeling inspirational. It was just another measuring stick for how not enough. [00:39:03] Yeah. 'Cause it, it's great to see where somebody was and where they are, but when I'm knee deep in my own struggle when I'm the caterpillar goo and the chrysalis, and I'm not the shiny butterfly, but I'm also not the caterpillar anymore. What do I do when my life is literally a shitty pile of goo this is something that most clients don't come right out and ask me like in sessions one, two, and three. But it inevitably comes well, I've been doing this for, so many months. How much longer is it gonna take? How long is it gonna take? And I just always, I appreciate when people can acknowledge. [00:39:41] The time and consistency that goes into healing [00:39:47] John: joy is in the journey. [00:39:48] Danielle: Mm. [00:39:49] John: Not in the destination. [00:39:51] And that's the thing I really focus with my clients. [00:39:55] I have clients come to me because they're holding themselves back in their life. [00:39:59] And it's my job to get that out of them by asking open-ended questions, by building a rapport, I can trust this guy. [00:40:08] Danielle: Yeah. Would you say that's your superpower as a coach? [00:40:11] John: Through my journey of reverse engineering who I am and who I wanted to become. Coming out the other side immediately understood that it's not about me. [00:40:24] Danielle: Yes. It's only true every single time. [00:40:27] John: The joy comes from helping others get that realization, [00:40:32] That they understand they are truly powerful and have a chance to shape their destiny. [00:40:40] That's why I talk about limiting beliefs. [00:40:43] And we grow up with our parents or whoever raised us, those are our belief systems. [00:40:49] And so that's what forms who you are. You stop dreaming. [00:40:54] That's what midlife crisis is all about. [00:40:58] Danielle: Yeah. [00:40:59] John: We got educated, we got a job, we built a career. We have a family. [00:41:06] Danielle: It's, I think the version of that I hear in my sessions is essentially I did everything right. Shouldn't I be feeling better than I am? Yeah. Like, I followed all the rules. I'm winning. Why does it not feel like I'm winning? Yeah. And finding our way back to that. [00:41:29] The unlearning and the unraveling. That is a, it's a process. [00:41:34] John: I'll talk to a friend. How you doing? And so many people respond automatically living the dream. But is it your dream? You're living? [00:41:46] Whose dream are you living? Because you're wasting your life by living someone else's dream. And that's why you get to that point in life where it's not enough. [00:41:58] Cause it's not your dream. You just finished the last 30 years building. [00:42:03] Danielle: Yeah. And the joy really is in the process and there's no way to enjoy the process of fulfilling the wishes of somebody else because you, what you're constantly chasing is when I get there, then the relief will come and then you're there and you're like, well, where's my pot of gold? [00:42:22] John: Yeah. I had, I spent 20 years learning how not to hide my face. [00:42:28] And what happened in March in 2020? The pandemic hit [00:42:33] now covering your face with a mask, became not only politically correct. [00:42:41] But government mandated and I'm like sitting there thinking to myself, what do I do? So I found a company who prints things on masks and I sent them a picture of my face and a picture of the lower part of my job. [00:43:01] Danielle: Trickster energy, John Kippen trickster. That's the new hyphen to your list of all of your accomplishments. [00:43:08] John: I would walk around and strangers would look at it and not understand. [00:43:12] Danielle: Right, right. But people who knew me [00:43:15] John: would do a double take. [00:43:17] Danielle: I will not hide. [00:43:19] John: Refuses to hide. [00:43:20] Even through a global pandemic. [00:43:23] Yeah. [00:43:23] John: I'm gonna live my life [00:43:25] Danielle: mm-hmm. On [00:43:26] John: my own terms. [00:43:28] Danielle: Yeah. I work too hard, too long to get free and I will not hide for you. Wow. Wow. And [00:43:37] John: when I share that story, people like, wow, John's done some soul searching. [00:43:44] Danielle: Which is why your clients come to you. [00:43:46] John: Yeah. [00:43:46] Danielle: Yeah. I unfortunately have come across many. People in the helping profession that haven't started with their first client, which is themselves. I put myself in that camp. I've talked about it on the podcast before, but I didn't start seeing a therapist until I became one, which is probably not the right order, but I didn't realize until I was sitting there trying to help people. [00:44:09] And then my own stuff was getting activated in the session. It's called Counter Transference. And, yeah, I was like, oh shit, I gotta look at the mirror. I gotta do a little more digging. But I think a, what leads a lot of people into helping professions is its desire to heal. And it sounds like in your case you did the herculean task of lifting your own self up before you said, now what can I offer you? [00:44:39] I wanna ask, just a purely curious, selfish question before we get to the very end I wanna ask. In your book playing the Hand you're Dealt how did you connect with Jamie Lee Curtis? The same way you did Alex Trebek? Did you just find someone and you DMed them and [00:44:55] John: you're like, her assistant worked for a production company [00:45:00] in a previous job. [00:45:02] Danielle: Gotcha. [00:45:02] John: That I knew. [00:45:03] When Jamie was like, I need it. So help with my computer. Her assistant said, I've got the guy for you. And I remember being at Jamie's house. [00:45:15] She knew me before my facial surgery, and after. [00:45:18] Danielle: So you have a history then? [00:45:19] John: Oh yeah. We met in 2000. [00:45:21] Danielle: Oh, okay. [00:45:22] John: So she saw me before. [00:45:24] She saw the struggle. Sure, she has two. Great kids. [00:45:29] And she adopted me as her third child. Wow. She saw the ability to help me. And so I had a filmmaker friend of mine reach out and said, John, I'd love your story. [00:45:45] I want to film a documentary on you. And I'm like, cool. So I realized I'm paying for the damn documentary. [00:45:51] Danielle: Oh. So I wanna offer you this gift, and by the way, here's the bill. [00:45:55] John: Yes, exactly. But at that point, I'm all in and I'm like, what do I have to lose? I'm a risk taker. I can afford it. [00:46:01] I've got money in the bank. [00:46:03] Let's make sure we stay on budget or close to budget, so there I am working on Jamie's computer and I'm staring at the screen and I'm summoning the courage. Ask Jamie. So I'm telling her the story. My friend Ryan's gonna direct this documentary about my life and my journey, and then I pause and I'm just staring at the screen. [00:46:23] I feel these eyes burning into the side of my head. [00:46:26] Mm-hmm. [00:46:28] John: And Jamie says, and [00:46:32] Danielle: I love that she didn't do it for you, but she made you do it. [00:46:36] John: And then at that point, I realized what the question was. I said, Jamie, will you be in my documentary? [00:46:44] And she goes, fuck yes, I will. [00:46:48] Danielle: Yeah. [00:46:49] John: She gets it. [00:46:50] Yeah. [00:46:51] John: Going through her sobriety, she wears her sobriety on her. Shoulder as a badge of honor. [00:47:00] And that is her message. [00:47:02] Yeah. [00:47:03] John: If she can get people to stop drinking by showing up for people. That's her ultimate goal in life. And so, she saw in me what I didn't see, [00:47:18] Danielle: and you asked the question. I think it's a lesson that I feel like I'm eternally playing a game of peekaboo with where I forget, and then I remember and then I forget and then I remember. But like the opportunities that you're asking for, you have to ask. [00:47:39] Yes. You have to say the thing. Right. Which is so brave and so vulnerable. But then the magic is sometimes when you ask, someone will say Yes. Now, in your case, she was essentially lovingly poking you until you, [00:47:55] John: asked. There was a point where I was debating plastic surgery. [00:48:00] Did I want to try to fix my face? Because at the end of the day, I wanted symmetry at rest. I wanted to be able to get rid of the droopiness and just, have a symmetrical base. That's all I really wanted. Sure. And because I would say, I hit my smile. And I've had friends come up and say, John, your first smile, we love your smile. [00:48:23] But I didn't love my smile. And until I, not up here, not in my head, but in my heart, accepted my smile. I couldn't move forward. I couldn't heal. And once I accepted my new smile, I found joy. I found that I could love myself. [00:48:46] And what's funny is when you get to that point, [00:48:49] yeah. [00:48:50] John: You overcome whatever that thing is that's holding you back. [00:48:53] Yeah. [00:48:54] John: And you want to share it with every person you come in contact with. [00:49:00] Danielle: Yeah. You are the love you're seeking. [00:49:02] John: Yes. Yes. And you are your acceptance. [00:49:05] Danielle: It reminds me of, something. He said in an interview, in, A New Earth, but author Eckert Tolle said that right before his essential death of the, he called it the death of his ego, but we could call it enlightenment or rebirth. [00:49:19] But he remembers the last thing he said before he went to sleep was, I can't live with myself anymore. And it wasn't about in the interpretation , of , taking one's own life . but what he realized is that he couldn't live with the self that was hating him. He couldn't live with that self. [00:49:40] And that self never woke up. But he did. [00:49:45] John: Through my journey [00:49:46] Of coming to accept myself for who I am. I immediately see others. [00:49:53] Yeah. [00:49:53] John: How they're hiding. [00:49:54] Before they recognize it. And so my coaching is all about not saying, this is why you're hiding. [00:50:03] That's what's holding you back. [00:50:06] Danielle: What you said about once you, you see somebody's wall so clearly because you understand your own so well. My less eloquent way of saying that to clients, it's once you smell bullshit, you can't unm it. It's the scent in the air and you're like, huh, what am I smelling? [00:50:23] Oh, it's bullshit. Well, John, I would love to know your, don't cut your own bang moment. [00:50:30] John: I'm backstage. There are a thousand people in the audience and I had theatrical training I had a talk memorized. It had to be 12 minutes long. [00:50:39] I'm doing a magic trick with other people that are coming up stage. I needed to control that. I got there early the morning of the TED Talk and helped the guys focus the lights so that it looked better. I'm all in. I want to shine in this TED Talk. , I remember I'm going up on stage and I'm saying, to the cherry picker operator, can I give you a hand? Because I have lighting experience. And I expected the presenter come and say, no, John, you're the actor. Go in your, the green room and there's some donuts and coffee , and we'll call you already, but you didn't. She knew that I was there to make the entire event better. And she let me do it, [00:51:18] That's awesome. [00:51:19] John: This is my first real speech. Okay, in front of a thousand people. And I knew that I had a limited time to get the audience on my side. [00:51:30] Get the audience engaged. How was I gonna be able to break their, going through their phone, talking to a neighbor, drinking, eating, snacking in a full day of speech? [00:51:41] Yeah. [00:51:43] John: So I said, I wanna go first. And everybody has said, great, but we don't, you can go first. And right before the mc went on stage to introduce me. I did a magic trick war. I turned Monopoly money into real money and then back again. [00:52:00] So as a magician, everything was possible. I turned monopoly into real money, but then I realized that's actually called counterfeiting he stays out for like seven seconds. I did that to the mc and now he just saw a miracle happen. [00:52:16] So he turns around and walks on stage beaming, and he told that story to the audience and said, Hey guys, your next speaker just did a miracle. He turned monopoly money into real money in front of my eyes. Pay attention to this cat. [00:52:37] Yeah. [00:52:38] John: So I walked on that stage. I had the love of everybody in the audience that everybody wanted to see what I was gonna do. [00:52:46] Everybody wanted to hear what I was gonna say, so I didn't have to warm up the audience. I got the mc to do it for me. Genius. And I do that every time I speak because it works but anyway, three quarters of the speech, I'm standing on my red circle and I'm delivering my talk. [00:53:08] And the front lights go out. [00:53:10] Danielle: Wait, you were three fours of the way done when they went out. [00:53:13] John: I'm standing in shadows. And my first reaction was, whoa. That Whoa. Got the lighting guy to realize, holy shit, I hit the wrong button, and he brought the lights slowly back up. [00:53:27] As the lights went back up, I went magic [00:53:32] and so I got an amazing laugh from the audience. [00:53:36] Because I cut the tension, I was doing improv. [00:53:38] I remember walking off stage and the producer of the event said, John, don't worry about, we'll edit that part out. And I said, don't you dare. That was my finest moment. Don't you dare edit that out. [00:53:54] I want that in the video. [00:53:57] She just smiled as I went back to the dressing room and sat down and then the adrenaline was like, whew. Walking out into the audience after the event and having strangers just come up to me and wanna hug me and say, holy cow, I resonate with your message. [00:54:18] And my message on the TED Talk was, treat people are different with respect to compassion. [00:54:23] That's what TED talks are all about. You want one key message and that was my message. [00:54:27] You never know, you might be in their shoes in an instant. [00:54:34] Danielle: I wanna add to that, another way to speak to the value of doing some self investigation, whether that's through journaling, through therapy, or seeking out a coach from someone like yourself is, because that expression of, treat other people the way you would wanna be treated. [00:54:53] What I know is that we don't treat ourselves all that well. A lot of us, many of us don't treat ourselves well, which is why accessing the compassion. Of treating others kindly is sometimes harder for us to find, jumping to criticism or judgment, because there's something we are rejecting in us. [00:55:13] So I think a way to do the thing you're saying , that beautiful treat others with kindness and compassion. The best way to do that is to look within. And I invite anybody listening to go to the show notes, visit John's website, seek out a coaching call, grab a copy of his book. There are resources that can help you be kinder to yourself, to lowering the walls, to lifting the veil, to seeing yourself in a new way, to performing the ultimate illusion, which is [00:55:52] to love yourself more fully exactly as you are so that we can be kinder to each other. 'cause we need that, we need a lot more kindness. [00:56:00] Thank you, John. Do we have the information we need for our listeners to get the special code? [00:56:06] John: John kipping.com. [00:56:08] Slash free gift. [00:56:11] Danielle: Ooh, you heard it here. John kipping.com/free gift. And this is only the gift for those of you who have listened this far. [00:56:20] So if you listen to the beginning and you just try to skip to the show notes, sorry. You ain't getting a gift. Thank you, John. [00:56:28] Thank you so much for joining me on this incredible episode of Don't Cut Your Own Bangs. I hope that you love listening because I thoroughly enjoyed making it. My favorite episodes are the ones where I get to learn something too. I'm also a listener. And benefiting from the wisdom and insights of all of the experts, creatives, performers, adventurers seekers that I get an opportunity to meet in this podcast format. [00:56:56] Don't forget to check out the show notes and please before you sign off , always remember rate, review, subscribe to the podcast when you interact with the podcast. It just helps send it out like a rocket ship to other people that are looking for the same value that you are. And it also helps create a conversation where I can continue to develop and cultivate something that benefits you more and is more fun for you to listen to. Feedback is great, and also if you just wanna throw a compliment, that's sweet too. But thank you so much for being here. [00:57:26] Your intention, your time mean the absolute world to me, and I hope you continue to have an incredible day. [00:57:32]
Share your lol moments of the episodeLet's talk about mirrors, confusing timelines, and light bulbs, baby! This week we are recapping Oculus from 2013. This was a first time viewing for Stacy and we enjoyed every minute of it! This movie was full of twists and really had us using every brain cell we had to figure out what was going on. Tune in to hear us tell you everything that happens in this movie, along with plenty of laughs and light-hearted discussions.Recap starts ~ 32:24Socials:Follow us on Instagram, TikTok and Threads @scaredybratspod
#RingRust with my #TNAslammiversary & #Summerslam chat... & I celebrate the 1st EP of a wrestling busker, in this week's #3WayDanceOff! #TagMeIn ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!} ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL! If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:05:48 Pay-Per-Review: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Slammiversary 1 0:07:42 Musicular Interlude 1 0:15:56 Pay-Per-Review: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Slammiversary 2 0:16:53 Musicular Interlude 2 0:26:46 Pay-Per-Review: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Slammiversary 3 0:28:43 Musicular Interlude 3 0:38:07 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Summerslam 1 0:40:25 Musicular Interlude 4 0:46:56 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Summerslam 2 0:49:12 Musicular Interlude 5 0:55:51 Assuming the Intermissionary Position -= EXPLICIT =- 0:59:36 This Week's Macho Fact 1:11:30 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Summerslam 3 1:13:40 Musicular Interlude 6 1:21:06 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: WWE Stands For...! 1:32:59 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Summerslam 4 1:34:52 Musicular Interlude 7 1:42:05 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Summerslam 5 1:43:13 Musicular Interlude 8 1:54:20 Podcast Extra -= EXPLICIT =-
National Insurance Contributions (NICs) work differently for company directors—and misunderstanding them can cost you. In this episode of the I Hate Numbers podcast, we walk through the 2025–26 rules, salary thresholds, and two key methods of NIC calculation. Whether you take a regular wage or one-off payments, knowing how to handle director NICs can save you money, reduce stress, and keep HMRC off your back. Main Topics & Discussion How Director NICs Differ From Regular Employees Directors have an annual earnings period, not weekly/monthly thresholds HMRC calculates NICs based on total annual earnings Irregular pay? No problem—NICs are smoothed out over the year Directors are not subject to minimum wage laws Two Methods for NIC Calculation 1. Annual Earnings Method (Default) Works on cumulative pay vs. annual thresholds Ideal for directors taking irregular or one-off salary payments Flexible but may result in large NIC bills late in the year 2. Alternative Method (Regular Earnings Basis) NICs calculated monthly like regular employees Ideal for steady monthly salaries Requires end-of-year reconciliation to ensure total NIC due is paid 2025–26 NIC Thresholds & Rates Primary Threshold (Employee): £12,570 (NIC starts here) Upper Earnings Limit: £50,270 (NIC drops to 2% above this) Employer NIC Threshold: £5,000 (NIC starts here) Employee Rate: 8% (then 2%) | Employer Rate: 15% Choosing the Best Method Annual Method Best for flexible, irregular salary patterns Slower NIC buildup—good for cash flow May cause unpredictable deductions Alternative Method Best for steady monthly salary (e.g. £1,200/month) Predictable deductions, easier budgeting Must reconcile at year-end; risk of surprises if ignored Salary Planning Options Option 1: Pay £5,000 Salary No income tax, employee NICs, or employer NICs Doesn't qualify as a state pension year Option 2: Pay £12,570 Salary Full personal allowance used Triggers NICs but qualifies for state pension Check employment allowance rules if sole director Common Mistakes to Avoid Using annual method without tracking thresholds Forgetting year-end reconciliation under alternative method Assuming £5,000 salary qualifies for pension—it doesn't Missing out on planning opportunities that reduce NIC and tax Real-World Examples One-off annual salary: Use annual method Monthly wage of £1,200: Use alternative method Reconcile by March or risk penalties Final Thoughts Director NICs give you flexibility—but require careful planning. Choose the right method, monitor thresholds, and don't leave payroll to chance. Links Mentioned in This Episode
#RingRust with my #ROHsupercard #WWEGAB #AEWallInTexas #WWEevolution & #TNAslammiversary chat... & I wish a #WWEHOF'r a #HappyBirthday, in this week's #3WayDanceOff! #TagMeIn ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!} ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL! If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:05:35 Pay-Per-Review: Ring of Honor Wrestling's Supercard of Honor 1 0:07:07 Musicular Interlude 1 0:15:55 Pay-Per-Review: Ring of Honor Wrestling's Supercard of Honor 2 0:17:32 Musicular Interlude 2 0:24:08 Pay-Per-Review: NXT's Great American Bash 0:25:51 Musicular Interlude 3 0:34:04 Pay-Per-Review: All Elite Wrestling's All In Texas 1 0:36:31 Musicular Interlude 4 0:46:43 Pay-Per-Review: All Elite Wrestling's All In Texas 2 0:48:27 Musicular Interlude 5 0:56:51 Assuming the Intermissionary Position 1:00:25 This Week's Macho Fact 1:09:36 Pay-Per-Review: All Elite Wrestling's All In Texas 3 / WWE's Evolution 1 1:11:42 Musicular Interlude 6 1:21:17 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: Happy Birthday, Mister Wrestlemania! 1:30:53 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Evolution 2 / Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Slammiversary 1 1:32:39 Musicular Interlude 7 1:40:46 Pay-Per-Review: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Slammiversary 2 1:41:40 Musicular Interlude 8 1:49:15 Podcast Extra
In this powerful episode of Uncover the Human, hosts Cristina Amigoni and Alex Cullimore welcome Amanda Gulino, founder of A Better Monday, for an authentic conversation on burnout, values alignment, and what it means to build a career—and life—on purpose. Amanda shares her personal journey from recruiting to leadership and culture consulting, emphasizing how her business emerged from deep curiosity and a desire to do work that reflects her values. Together, they explore themes of identity, burnout recovery, and the freedom that comes with choosing a slower, more intentional path—one that prioritizes energy, joy, and human connection over unchecked growth.Listeners will gain insight into how burnout often stems from internal misalignment and external pressure, and how presence, curiosity, and intentional boundaries can help reverse that cycle. Amanda, Cristina, and Alex also unpack the nuance behind the Great Resignation, challenging the simplistic narrative that people “don't want to work.” Instead, they reveal a deeper story about people reclaiming agency and seeking meaningful contribution in environments that value them. The episode is a rich, reflective invitation to pause, examine our defaults, and courageously design a life and career that support who we truly are.
In this episode, Alissa addresses a pattern many highly sensitive people struggle with...feeling like a burden and constantly putting others on a pedestal. She unpacks how these feelings stem from low self-worth and how they shape the way others respond to us. With compassionate but honest insight, Alissa shares how shifting your energy and healing your self-worth can radically transform your relationships, confidence, and opportunities.What You'll Learn:How low self-worth leads to feeling like a burden or “too much”Why highly sensitive people often shrink themselves in relationships and workThe subtle ways insecurity shows up in your body language and behaviorHow over-apologizing and people-pleasing backfiresHow group coaching environments can help HSPs practice taking up spaceWhat happens when you stop assuming you're less than othersThe importance of healing your “sensitive shadow” archetypeReal-life examples of how self-worth work impacts confidence and magnetismUncover your sneaky internal belief that's stopping you from being your most confident self TAKE The FREE Shadow Archetype Quiz NOWLearn my 6-step process for managing & neutralizing your triggers as an HSP in our FREE UN-Botherable Workshop!The Sensitive & Soulful Self-Worth Course: Go from second-guessing & self-doubt to YOU'VE got YOU. Your journey to unwavering self-trust & radical self-acceptance starts HERE. Use code PODL at checkout for a secret discount!
This episode of the Popperian Podcast is part of a series on William Bartley and his book The Retreat to Commitment. ** John Post's description of the alleged paradox within pancritical rationalism, as presented by William Bartley on page 224 of The Retreat to Commitment: Since (B) is implied by (A), any criticism of (B) will constitute a criticism of (A), and thus show that (A) is open to criticism. Assuming that a criticism of (B) argues that (B) is false, we may argue: if (B) is false, then (A) is false; but an argument showing (A) to be false (and thus criticizing it) shows (B) to be true. Thus, if (B) is false, then (B) is true. Any attempt to criticize (B) demonstrates (B); thus (B) is uncriticizable, and (A) is false. *** Retreat to Commitment Retreat to Commitment by Bartley - AbeBooks and Retreat to Commitment: Bartley, III: 9780812691276: Amazon.com: Books Support via Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/jedleahenry Support via PayPal – https://www.paypal.me/jrleahenry Website – The Popperian Podcast — Jed Lea-Henry Libsyn – The Popperian Podcast (libsyn.com) Youtube – The Popperian Podcast - YouTube Twitter – https://twitter.com/jedleahenry RSS - https://popperian-podcast.libsyn.com/rss *** Underlying artwork by Arturo Espinosa
The reading was Luke 10:25-37. The recording picks up at verse 27.
The appetite for “DIY” products and services has never been higher. What does your company do to cater to this modern mindset? Assuming no salesperson will aid potential customers, what information are you providing to assist informed decisions? Do you deploy tools of Silent Selling?Support the show
#RingRust with my #WWEevolution chat... plus I take even yet *another* dive into my regular Battle Royale With Cheese, as I once again pit #Wrestlecrap against #KayfabeNews... & I recall how prolific wrestling music CDs were in the late 1990s, in this week's #3WayDanceOff! #TagMeIn ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!} ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL! RECORDED LIVE @ CHMR FM in sunny St. John's NL! Learn more @ https://www.chmr.ca/ If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:05:25 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Evolution 1 0:07:47 Musicular Interlude 1 0:18:04 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Evolution 2 0:18:47 Musicular Interlude 2 0:28:24 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Evolution 3 0:30:07 Musicular Interlude 3 0:40:17 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Evolution 4 0:41:58 Musicular Interlude 4 0:50:49 Assuming the Intermissionary Position 0:55:47 This Week's Macho Fact 1:04:11 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Evolution 5 1:05:42 Musicular Interlude 5 1:14:39 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Evolution 6 1:15:10 Musicular Interlude 6 1:27:03 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: Surely These Are the Most Magnificent Tracers! 1:41:28 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Evolution 7 1:42:45 Musicular Interlude 7 1:50:43 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Evolution 8 1:51:32 Musicular Interlude 8
If your opponent is going to shoot himself in the foot, let him.And that's what Democrats are doing daily. They literally lose 1000s of people from their party daily. [X] SB – Joy Reid says Trump will rig 2026 electionsReason we have to coalesce for 2026. Assuming we have free and fair elections. Insane to believe we will have free elections16 Republicans said that BBB will hurt their constituents. Bill is an abomination. All but one voted for them. One who didn't vote, just didn't vote at all.Gut Republicans.NY, MD, CA, VT, will try to take care of their poor. Red state people will die.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
When you manage your anxiety by assuming you know what others are thinking, you often forgo the best possible outcomes.Show Notes:Are You Saying "No" For Others? - by Kathleen Smith Note: this is behind a paywall, but you can subscribe for $5/month (not an affiliate link).Become a Patron for as little as $5/month.Subscribe to my weekly Two for Tuesday email newsletter.
This episode of the Popperian Podcast is part of a series on William Bartley and his book The Retreat to Commitment. ** John Post's description of the alleged paradox within pancritical rationalism, as presented by William Bartley on page 224 of The Retreat to Commitment: Since (B) is implied by (A), any criticism of (B) will constitute a criticism of (A), and thus show that (A) is open to criticism. Assuming that a criticism of (B) argues that (B) is false, we may argue: if (B) is false, then (A) is false; but an argument showing (A) to be false (and thus criticizing it) shows (B) to be true. Thus, if (B) is false, then (B) is true. Any attempt to criticize (B) demonstrates (B); thus (B) is uncriticizable, and (A) is false. *** Retreat to Commitment Retreat to Commitment by Bartley - AbeBooks and Retreat to Commitment: Bartley, III: 9780812691276: Amazon.com: Books Support via Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/jedleahenry Support via PayPal – https://www.paypal.me/jrleahenry Website – The Popperian Podcast — Jed Lea-Henry Libsyn – The Popperian Podcast (libsyn.com) Youtube – The Popperian Podcast - YouTube Twitter – https://twitter.com/jedleahenry RSS - https://popperian-podcast.libsyn.com/rss *** Underlying artwork by Arturo Espinosa
rWotD Episode 2983: Amanikhatashan Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Friday, 4 July 2025, is Amanikhatashan.Amanikhatashan was a queen regnant of the Kingdom of Kush, probably ruling in the middle 2nd century CE. Amanikhatashan is known only from her tomb in Meroë, designated as Beg. N 18.The objects found in Amanikhatashan's tomb place her as reigning at some point in the first or second centuries CE. The artwork in the tomb is stylistically close to the artwork in the tomb Beg. N 16, which suggests that Amanikhatashan reigned close to the ruler buried in that tomb. Beg. N 16 may have belonged to King Amanikhareqerem and dates to the end of the 1st century CE. Assuming a mid-2nd century CE reign, Amanikhatashan is conventionally (speculatively) placed as the successor of Amanitenmemide and the predecessor of Tarekeniwal.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:38 UTC on Friday, 4 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Amanikhatashan on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Joey.
Ryan Isaac of Dentist Advisors returns to continue his discussion with Kiera about the future of dentistry, including options aside from DSOs. The question a practice owner should ask themself, Kiera and Ryan say, is what that individual wants out of their life — then consider the best platform to get you there. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners, this is Kiera, and this is going to be part two of mine and Ryan Isaac's conversation where we're digging into DSOs to sell to not to sell, all of that. And I truly am so excited for you guys here, part two. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast. Kiera Dent (00:17) why don't we take a pause and just think of like, what's the future of dentistry as now the future pioneers of dentistry? And what are we going to do to our profession? Yes, there's top dollar. Yes, there's things about it, but is there a way to influence? and make sure that the integrity of dentistry can maintain long-term. I have no answer to that, but again, this is Kiera Dent sitting on my podcast where I think that there is a voice and an influence and like on Dentist Advisors podcast, is there a way that we can influence our industry in ways that will protect and still pay out? Because I'm like, even if you don't get the 10X EBITDA, you still can get a freaking great payout if you do your life right to where you can be financially set up. Ryan Isaac (00:33) Mm-hmm. ⁓ Kiera Dent (00:58) still be able to sell your practice, not have to sell it in ways that could potentially hurt the industry. I'm not saying one's the right answer or the wrong answer. There's no judgment on my side. It's just, let's maybe think and consider how it could influence. Can we get people that could be private equity higher up that could help protect it? Those are things that, and again, I'm just Kiera Dent here in Reno, Nevada. Ryan Isaac (01:03) Mm-hmm. Yeah. Same, okay. Okay. Yes. No, these are the questions. You're totally influential. I think it's just in the opposite direction. ⁓ I don't think we can influence private equity. Private equity is ruthless in every industry. They don't. It feels dirty. It feels dirty. And I have a question for you, but I just want to say really fast. ⁓ I do feel like, yes. Kiera Dent (01:30) It's dirty. It's dirty. Is there a way though, Brian, you don't finance better than me. Is there a way that there could become dentists that could become in private equity where they own it? Because once you, there's no way to insulate, you don't think. Because once you get to that level, you just, I mean, I've had. Ryan Isaac (01:44) Yeah, but they'll do the same thing. I mean, they'll want the same thing. Now, money's money. It's why capitalism runs the world. mean, that's why, you know, it's like why it influences politics and money and business runs the world, you know? ⁓ Okay, hold on. There's so many good things here. Number one would be not every group will be a DSO, private equity backed DSO. And you know, many, many ⁓ clients and just dentists around the country who will end up being owners of Kiera Dent (02:05) Okay. Ryan Isaac (02:19) 20, 50, 100 group practices that will stay privately held and ran by owner doctors. That will be a chunk of this ⁓ group practice ⁓ takeover. So in that space, the influence can still be huge. ⁓ I think the chance to influence the integrity of private practice is in those who don't sell to DSOs. I think it's in the industry, educated in influencing the industry for people who aren't going to sell and who are going to maintain control. Now, I do think that in the future, more and more dentists will be in a group. ⁓ are probably, yeah, be fewer and I can see why it would make sense to do that. There would probably be fewer and fewer people with just solo doc, solo location practices. know, some towns and rural places, that would be hard to do. Kiera Dent (02:47) Mm-hmm. I do too. Ryan Isaac (03:15) So I think you're Dorothy, is that what you said? I'm Dorothy. I think that is possible, not with private equity, but with still the owner doctors that still exist and the group practices that are ran by dentists, not private equity back. I think the influence is still gonna be, I mean, if you took the projections of what will stay private, Kiera Dent (03:20) Yeah, hi. I agree. Ryan Isaac (03:40) and then the chunk of the group stuff that'll be non DSO non-corporate, that's still got to be 40, 50 % of the industry eventually. Kiera Dent (03:49) I would think so. I mean, look at it right now. There's corporate dentistry within. And again, there's nothing wrong with any, because I have clients that are in corporate dentistry that run their practices like private. They take care of their teams. So it's one of those things I still think, like even if you are, and that's another way that we can influence this, if you are part of a private equity-backed DSO, you can still influence your practice. You're still the dentist working in the practice. You can still run culture. You can still run change. Ryan Isaac (03:59) Totally. Absolutely. Yes. and hit it. Kiera Dent (04:16) ⁓ I know the doctors I have, they're part of a very large group corporate and things that we have done together, like I work with them, they're my only corporate practice that I work with, but we have literally influenced the top tier CEO. They've asked what these offices are doing differently. They're taking things that I've helped bring into the practice and they've asked like, what's changed in your practice? Like we hired this girl who teaches us to run it like private practice. Their culture's incredible. We're even right now petitioning up to the top people because they're writing off things that you can actually bill out to insurance that they're making them write off when it's like, actually, no, we can bill it as a non covered service and actually have the patients cover. So I'm like, I do still think whether you're in private equity, but I think you've got to be a strong enough doctor where you advocate for the rights of your patients and the rights of your practice. And I'm super proud of my client who does this because her and her husband, they go to bat and they're like, they write some pretty direct emails to the CEO of this and say like, hey, and they're a big enough force. Cause I mean, Ryan Isaac (04:55) Mm. Yes. huh. Kiera Dent (05:15) They're the top tier practice in their area. have them making like, we are adding multiple millions to their offices every single year. But I'm like, I think that's also how dentists, even if you're in private equity, even if you're in group practices, I think at the end of the day, are clinicians and clinic, like you are, you are the product. And I think that they have, I think dentists have more say than they might realize that they do to influence the industry and keep it more positive and more ethical than it could be otherwise. Ryan Isaac (05:38) Yeah. Yeah, I totally agree. I totally agree with that. We all know people who are in those group models that are still running like amazing, almost privately held practices. The other thing that's interesting that's different than medical, because it always gets compared to the medical field consolidation that happened, is medicine has a distinct difference and advantage in that they have hospital systems where gigantic campuses where they can house hundreds of doctors in one place, right? It's just not that's not a thing in dentistry, which I think will will force it to stay a little unique, different than medical, because you can never have a giant campus building with, you know, 400 dentists. Yeah, like 500. I mean, I don't know. I guess never say never some some group might invent that and you know, like the dental campus of the city. I don't know. Yes, it's possible. But it seems a lot less likely. Yeah. Kiera Dent (06:18) Mm-hmm. 500 off, you imagine? Say hi. I mean, dental schools have a lot, but I'm like, okay, I think the piece that would be really hard is to justify 500 beds, like 500 ops. You've got your hygiene that's cranking. So you gotta have, in a 500 bed, would need, like, we can only see 500 patients a day. so you can only see if it's 500 a day, that's how many patients you could actually see. I don't think that would be a full city, and we're basically taking over whole city. Ryan Isaac (06:55) Yeah. No. Yeah. Kiera Dent (07:03) And then you might not be pulling out that much dentistry outside of all of that to be able to fill that many doctors in their schedules. Cause so much of it's hygiene run, it's like a two to one ratio that I think that would be the zone. ⁓ Ryan Isaac (07:07) No. I love this analysis. Yeah, I couldn't go that far, but there you go. That's exactly right. So I do think it'll stay different enough in nature because of that. ⁓ And yeah, I, to go back to the, love your question. We've been kicking this around a lot in dentists advisors and I want to reiterate the same thing. There's no judgment here. There's no right or wrong. For some people, it's absolutely the best decision to exit with the DSO and just find the right one. Take your time. ⁓ Kiera Dent (07:19) There you go. I agree. Ryan Isaac (07:43) to go through the deals with someone who really knows what deals look like, not just a friend or a CPA unless that CPA is looking at hundreds of deals. Call Brandon, right? Kiera Dent (07:51) Seriously, I'm like, why? He's got like every flavor of ice cream available of DSOs for you. And like, what are your goals with your financial advisor? What do you need to retire? And then you make sure that the deal is going to actually get you that because like you said, Ryan, it's your greatest asset. And that's where to me, it breaks my heart when people do this. And I was actually, when we were talking about assets, ⁓ there was a stress test portfolio that I heard at a conference that I thought was really awesome that I think about often. so thinking about when you said like, we're investing into this stock. Ryan Isaac (07:59) Yeah. That's it. Kiera Dent (08:20) portfolio, like we're basically putting so much of our biggest asset and so many of our dollars into one single stock. And they said, just stress test your portfolio. If my two biggest portions of my portfolio. Okay. So the two biggest portions right now. And I think about this often, even you and me, Ryan, if those two asset classes dropped yesterday, cause I always do like, if they dropped tomorrow and you're like, well, I'd freaking move things. No, if it dropped yesterday, so there's nothing you could do. Do you have the staying power for things to recover? So like, I don't need to liquidate my assets. Ryan Isaac (08:24) in one single, yeah. Mm. Kiera Dent (08:50) can still have income from our other assets and buying assets that are down. So looking at that, and I think about that often, like, so if your biggest ones are in the stock market and in your DSO and both of those dropped yesterday, like that's all that's gone. Could you still be okay? And if not, maybe look at other ways to diversify that portfolio. I'm not an advisor, Ryan. So you speak to like, if you agree or disagree on that, because that's my thoughts on it. Ryan Isaac (09:11) Yeah. Although yeah, no, that's a really ⁓ logical way to look at stress testing something. If the stock market disappeared as a whole yesterday, all, yeah, well, we just, every publicly traded company in the entire world would be gone simultaneously. We would all be in so much trouble. Like we just wouldn't have cell phone service or gasoline or, you know, like a million things. Yeah, for a minute. Kiera Dent (09:26) You say that we're all gonna go to the apocalypse, like. Good thing you're by the ocean. You at least have a good time there, Ryan. I need to get out of Reno, Nevada for that one year fact alone. Ryan Isaac (09:44) Yeah, yeah. For me, yeah, it would work for a minute, but then we would have no grocery chains, there would be no shipping distribution, there'd be no trucking, there would be no like, you know, we'd be done within like a week. You know what I mean? So, but you're the logic of it is true. It's almost like what if we just looked at stress testing a deal, you know, and you said there's usually three parts in a DSO deal, there's the cash up front, there's usually some kind of earned back, or bonus system, that's usually a smaller piece. And then there's the equity piece. And if one of those didn't exist, if one of those dropped off, what would this deal look like? And I think the question we have to ask is if the equity didn't hit, you know, if they don't get returns on multiples on their equity, like they're projecting and always, of course, the projections are huge, you know, always, always. If this does not come in like you expect, let's just say it's half of what they expected that which would be probably fair to say, or it's all you do is get your money back one day. Kiera Dent (10:32) always. Ryan Isaac (10:43) What does this now look like to you? Is this a survivable thing? And is this even something you would be interested in doing? But again, you said this before, I've been saying this, go talk to someone who knows what these deals look like, like Brandon. I'll give you an example. with a client a few weeks ago who had an offer. They were getting a lot of pressure from the group where this came from. They were kind of involved in like, well, I won't even say it. It was just a group of people of other dentists that were kind of pooling practices together. And this buyer, Kiera Dent (10:50) you Ryan Isaac (11:14) just a lot of pressure, a lot of hype, right? A lot of hype. And the deal as the details started coming through started smelling really weird. And even he was just like, I don't know. He talked to Brandon for 30 minutes and it became so obvious so quickly how bad this deal was. And now he's pushing the brakes a little bit. He's going to ramp up his profitability, work on the practices some more. He still wants to consider a sale, which is great with that's fine if that's still what you want to do. Kiera Dent (11:38) Yep. Ryan Isaac (11:43) But I think that conversation probably just saved him millions of dollars, literally in 30 minutes of conversation. So just talk to somebody, please, about these deals. There's every flavor out there. There's so many ways that they can twist and bend these things. And yeah, there's just a lot of moving pieces in there. So just be careful. Yeah, just talk to someone. Be careful. Kiera Dent (12:02) I would like, and what you said, also think like, make sure that you're also selling it for top dollar. This is something I really love about working with you guys, working with clients is if we know that there's a sell on the horizon, think one of the best things you can do is truly like pulling a consultant, pulling somebody. And like I was talking to a doctor the other day and they're like, KK, we want you to come in and help us like with our systems, but they're selling in a year. And I was like, well, respectfully as your consultant, I'm not going to sit here and deal with systems. Ryan Isaac (12:13) Yes. Please. Kiera Dent (12:31) If you're selling to a DSO, odds are a lot of those systems they're gonna bring into you anyway. Our best thing we can do is make your life easy right now, boost your production, reduce your overhead, increase your EBITDA so you get top dollar on the sale while making it like amazing. Like we'll still put systems into place. We'll still take care of your hot fires with your team right now. But like, why not go, it's like, if I know I'm selling my house in a year and if I did a few things to make it exponentially higher. Ryan Isaac (12:32) . Yeah. Kiera Dent (12:56) in the next year of my sell, why would I not do that now? And for us, it's not even like a house where I'm just painting the walls. We're literally boosting your production. We're pushing your overhead down. We're helping your whole team get on board for that. So that way your asset really is the best asset you can get. And we're not doing it in a hard way. So I know it feels like a push, but just know Dental A Team's way is ease. So it's like, it's going to be an exponential growth for you, but with like ridiculous ease. And most of our clients, we just did a huge study across the board of hundreds of our clients. Ryan Isaac (13:13) Mm-hmm. Kiera Dent (13:24) And on average, they're seeing a 30 % increase in their production and a reduction in their overhead within their first three to six months of working with us. So like even if you have a year or two year timeline, that right there, so getting the right deal, making sure you're selling it at top, like squeezing the juice out of every single thing we possibly can get out of your practice. ⁓ But then also I feel like what happens in that scenario, Ryan, I see it all the time, is when we come in and we like powerhouse it up with them. Ryan Isaac (13:34) Thank Kiera Dent (13:51) They're like, wow, I'm working two days a week and I would make what this DSO was going to offer me and I don't even have to work. Why would I get rid of this practice right now to the DSO? That happens more than I can tell you because it's like they didn't realize it could happen this way. And I'm like, just tell me what you want. Like you want the DSO, you want to work two days. Why don't we build you that right now and like keep the asset that you've got and sell it when you want, which is going to make you the same amount of money as the DSO, but it's on your terms. Ryan Isaac (13:59) Yes. Yep. all the time. Kiera Dent (14:20) So I think that like people don't realize that you can have the benefits of the DSO today. I think the only piece you can't have like, but I give air quotes on can't is like, you still are an owner, but I'm like, there's literally ways for you to sell to partners, have it pay out to you. And you can actually get rid of that ownership piece if you don't want it ⁓ and still have it be the same type of a deal. I think like, don't forget that there's also deals outside of DSOs that you can do internally. ⁓ Ryan Isaac (14:26) Yep. Kiera Dent (14:48) but it is shocking Ryan how many practice, like I had a doctor and he's like, Kara, I'm going to get 5 million for my practice on this. And I was like, rock on in two years, we literally will make you 5 million net post-tax in two years. was like, literally, and that's net that's post-tax like in two years. I was like, this is not a good deal for you financially if you're going after the financial dollar. So I think just be smart with how you look at this because I don't know, right. And you do it to me all the time. You're like, Kara, yeah, go sell. Ryan Isaac (14:58) That's what you're make in two years of income. Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Kiera Dent (15:17) but you can also just get the life you want and have your practice and your business run differently, why not consider that scenario too? So I think. Ryan Isaac (15:19) Yeah. Yeah, I'm, yeah, okay. Sorry, finish your thought. I just like what you just said. I just love that. I was gonna ask you this exact thing. I was gonna ask you this exact thing. I was gonna say, Kiera, aren't there ways someone could step back and pause and say, why am I interested in selling to a DSO and then just try to create it through the work you guys do easily? Kiera Dent (15:27) Okay, so yeah, take it. 100 % and right you do it to me all the time. You're like Kiera. Well, what would you want your life to look like if you were to sell it? I'm like, I would care if you stopped if you sold what would your life look like? And I'm like, I do this. I do this. I do this. You're like, all right, then why don't we just make your business do that today? I don't think people realize how like you can manipulate your business to truly support the life, the finances, everything you want. Like it's shocking. I'm like just basically give me the North Star and we will manipulate the entire thing for you. Ryan Isaac (15:59) Just do it. Yeah. Yeah. Kiera Dent (16:14) in ways you didn't even know. like, I need Ryan to know our North Star where we need to get. Then we break it down to your, like what lifestyle you want to have. And then we just crank, like, it's like shake and bake. It's such an easy thing for us to do. And we're still doing it with like amazing ethics. It's under your control. It's your culture. It's your business. It's your life. But I mean, I have a doctor who's producing over 5 million a year, working two days a week, taking home DreamPaycheck and they were going to sell it to a DSO. And I'm like, it took us two years to get them to the offer. and they're like, they're so happy and they're able to now, like you said, I think one of the best pieces on this is they got everything that they would have gotten from the cell. But in addition to that, they didn't lose everything that they've built to where now they can go build and create, like you said, the two day a week practice where they're having it, but they've kept their huge asset over here. And so I just think like, I don't know. I feel like there's so many more options on the table than people necessarily think there are. And so. Ryan Isaac (17:03) Mm-hmm. Kiera Dent (17:12) Maybe don't listen to all the noise, be the smarter. It's like when everybody's doing X, maybe there's a Y that would actually benefit your life. Ryan Isaac (17:16) Yeah. A million percent. Yeah. I mean, Warren Buffett has a quote around that. It's a little bit different with stock market buys and sells and greed and fear. But yeah, that's exactly it. Yeah. I love that you said that. I assume. What are we like 45 minutes already? I assume that you probably want to wrap this thing up, but I wanted to end it with that exact question you went there, which is like, can't we do this? Can't you? No. I mean, that's not the job we do. The Dental A team can help design. that what you're trying to accomplish that you think some private equity firms gonna come in and give you. And again, let's all just remember, private equity firms, ⁓ they don't love you. Kiera Dent (17:57) It's true. Ryan Isaac (17:58) They love your money and they are not stupid. There's a reason why they gobble up every industry in the economy is because they make us believe they're just giving us sweetheart deals. Like, they're gonna give us so much money. Isn't it so crazy? Like, no, they're really smart. They're gonna get so much more money from you than you're gonna get from them. So if they want your thing so bad that they're gonna chase you down and send you offers and every time you decline, they're gonna be like, okay, wait, what about this one? Kiera Dent (18:15) They are. Ryan Isaac (18:26) They want it so bad. You must really be holding something really special. So how can you make that thing become your dream scenario without having to give it up? First, just consider that again, no judgment. There is no right or wrong. Maybe that is your path and that is best for you. Great. If you do the work and the, you know, the research and you're just sitting and you're asking smart people like here in the Dental A Team, you know, about all the details and you're asking yourself why through all this process, that's just, that's the whole thing. So I'm glad you Kiera Dent (18:31) Mm-hmm. Yeah. Ryan Isaac (18:56) Assuming we're ending it soon. I'm glad you ended it with that because that's what I was thinking about Kiera Dent (19:01) Well, and I'm glad I'm going around the same beach because I feel like DSOs can be such a buzz. I think it's, I don't know. I just thought about, I remember when Jason and I were graduating from pharmacy school and we had a lot of debt on us and it was so tempting to go the 10 year loan forgiveness plan. So tempting. And Jason and I decided like, Hey, we don't want to like hope and bank that in 10 years, we're actually going to get all this paid off. Ryan Isaac (19:07) yeah. Mm-hmm. Kiera Dent (19:29) And if it doesn't happen, what's it going to cost us at that point? And so we elected to just go for it to pay for it and to basically have it like, it's within our control rather than someone else holding my future. And I think that's how I often live my life of like, is there a way that I can get my dream life or I'm not banking on someone else holding up their end of the deal, hoping and praying that their equity makes it and it's something that we can actually do with ease? Why not do that? Ryan Isaac (19:33) Mm-hmm. Kiera Dent (19:55) Ryan knows it was a huge issue with me and Jason for about a year to pay off his student loans, but the growth and the life that we were able to achieve that we wouldn't even be done. We still would not even be done with our debt right now. And it would have ballooned and not all of the debt's being eliminated. Like there's so many things around these loan forgiveness programs that I think about that with DSOs too. You have so much banked in, the hope, the promises, like everything has to go right for this huge multiple to have it there. Ryan Isaac (20:07) yeah. Yeah. Uh-huh. Kiera Dent (20:24) Is there maybe a few other paths that you could look at that might get you what you ultimately want, give it to you with more control on your side, and also be able to allow you just more flexibility and freedom. Again, no judgment. think what Ryan and I are trying to bring to the table is maybe just consider looking at things differently to see what's the best path for you. And I say like, right back at you, Ryan, use your financial advisors, know what your magic number is, know what you need, and then figure out which option is going to be that. Ryan Isaac (20:48) Yeah. Kiera Dent (20:52) while also providing you the dream life that you want. So Ryan, thanks for the riff today. It was a solid time. Ryan Isaac (20:54) Yep. Thank you. It almost felt like planned. was so smooth. Kiera Dent (21:01) So, mean, it does help when we're good like peanut butter jelly. Like we're very aligned on how we see, that's why I think our clients work so well together because like Denali team clients going to Dentist advisors, it's amazing. We think on similar investment strategies and like just the planning and the protecting clients. And on the other side, it's, Hey, here's our financial number. Denali team literally can like give the gas and give the pieces to it of tactical. So thanks Ryan. was a good time. Ryan Isaac (21:04) Yep. Hmm. We all want to do. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We want to grow and protect that business and make it, you know, it's your whole life. Make it as good as you possibly can. You guys are so good at that. Kiera Dent (21:34) Great. Well, Ryan, if people are interested in connecting with you, how do they get connected? Because again, I think for me, before I even talked to DSOs, I always tell them like talk to your financial advisor, figure out your project number. That way you actually can then have even one filter on what deals you're looking for, what plan you need your business to be. So Ryan, how do they connect with you? Ryan Isaac (21:41) Yeah, totally. Million percent. So I'll always say friends of the Dental A Team always can email me directly. I'll always have a conversation with anyone no matter what you're looking for. You don't have to be trying to hire a financial advisor. You might just have a few questions and I will always get on the phone and talk to someone. Just email me directly if you ever want to. Ryan at Dentist Advisors dot com. It's with an O.R.S. You can all just also just go to our website dentist advisor dot com. have probably thousands of hours of free content on there, podcasts, articles, webinars, everything. You can book a consultation with our whole team there at any time. go learn as much as you want, listen to anything, tons of free stuff on there, but that's the best thing. I'm always happy to have a conversation. Kiera Dent (22:29) It's amazing. And just so you know, Ryan does not take very many clients. So that's why I love him being on here. He's one of the founders. I think Ryan's one of the smartest people I've ever met. So definitely take him up on it. I know tons of our clients love meeting with Ryan because Ryan will tell you like, Hey, you don't need me or Hey, here's someone better for you. So I think it's just like, you're just an incredible human who ultimately cares and loves about these dentists, which is why I just appreciate you. So check him out. Yeah, of course. And for everyone listening, thank you for listening and we'll catch you next time. Ryan Isaac (22:31) Yeah. I do. Yep, I do. Thank you. Thank you. Kiera Dent (22:59) the Dental A Team Podcast.
Summary: In this episode of the Be a Smarter Homeowner podcast, hosts Beth Dodson and John Bodrozic discuss the complexities of managing multiple homes, including rental properties, vacation homes, and family residences. They emphasize the importance of home maintenance, inventory management, and understanding the financial implications of owning multiple properties. The conversation also highlights the impact of weather on home maintenance and the necessity of having a clear system in place for effective management. Takeaways Multiple homeowners can include rental, vacation, and family homes. Home inventory helps track maintenance needs across properties. Property managers may not cover all necessary maintenance tasks. Weather significantly impacts home maintenance requirements. Understanding maintenance costs is crucial for rental property investors. A maintenance calendar can help manage tasks effectively. Assuming property managers handle everything can lead to issues. Each home faces unique climate challenges that affect maintenance. Regular maintenance can prevent costly repairs down the line. Having a system in place reduces stress for multiple homeowners. . Sound Bites "Managing multiple homes adds complexity." "Home inventory is critical for maintenance." "Property managers may not cover all tasks." "Every home faces unique climate challenges." "A system is essential for managing homes." Chapters 00:40 Understanding Multiple Homeownership 06:35 The Importance of Home Inventory 12:03 Managing Maintenance with Property Managers 16:43 Weather's Impact on Home Maintenance 21:03 Financial Aspects of Maintaining Multiple Homes 26:32 Creating a System for Home Management
#RingRust with my #ROHsupercard #AEWallInTexas #NXTGAB #MLWbeasts & #WWENOC chat... plus I take yet another dive into my regular Battle Royale With Cheese, as I once again pit #Wrestlecrap against #KayfabeNews... & I semi-fondly recall my own time in independent wrestling, in this week's #3WayDanceOff! #TagMeIn ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!} ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL! RECORDED LIVE @ CHMR FM in sunny St. John's NL! Learn more @ https://www.chmr.ca/ If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:06:29 Pay-Per-Review: Major League Wrestling's Summer of the Beasts 1 0:07:53 Musicular Interlude 1 0:16:15 Pay-Per-Review: Major League Wrestling's Summer of the Beasts 2 / WWE's Night Of Champions 1 0:18:07 Musicular Interlude 2 0:25:31 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Night Of Champions 2 0:26:00 Musicular Interlude 3 0:33:49 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Night Of Champions 3 / Pre-Per-View: Ring of Honor Wrestling's Supercard of Honor 1 0:34:54 Musicular Interlude 4 0:42:22 Pre-Per-View: Ring of Honor Wrestling's Supercard of Honor 2 / All Elite Wrestling's All In Texas 1 0:43:44 Musicular Interlude 5 0:53:21 Assuming the Intermissionary Position 0:57:23 This Week's Macho Fact 1:04:09 Pre-Per-View: All Elite Wrestling's All In Texas 2 / NXT's Great American Bash 1 1:06:06 Musicular Interlude 6 1:17:34 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: Laying the Holy Smackdown! 1:30:08 NXT's Great American Bash 2 1:31:14 Musicular Interlude 7 1:39:38 Battle Royale With Cheese: Another Classic & Revealing Vliet Interview! 1:41:39 Musicular Interlude 8 1:47:51 Podcast Extra
In this episode, I'm joined by Sudeshna Ghosh, cross-platform content wizard and current Managing Editor at SBS Food. With a career spanning TV, print, magazines and digital across India, Dubai and Australia, Sudeshna brings a global sensibility to local storytelling — and a deep appreciation for the way food connects us across cultures. At SBS Food, Sudeshna leads the online and social ecosystem, where recipes, editorial, and digital content come together to celebrate Australia's rich multicultural identity. From commissioning features and developing social video, to championing lesser-known culinary voices, Sudeshna is driven by a simple but powerful question: what value does this story bring to our audience? On Hack Your Own PR, we explore the art and science of media relations, publicity, and storytelling to help you DIY PR, amplify your voice, and share your message. In this episode, Sudeshna shares: Her global media career and how she found her sweet spot in food and travel How SBS Food plans content — and why video and cross-platform thinking are central Why authenticity and cultural nuance matter more than polish What kind of stories and pitches actually cut through (and what gets instantly skipped) Why timing and flexibility are critical in earned media — especially in food Key Takeaways: SBS Food prioritises evergreen, values-led storytelling. They're not looking for the latest trend or product drop — they're looking for lasting cultural conversations through food. Sudeshna is driven by value: “If we're asking for someone's attention, we need to give them a really good reason.” When pitching, lead with a clear hook and highlight access and assets — but keep it real. Don't pitch your campaign; pitch your story. SBS Food actively seeks stories that are under-represented, community-led, and outside the mainstream PR cycle. Social-first content is growing — and Sudeshna is open to co-developing briefs for digital video. If you can provide thoughtful B-roll or edited content to spec, it's a win. What to Avoid: Generic campaign pitches with no clear why Stories without an audience benefit — SBS Food's readers are passionate, curious home cooks Assuming your moment is everyone's moment — relevance matters more than urgency Over-polished, overly media-trained talent — especially for video interviews This conversation is a rich insight into values-aligned, culturally grounded food journalism — and a practical roadmap for how to pitch stories that matter in a busy media landscape. Access the Big Ideas Masterclass: https://diyprhub.mykajabi.com/Big-Ideas-Masterclass Find Odette Barry online: https://www.odetteandco.com.au/ https://www.instagram.com/odetteandco/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/odette-barry/ Find Sudeshna Ghosh online: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghoshsudeshna/
What if we told you that there are accessible ways in order to attain longevity?In this episode, Dr. Lara Varden is joined by Nathalie Niddam, a holistic nutritionist and longevity educator, is dedicated to helping us all live joyful and vibrant lives well into our 50s, 60s, and beyond. She shares strategies—from health tech, to ancestral health, to peptides and more, on her podcast, Longevity Podcast with Nathalie Niddam. She speaks internationally, sharing her deep expertise on bioregulators—leading edge compounds with the power to awaken the body's innate rejuvenation systems.We discuss the importance of healthspan and how to optimize your life in order to attain it. Here are the highlights of this episode:Battling the notion of a one-size-fits-all mentality when it comes to health and longevity.Considering genetics as a huge factor when it comes to making lifestyle changes.Assuming the responsibility of change by preparing for it.Knowing which peptides are right for you. Learning about the importance of access to healthcare. ______________________________________________________If you wish to know more about Nathalie Niddam, you may access her channels here:Website: https://www.natniddam.com/Longevity Podcast: https://www.natniddam.com/podcast______________________________________________________Keep yourself up to date on The DNA Talks Podcast! Follow our socials below:The DNA Talks Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dnatalkspodcast/______________________________________________________Music: Inspiring Motivational Background by Stock-Waveshttps://www.stock-waves.com/https://protunes.net/Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbwVDTn-I0o&list=PLQtpqy3zeTGB7V5lkhkfBVaiZyrysv_fG&index=5______________________________________________________Music: Peaceful Corporate by Stock-Waveshttps://protunes.net/Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I34bTKW8ud0&list=PLQtpqy3zeTGB7V5lkhkfBVaiZyrysv_fGMedical Disclaimer: The information provided in this communication is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
RED BUBBLE STORE: https://rdbl.co/2BXMEkq DISCORD: https://discord.com/invite/uWZkb2a 4:20 - Read It On Reddit 10:19 - Ask Reddit 23:20 - Today I Advice 35:02 - Shower Thoughts 45:42 - Podnapping - Which of these cancelled film projects are real? AMA - readitpodcast@gmail.com - Ask Us Anything!
In this episode of the Global Medical Device Podcast, Etienne Nichols sits down with seasoned MedTech founder and investor Jon Bergsteinsson to unpack a critical—but often overlooked—topic: budgeting in early-stage medical device startups. Drawing from his deep regulatory, clinical, and investment experience, Jon shares the red flags investors look for, the cost categories that founders routinely miss, and why a line item called “compliance” just doesn't cut it. Whether you're a startup founder, a regulatory lead, or a project manager, this episode offers a sharp lens into the financial planning realities that can make or break product development and commercialization in MedTech.Key Timestamps02:34 – Why QMS, regulatory, and clinical are budget afterthoughts for startups06:45 – What separates experienced vs. inexperienced MedTech founders in budgeting10:20 – Why software and compliance tools get left out of early budgets14:12 – How missing budget detail impacts product quality and time-to-market19:04 – Red flags investors look for in MedTech startup budgets23:30 – How to improve budgeting accuracy without a CFO28:10 – Critical cost categories MedTech founders often overlook35:55 – Advice for recovering from a budgeting oversight39:40 – Comprehensive checklist of overlooked line items (manual translation, UDI, ISO licenses, and more)45:00 – Final advice: why networking trumps isolation for smarter budgetingStandout Quotes"Relying on the status quo is never good. There are always ways to do things better."Jon reminds founders and compliance professionals alike that innovation doesn't stop at the product level—it also applies to budgeting, systems, and team empowerment."Getting a 510(k) through is just the starting point. Budgeting like everything ends there is a massive red flag."This quote highlights the investor's perspective on sustainability and long-term thinking—crucial traits in any fundable founder.Key TakeawaysBroad Budget Buckets Signal InexperienceLumping all compliance-related costs under one line item may look tidy but signals to investors a lack of operational depth. Break out line items for QMS, clinical, regulatory, and software tools.Software and Tools Are Not Optional ExtrasFounders must factor in essential systems—like eQMS, CAD, risk management, and clinical data tools—early in budgeting. Assuming a single hire covers everything is a critical mistake.Budgets Must Reflect Time and Scale RealisticallyFlat budgets over 2–3 years, or those that assume regulatory costs end at market clearance, raise red flags. Investors expect dynamic budgeting that reflects the realities of growth, post-market surveillance, and team evolution.Outsourcing ≠ All-InclusiveMany startups underestimate the actual costs tied to consultants and CROs, assuming “someone else is handling it.” Always clarify what's included—and what's not.Recovery Is Possible—If You Own ItIf your budget's off-track, clear communication with your board and investors, a willingness to revise, and a plan for worst-case scenarios are your best tools for regaining credibility.ReferencesJon Bergsteinsson on LinkedInEtienne Nichols on LinkedInGreenlight Guru – QMS and Clinical platform for MedTech companiesMedTech...
RED BUBBLE STORE: https://rdbl.co/2BXMEkq DISCORD: https://discord.com/invite/uWZkb2a 4:20 - Read It On Reddit 10:19 - Ask Reddit 23:20 - Today I Advice 35:02 - Shower Thoughts 45:42 - Podnapping - Which of these cancelled film projects are real? AMA - readitpodcast@gmail.com - Ask Us Anything!
This episode of the Popperian Podcast is part of a series on William Bartley and his book The Retreat to Commitment. ** John Post's description of the alleged paradox within pancritical rationalism, as presented by William Bartley on page 224 of The Retreat to Commitment: Since (B) is implied by (A), any criticism of (B) will constitute a criticism of (A), and thus show that (A) is open to criticism. Assuming that a criticism of (B) argues that (B) is false, we may argue: if (B) is false, then (A) is false; but an argument showing (A) to be false (and thus criticizing it) shows (B) to be true. Thus, if (B) is false, then (B) is true. Any attempt to criticize (B) demonstrates (B); thus (B) is uncriticizable, and (A) is false. *** Retreat to Commitment Retreat to Commitment by Bartley - AbeBooks and Retreat to Commitment: Bartley, III: 9780812691276: Amazon.com: Books Support via Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/jedleahenry Support via PayPal – https://www.paypal.me/jrleahenry Website – The Popperian Podcast — Jed Lea-Henry Libsyn – The Popperian Podcast (libsyn.com) Youtube – The Popperian Podcast - YouTube Twitter – https://twitter.com/jedleahenry RSS - https://popperian-podcast.libsyn.com/rss *** Underlying artwork by Arturo Espinosa
What's your opinion on cruises? You other love them or hate them. After today's show, you'll probably hate them. But that's okay, because there's plenty to do. Why not go watch one of the three good movies? Or listen to Ross on SKOR North? Assuming you have time after your daily listening party of our podcast, of course.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 054 | Today's episode is all about helping you empower your patients who want to be proactive about scar refinement and optimization. Most dermatologists perform procedures multiple times a day that will undoubtedly result in a scar. While we routinely inform our patients about this as part of the informed consent process, there tends to be far less routine discussion about how patients can optimize the appearance of those inevitable scars. We can and should do better. My guest is Lisa Massaad, Senior Director of Global Marketing & Business Development at Newmedical Technology, makers of the physician exclusive Silagen Scar Refinement System. Ms. Massaad joined the Newmedical team in 2014 in anticipation of the launch of the Silagen professional line. She manages all aspects of global brand management for the Silagen and NewGel+ brands and serves as team lead for new product development projects. In addition to having extensive knowledge about the Silagen Scar Refinement System, she also has personal experience using it, which she shares in this episode.Ms. Massaad has 14 years of pharmaceutical industry sales experience, including six years as an award-winning Regional Sales Director. She joined Advanced Bio-Technologies, Inc. as the National Sales Manager and built its outside sales team. She has directed professional, consumer, and international marketing, including the launch of seven new products, while with ABT/enaltus/Sinclair IS Pharma.Lisa received a B.A. in Political Science from Allegheny College and an M.A. in Communications/PR from Kent State University.I'd like to extend a huge thank you to the whole team at Newmedical Technology for their generous support of this episode and their dedication to scar refinement and optimization. If you'd like to connect with them to learn more about how you can support your patients with Silagen products, you can contact them here.This episode was recorded at their headquarters in Northbrook, IL where I had the opportunity to meet with leadership and tour their remarkable manufacturing and packaging facility. Knowing that Silagen products are made in the USA makes me even more excited about sharing them with my patients.The Silagen Scar Refinement System is exclusively physician dispensed. If you're interested in purchasing it for yourself or someone you care about, you can contact me directly at 715-391-9774 or drlewellis@aboveandbeyondderm.com or head to silagen.biz if you'd like to order it online. My favorite Silagen products are the 100% Pure Silicone Gel (with and without SPF) and the Acne Scar + Spot Corrector. This will take you to a page that says "Login or Create an Account to Access the Website". Assuming you haven't previously made an account, click "Create Account" at the bottom. You'll be prompted to enter your Name, Email Address, Practice Code (1206240832P), and Password. You should then be able to learn about and purchase products.More from Dr. Lewellis and Above & Beyond DermatologyNeed a dermatologist? Fill out this short interest form, text or call me at 715-391-9774, or email me at drlewellis@aboveandbeyondderm.com if you'd like to have a no obligation discovery call. I offer in-office visits, house calls, and virtual care in Wisconsin and virtual care in Illinois, Nebraska, and Colorado.Have an idea for a guest or want to be on the show yourself? Send me a text or email, and we'll see if it's a good fit.Above & Beyond DermatologyNutrafol -- special pricing and physician exclusive productsNeoGenesis -- my favorite source of stem cell released molecules for skin/hairSilagen.biz -- physician dispensed scar refinement products delivered to your door (use practice code 1206240832P)NewsletterLinkedInFacebookDr. Lewellis on InstagramAbove & Beyond Dermatology on InstagramYouTubeTikTokTwitter/XChange Your Mind, Change Your LifeSoMeDocs (Doctors on Social Media)Pippa!
#RingRust with my #NightOfChampions #WWENOC updated chat... plus I take yet another dive into my regular Battle Royale With Cheese, as I once again pit #Wrestlecrap against #KayfabeNews... & I celebrate my current favourite Superstar's return, in this week's #3WayDanceOff! #TagMeIn ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!} ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL! RECORDED LIVE @ CHMR FM in sunny St. John's NL! Learn more @ https://www.chmr.ca/ If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:06:14 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Night Of Champions 1 0:07:22 Musicular Interlude 1 0:17:02 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Night Of Champions 2 0:17:50 Musicular Interlude 2 0:29:25 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Night Of Champions 3 0:30:59 Musicular Interlude 3 0:41:29 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Night Of Champions 4 0:42:56 Musicular Interlude 4 0:51:19 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Night Of Champions 5 0:52:03 Musicular Interlude 5 0:57:58 Assuming the Intermissionary Position 1:08:26 This Week's Macho Fact 1:17:30 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Night Of Champions 6 1:17:50 Musicular Interlude 6 1:28:36 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: Joshi Democracy! 1:44:14 Battle Royale With Cheese: Lucha Tariffs! 1:45:54 Musicular Interlude 7 1:54:15 Battle Royale With Cheese: Payment Received For Night of Champions! 1:55:40 Musicular Interlude 8
Fat Loss Timeline: Expectations vs RealityYou need to understand this right here if you are even thinking about stepping into the fat loss pursuit space.Nothing gets in the way of solid, sustainable results with wirht loss then the gap and divide between what is expected and what naturally happens.Assuming good strategy is in place in the first place of course.In today's episode, I explore and explain the key differences between fat loss progress expectations vs reality. The perspective you NEED to know and understand. DISCLAIMER: The information in this video is for guidance only and is not individualized advice for you! Your unique situation needs to be taken into consideration and adjusting your dietary intake.____________________________________________DOWNLOAD MY FREE MACRO NUTRITION CHEATSHEET Your Guide To Improving Your Macros & Making Meal Prep Easierhttps://theclimbingdietitian.lpages.co/macro-cheatsheet-the-climbing-dietitian/Apply for Bespoke 1:1 Macro Sherpa Nutrition Coaching Program: https://bit.ly/395QmGsCheck out and SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2Mxqs4WEmail me: aleksa@theclimbingdietitian.com.auTo find me on socials:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclimbingingdietitianTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theclimbingdietitianFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclimbingdietitianTwitter: https://twitter.com/beardyAPDLink to blog: https://bit.ly/330ULq4Check out my website for more information on me and what I do:https://www.theclimbingdietitian.com.au
#RingRust with my #NightOfChampions #WWENOC chat... plus I take another dive into my regular Battle Royale With Cheese, as I once again pit #Wrestlecrap against #KayfabeNews... & I watch a #WWEHOF'r skate the fine line of musical copyright infringement, in this week's #3WayDanceOff! #TagMeIn ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!} ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL! If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:04:40 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Night Of Champions 1 0:05:53 Musicular Interlude 1 0:12:45 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Night Of Champions 2 0:14:02 Musicular Interlude 2 0:23:10 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Night Of Champions 3 0:23:48 Musicular Interlude 3 0:34:54 Battle Royale With Cheese: Release the Levesque-Helmsley-Rizing-McMaho Cut of Wrestlemania 41! 0:36:50 Musicular Interlude 4 0:46:46 Battle Royale With Cheese: the Wise Man's Final Favour! 0:48:21 Musicular Interlude 5 0:57:19 Assuming the Intermissionary Position 1:06:09 This Week's Macho Fact 1:15:46 Battle Royale With Cheese: WWE Really Loves Modelling Itself After Popular Culture! 1:17:25 Musicular Interlude 6 1:27:54 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: WCW Tunage of Dubious Legality! 1:38:41 Battle Royale With Cheese: Pope Leo Not Be Pimpin' Enough! 1:39:55 Musicular Interlude 7 1:47:18 Battle Royale With Cheese: Our Favourite #WWEHOF Toupeed Cheeto TACO Wants the Doctor of Thuganomics Again! 1:48:43 Musicular Interlude 8
In this revisited episode of The Observatory, James ‘Fish' Gill joins the show to talk about the delicate art of finding balance in relationships, particularly when dealing with challenging conversations. James, a Perth-based transformational expert in Australia, specializes in heart coaching, yoga instruction, and facilitation. He dedicates his expertise to helping couples, businesses, and community organizations rebuild trust, strengthen connections, and foster mutual understanding. As a heart coach, yoga instructor, and facilitator, James shares his insights on conscious communication, emotional management, and rebuilding trust in various relationships. He delves into the complexities of processing difficult topics, the importance of taking responsibility for one's actions, and the power of understanding our partner's true intentions. Timestamps[02:01] Conscious communication in relationships[08:00] Taking the responsibility for cleaning up your side of your street[10:45] The difference between speaking analysis and speaking our experiences[20:09] Handling our emotions during communication in our relationships[21:05] Assuming ill intent in your partner[28:51] Condemning and condoning in conscious communication[32:41] Trusting that your partner has no ill intent[35:07] Unskillful ways in which we express our love and support for each other[40:55] Understanding what your partner is longing for other than making you suffer[45:18] Mechanisms that amplify conflict[47:50] Even mindedness in relationships[51:04] How to get someone to recognize your goodness[01:00:50] Fish Gill's closing remarks[01:06:10] About Gill's book - How To Fall In Love With HumanityNotableQuotes:“I don't have any agency over what anyone else does or says or thinks or feels ever in any moment; I've only got agency or control over what I'm thinking, feeling, saying and doing.” - Fish Gill [05:41]“How we contribute to conflict and how we sustain it and how we even escalate it actually lies out of our view until we start to see it.” - Fish Gill [08:42]“Speaking to emotions is really the way to go.” - LaRae Wright [16:59]“There is no quicker way to escalate rapture than to assume the badness of someone.” - Fish Gill [21:55]“Human beings are motivated partly by needing our pain expressed, needing our pain diminished or needing our pain tasted by others.” - Fish Gill [33:57]“Victim and villain story is there in our psychology for the purpose of having our pain recognized.” - Fish Gill [59:30]Relevant links:Fish Gill Website: https://www.leadbyheart.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/james_fish_gill/Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcast
This episode we are covering the end of the reign of Naka no Oe, aka Tenji Tennou. We cover the events in the Chronicles, including the death of Nakatomi no Kamatari, the creation of the Fujiwara family, the destruction of Goguryeo, and the continued development of the Baekje refugees. For more, check out the podcast blog at: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-128 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan. My name is Joshua and this is episode 128: Immigrants, Princes, and High Officials. There was a pall over the house, despite the visiting royal retinue creating something of a stir,. While craftspeople were still hard at work repairing damage from the lightning strike only a few months earlier, that wasn't the reason for the low spirits. Rather, the house was worried for their patriarch, the Naidaijin, Nakatomi no Kamatari. He had fallen ill, and despite all the pleas to the kami and the Buddhas , it seemed the end might be near. And so even the sovereign himself had come. Kamatari was not just a loyal official, but a close friend of the sovereign, someone who had been there since the beginning. And so we can imagine how Naka no Oe felt. He may have been the sovereign of Yamato, but he was still a human being, visiting his friend of some 30 or so years, knowing that for all of the power that he held, there was nothing he could do against the ravages of time and disease. The year is 668—Naka no Oe has moved the capital to Ohotsu, on the banks of Lake Biwa, and has formally assumed the throne. This episode we are going to cover the last several years of Naka no Oe's reign. In contrast to last week's dive into Yamato science, this week is going to be a bit of a grab bag, looking at what was going on in Yamato and talking about what was recorded in the Chronicles. And for the most part, the entries for the rest of the year 668 are fairly normal, and yet there are some oddities… For instance, in the fourth month we are told that Baekje sent Mitosapu and others to offer tribute. And any other time that would be just a normal thing. Except that at this point in history, Baekje was about as going a concern as a parrot in a Monty Python sketch. So if the Kingdom of Baekje was no longer a thing, who was it that was sending the tribute? Most likely it was the Baekje communities in exile living in the archipelago. Remember how many of them had settled around Biwa and in 666, two thousand Baekje people were settled somewhere in the East. These immigrants were still being supported by the Yamato government, who were basically subsidizing their settlement for the first three years, during which time they would be expected to make it into a permanent settlement. Based on the way the Chronicles talk about it, these early Baekje communities sound like they were maintaining a kind of kingdom in exile. With many immigrants from Baekje living together in proximity, they were likely keeping their own groups, with their own language and traditions, at least for now. It would be interesting to know if there were specific Baekje settlements that have been identified through the archaeological record. That said, we definitely see Baekje's mark on the archipelago: Physically, there are the Baekje style castles, and various temples following Baekje style layouts. Of course there were also continental building styles, but some of that was shared across multiple cultures at this point, and one should consider how much Baekje influence might have been found in things that we later see as Japanese. Additionally, Baekje nobles were involved in the court, often given court rank based in part on their rank in Baekje, though it wasn't quite equivalent. Still, in time, some of the nobles would trace their lineages back to Baekje nobles and princes. Speaking of princes and Baekje, on the fifth day of the fifth month of 668 —a day that would come to be known as Ayame no hi, or Tango no Sekku, one of the major days of court ceremony—Naka no Oe went out hunting on the moor of Kamafu, known today as Gamou district, near Kanzaki, where 400 Baekje people had been settled. He was out there with the Crown Prince, his younger brother, aka Prince Ohoama, and all the other princes and ministers. A grand outing. A month later, however, tragedy struck. One “Prince Ise” and his younger brother died on consecutive days. While this was undoubtedly a blow to the court, the interesting thing for our purposes – which also highlights the challenge of interpreting the Chronicles is that we aren't exactly sure who this is referring to. It's not the first time we've seen this title: we first see a “Prince Ise” show up around 650, during the presentation of the white pheasant that ushered in the Hakuho era, but we later see that that individual had passed away in 661. We also see the name show up less than 20 years later in the Chronicles for another prince, so this can't be the same. So this is clearly a position or title for a prince, but it isn't clear if it was passed down or inherited. One possibility is that “Prince Ise” or “Prince of Ise” was a title for one of the royal sons. IAt this point in the narrative, Naka no Oe had three sons. Prince Takeru had passed away at the age of 8, but he also had Prince Kawajima, Prince Shiki, and Prince Iga, aka Prince Ohotomo, all sons of “palace women”. We know, though, that these princes show up later, so I don't think the so-called Prince Ise was one of them. Perhaps another line? The term “Prince” might also refer to something other than a royal son. You see, English translators have often been somewhat cavalier with the way we tend to render titles. The English term “Prince” has been used for “Hiko”, “Miko”, or “Ou” (which was probably pronounced “Miko” in many of these cases). And in English, we often think of “Prince” as the son of a king, but “Prince” can also be an independent ruler of a principality, or may just refer to a person with power in a monarchic state. Even the term “king” is not unambiguous—early European accounts of Japan during the Warring States period often refer to the various daimyou as “kings”, given the often absolute dominion with which they apparently ruled their particular domains. At this time, the term “Miko” (also pronounced “ouji”, or “koushi”, or even “sume-miko”) seems rather unambiguously to refer to a “royal prince”, from the lineage of the sovereign. The term “Ou”, which also seems to be read as “Miko” in some cases, is also the term for “King” and probably more broadly fits the concept of a “prince” as a ruler. However, in this case, it seems to be equal to the term “Miko”, and may have been used almost interchangeably for a time, though later it would be used to refer to members of princely rank who were not directly related to a reigning sovereign—the grandchildren and so forth of royal princes who did not go on to inherit. In this case, I think the best we can say for certain is that Prince Ise—or the Prince of Ise—was someone important enough to be included in the chronicles – but who he was, exactly, will remain a mystery for now. The following month, the 7th month, was chock full of activities. First of all, Goguryeo sent envoys by way of Koshi—meaning they landed on the Japan Sea side, probably around Tsuruga. While this may just have been closer, I suspect it meant they avoided any Tang entanglements traveling through the Bohai sea. They did run into a spot of trouble, however, as the winds and waves prevented their return. Koshi also shows up as presenting some strange gifts to the court: burning earth and burning water. There is some thought that maybe this is something like coal or natural oil deposits. We are also told that in this month, Prince Kurikuma was appointed the governor of Tsukushi. Kurikuma no Ou appears to have been the grandson—or possibly great-grandson—of the sovereign, Nunakura, aka Bidatsu Tennou. The position Kurikuma was given was important, of course, overseeing the Dazai, which meant overseeing anyone traveling to the archipelago from the continent. This would be a relatively short-lived appointment—this time. He would be re-appointed about three years later, which would prove important, as he would be governor there during some particularly momentous events. Stories appear to have continued about him in the Nagasaki region, and various families traced their lineage back to him. Also in that month, we are told that Afumi, home of the new capital, practiced military exercises—likely in preparation in case of a future Tang or Silla invasion. Recall we discussed in Episode 126 how the choice of Afumi as a capital site might have been related to its defensibility in the event of such an invasion. At the same time, the court entertained Emishi envoys, and the toneri, by royal command, held banquets in various places. There is also mention of a shore-pavillion, presumably at Lake Biwa, where fish of various kinds came, covering the water. Interestingly enough, there is another story of a “shore pavilion”, likely the same one, in the Fujiwara Family Record, the Toushi Kaden. We are told that Prince Ohoama – Naka no Oe's younger brother spiked a large spear through a plank of wood in some kind of feat of strength. This apparently shocked Naka no Oe, who saw it aa kind of threat—perhaps seeing that his five-years younger brother was still hale and healthy. Granted, Naka no Oe was only in his 40s, but his brother Ohoama was in his later 30s. We are also told that at this time, in 668, Naka no Oe was apparently not doing so well, with people wondering if he would be with them much longer. The Toshi Kaden account seems rather surprising in that it claims Naka no Oe was so shocked by this proof of his brother's vitality that he wanted to have him put to death, suggesting to me that he felt that Ohoama might be a threat to him and his rule. Ultimately, though, he was talked out of this by his old friend, Nakatomi no Kamatari – the one whom he had plotted with to overthrow the Soga, and whose relationship was initiated by an interaction on the kemari field, as we discussed in Episode 106. Speaking of whom: Nakatomi no Kamatari was still Naijin, the Inner or Interior Minister, and so quite prominent in the administration. In the 9th month, as a Silla envoy was visiting the court, Kamatari sent Buddhist priests Hoben and Shinpitsu to present a ship to the Prime Minister of Silla, which was given to the Silla envoy and his companions, and three days later, Fuse no Omi no Mimimaro was sent with a ship meant for the King of Silla as well. This incident is also recounted in the Toshi Kaden. In this case it says that the people, hearing about the gifts to Silla, were quite upset. After all, it stands to reason: Yamato was still smarting from their defeat at the hands of Tang and Silla forces, and building up defenses in case of an attack. They'd also taken in a number of Baekje nobles and families, who may have also had some influence on the court. We are told that Kamatari himself excused all of this by stating that “All under heaven must be the sovereign's land. The guests within its borders must be the sovereign's servants.” In this case, all under heaven, or “Tenka”, is a common phrase used to describe a monarch's sovereignty over everything in the land. And so, while Silla envoys were in Yamato as guests, they also fell under similar rules, and as such were considered, at least by Yamato, as the sovereign's servants and thus worthy of gifts. The Silla envoys stayed for over a month. They finally departed by the 11th month of 668, carrying even more gifts, including silk and leather for the King and various private gifts for the ambassadors themselves. The court even sent Chimori no Omi no Maro and Kishi no Woshibi back with the envoy as Yamato envoys to the Silla court. This all tells us that just as the Tang were working to woo Yamato, Silla was likely doing so as well. And while Yamato might still begrudge the destruction of Baekje, they also had to face the political reality that Baekje was probably not going to be reinstated again—especially not while the Tang government was occupying the peninsula. So making nice with both Tang and Silla was prudent. Furthermore, though they had been visited by Goguryeo envoys earlier that year, Yamato may have had some inkling that Goguryeo was not in the most powerful position. Ever since the death of Yeon Gaesomun, the Goguryeo court had been involved in infighting—as well as fighting their external enemies. One of Gaesomun's sons had been exiled and had gone over to the Tang, no doubt providing intelligence as well as some amount of legitimacy. What they may not have known was that as Yamato was hosting the Silla envoys, a new assault by the Tang-Silla alliance was advancing on Pyongyang and setting siege to the city. The Nihon Shoki records that in the 10th month of 668 Duke Ying, the Tang commander-in-chief, destroyed Goguryeo. This would dramatically change the international political landscape. Tang and Silla had been triumphant—Yamato's allies on the peninsula had been defeated, and what we know as the “Three Kingdoms” period of the Korean peninsula was over. However, the situation was still fluid. The peninsula was not unified by any sense of the imagination. The Tang empire had their strategic positions from which they controlled parts of the peninsula and from which they had been supplying the war effort against Goguryeo. They also likely had to occupy areas to ensure that nobody rose up and tried to reconstitute the defeated kingdoms. In fact, there would be continued attempts to revive Goguryeo, as might be indicated in the name we use: by the 5th century, the country was actually using the name “Goryeo”, a shortened form of “Goguryeo”, but we continue to refer to it as “Goguryeo” to distinguish it from the country of the same name that would be established in 918, laying claim to that ancient Goguryeo identity. A bit of spoilers, but “Goryeo” is where we would eventually get the name that we know the region by, today: “Korea”. In the Nihon Shoki it is referred to as “Gaori”. But none of that could have been known at the time. Instead, there was no doubt some exuberance on the side of both Silla and Tang, but that would settle into something of unease. With Baekje and Goguryeo destroyed, Silla may have thought that Tang would leave, allowing them to solidify their hold and manage those territories as an ally. If this is what they thought, though, I'm not sure they had run it by the Tang empire just yet. In the Yamato court, there appear to have been separate factions: a pro-Tang faction, and also a pro-Silla faction. We have to assume, based on the actions in the record at this time, that this was a ongoing debate. The last thing I'll note for the year 668 is attempted theft. The Buddhist priest Dougyou stole Kusanagi, the famous sword forming part of the imperial regalia, and escaped with it. Kusanagi, you may recall, was the royal sword. It was named “Kusanagi” or “grass cutter” because it is said that when Prince Yamato Takeru was subduing the eastern lands, he was surrounded in a field that had been set on fire, and he used Kusanagi to create a firebreak by cutting down all of the grass around him. The sword was given to him by Yamato Hime, the Ise Princess at the time, and it was thought to have been first found by the god Susanowo inside of the legendary Yamata no Orochi. We talked about this in Episodes 16, 34, and 35. Yamato Takeru left the sword in Owari, and it would eventually live there, at Atsuta Jingu, Atsuta Shrine, its traditional home. It isn't clear if Dougyou obtained the sword from Owari or if it was being kept in the capital at the time. It would have likely been brought out for Naka no Oe's coronation, but then it would probably have been returned to the shrine that was holding it. Dougyou tried to head to Silla with his illicit goods, but wind and rain forced him to turn back around. This is a fascinating story and there's a lot to dive into here. So first off, let's point out that this is supposed to be a Buddhist priest. What the heck was going on that he was going to try to run a heist on what are essentially the Crown Jewels of the Yamato crown? While the sword, mirror, and jewel were still somewhat questionable as the sole three regalia, they were clearly important. We aren't given Dougyou's motives. We don't know enough about him. Was he anti-Yamato or anti-Naka no Oe? Was he actually a Buddhist priest of his own accord, or was he a priest because he was one of those who had been essentially conscripted into religious orders on behalf of some powerful noble? Was he a Buddhist who wanted to attack the hold of the kami? Was he pro-Silla, or perhaps even a Silla descendant, trying to help Silla? Or was he just a thief who saw the sword, Kusanagi, as a valuable artifact that could be pawned outside of Yamato? That last possibility feels off. While we aren't exactly sure what Kusanagi looked like, based on everything we know, the sword itself wasn't necessarily blinged out in a way that would make it particularly notable on the continent. And if Dougyou and whoever his co-conspirators were just wanted to attack the Yamato government, why didn't he just dump Kusanagi in the see somewhere? He could have destroyed it or otherwise gotten rid of it in a way that would have embarrassed the government. It seems mostly likely that this theft had something to do with pro-Silla sentiment, as if Silla suddenly showed up with the sword, I imagine that would have been some diplomatic leverage on the Yamato court, as they could have held it hostage. In any case, the plan ultimately failed, though the Chronicles claim it was only because the winds were against him—which was likely seen as the kami themselves defending Yamato. On to a new year. At the start of 669, Prince Kurikuma (who we mentioned above) was recalled to the capital and Soga no Akaye was appointed governor of Tsukushi. We mentioned Akaye a couple of episodes back. He was involved in the broken arm-rest incident, where Prince Arima was plotting against Takara Hime, aka Saimei Tennou, and Akaye's daughter Hitachi no Iratsume, was one of the formal wives of Naka no Oe, who would give birth to the princess Yamabe. Now Akaye was given the position of governor of Tsukushi. This position is an interesting one throughout Japanese history. In many ways it is a viceroy—the governor of Tsukushi has to effectively speak with the voice of the sovereign as the person responsible for overseeing any traffic to and from the continent. This also was likely a highly lucrative position, only handed out to trusted individuals. However, it also meant that you were outside of the politics of the court. Early on that was probably less of a concern. At this time, court nobles were likely still concerned with their traditional lands, which created their economic base, meaning that the court may have been the political center, but there was still plenty of ways to gain power in the archipelago and it wasn't solely through the court. Over time, as more and more power accrued to the central court government, that would change. Going out to manage a government outpost on the far end of the archipelago—let alone just going back to manage one's own estates—would be tantamount to exile. But for now, without a permanent city built up around the palace, I suspect that being away from the action in the capital wasn't quite as detrimental compared to the lucrative nature of a powerful position. Later, we will see how that flips on its head, especially with the construction of capitals on the model of those like Chang'an. For now, new governor Soga no Akaye was likely making the most of his position. On that note, in the third month of 669, Tamna sent their prince Kumaki with envoys and tribute. They would have come through Tsukushi, and Soga no Akaye likely enjoyed some benefits as they were entertained while waiting for permission to travel the rest of the way down to the Yamato capital. The Tamna embassy did not exactly linger at the court. They arrived on the 11th of the 3rd month, and left one week—seven days—later, on the 18th. Still, they left with a gift of seed-grain made to the King of Tamna. On their way out, they likely would have again stopped in at Tsukushi for provisions and to ensure that all of their business was truly concluded before departing. A couple of months later, on the 5th day of the 5th month, we see another hunting party by Naka no Oe. This seems to have been part of the court ritual of the time for this ceremonial day. This time it was on the plain of Yamashina. It was attended by his younger brother, Crown Prince Ohoama, as well as someone called “Fujiwara no Naidaijin” and all of the ministers. “Fujiwara no Naidaijin” is no doubt Nakatomi no Kamatari. This is an interesting slip by the Chroniclers, and I wonder if it gives us some insight into the source this record came from. Kamatari was still known as Nakatomi at the time, and was still the Naidaijin, so it is clear they were talking about him. But historically his greatest reputation is as the father of the Fujiwara family, something we will get to in time. That said, a lot of the records in this period refer to him as “Fujiwara”. We've seen this previously—because the records were being written later they were often using a more common name for an individual, rather than the name—including title—that the individual actually would have borne at the time of the record. This really isn't that different from the way we often talk about the sovereigns using their posthumous names. Naka no Oe would not have been known as “Tenji Tennou” during his reign. That wouldn't be used until much later. And yet, many history books will, understandably, just use the name “Tenji” because it makes it clear who is being talked about. This hunting trip is not the only time we see the name “Fujiwara” creep into the Chronicles a little earlier than accurate: we are told that only a little later, the house of “Fujiwara” no Kamatari was struck by lightning. But that wasn't the only tragedy waiting in the wings. Apparently, Kamatari was not doing so well, and on the 10th day of the 10th month, his friend and sovereign, Naka no Oe, showed up to pay his respects and see how he was doing. Ever since that fateful game of kemari—Japanese kickball—the two had been fast friends. Together they envisioned a new state. They overthrew the Soga, and changed the way that Japan even conceived of the state, basing their new vision off continental ideas of statehood, governance, and sovereignty. Now, Kamatari was gravely ill. What happens next is likely of questionable veracity Sinceit is unlikely that someone was there writing down the exact words that were exchanged, but the Chronicles record a conversation between the sovereign and his ill friend. And the words that the Chroniclers put in their mouths were more about the image that they wanted to project. According to them, Naka no Oe praised his friend, and asked if there was anything that he could do. Kamatari supposedly eschewed anything special for burial arrangements. He supposedly said “While alive I did no service for my country at war; why, then, should I impose a heavy burden on it when I am dead?” Hard to know if he actually felt like that or not, or if thr Chroniclers were likening him to Feng Yi of the Han dynasty, the General of the Great Tree. He was so-called because he would often find a tree to take time to himself. He likewise was renowned for his dislike of ostentation, much like Kamatari foregoing a fancy burial mound. Five days later, Naka no Oe sent Crown Prince Ohoama to Kamatari's house to confer on him the cap of Dai-shiki, and the rank of Oho-omi. They also conferred on him and his family a new surname: Fujiwara, and so he became Fujiwara no Daijin, the Fujiwara Great Minister. The next day he died. One source known as the Nihon Seiki, said that he was 50 years old, but according to the Chronicles there was an inscription on his tomb that stated he died at age 55. Three days later, we are told that Naka no Oe went to the house of the now late Fujiwara no Naidaijin, and gave orders to Soga no Akaye no Omi, declaring to him his gracious will and bestowing on him a golden incense-burner. This is somewhat odd, because as we were just talking about, Soga no Akaye had been appointed governor of Tsukushi, though the Toshi Kaden claims that it was actually Soga no Toneri who was in Tsukushi—but these could also mean the same people. Why this happened right after Kamatari's death suggests to me that Soga no Akaye may have had something to do with the arrangements for Kamatari's funeral or something similar. Let's talk about this whole incident. There are many that think the Nihon Shoki has things a bit out of order, and on purpose. Specifically, it is quite likely that the name “Fujiwara” was actually granted after Kamatari's death, and not on the day of, as it has here. He may even have been posthumously elevated. But since the Fujiwara family would go on to be quite powerful, the order of events and how they were recorded would have been very important in the 8th century. By naming Kamatari's line the Fujiwara, the court were effectively severing it from the rest of the Nakatomi. The Nakatomi family would continue to serve as court ritualists, but the Fujiwara family would go on to much bigger and better things. This change also likely meant that any inheritance of Kamatari's would go to his direct descendants, and that a brother or cousin couldn't necessarily just take over as the head of the household. So it's very possible that this “setting apart” of the Fujiwara family immediately upon Kamatari's death is a later fiction, encouraged by the rising Fujiwara themselves, in an attempt to keep others from hanging on to their coat tails, as it were. Also a quick note about the idea that there was an inscription on Kamatari's tomb. This is remarkable because so far, we have not actually found any such markers or tombstones on burials prior to this period. We assume that they would have been stone or wood markers that were put up by a mound to let you know something about the person who was buried there. Over time, most of these likely wore away. But it is interesting to think that the practice may have had older roots. The death of Kamatari wasn't the only tragedy that year. We are also told that in the 12th month there was a fire in the Treasury, and that the temple of Ikaruga—known to us as Houryuuji, the temple built by Shotoku Taishi—also was burnt. It isn't said how bad, but only three months later, in 670, another fire struck during a thunderstorm, and we are told that everything burned down—nothing was left. That said, it seems that they may have been able to reuse some of the materials. I say this because an analysis of the main pillar of the pagoda in the western compound suggests that the tree it came from was felled in 594. The rest of 699 included some less dramatic events. For instance, in the 8th month, Naka no Oe climbed to the top of Takayasu, where he took advice as to how to repair the castle there. The castle had been built only a couple of years earlier, but already needed repairs. However, the initial repair project had been abandoned because the labor costs were too much. The repairs were still needed, though, and they carried out the work four months later in the 12th month, and again in the 2nd month of the following year, and that stores of grain and salt were collected, presumably to stock the castle in case they had to withstand a siege. I suspect that the “cost” of repairing the castle was mostly that it was the 8th month, and the laborers for the work would have to be taken away from the fields. By the 12th month, I can only assume that those same laborers would be free from their other duties. Speaking of costs, sometimes the Chronicles really make you wonder what was going through the mind of the writers, because they noted that the Land-tax of the Home Provinces was collected. Maybe this was the first time it had actually been instituted? I don't know. It just seems an odd thing to call out. There was also 700 more men from Baekje removed and settled in Kamafu—Gamou District—in Afumi. And then there was a Silla embassy in the 9th month, and at some point in the year Kawachi no Atahe no Kujira and others were sent to the Tang court. In response, an embassy from the Tang to Yamato brought 2000 people with them, headed by Guo Wucong, who I really hope was getting some kind of premiere cruiser status for all of his trips. The following year, 700, started out with a great archery meeting, arranged within the palace gate. I presume this to mean that they had a contest. Archery at this time—and even for years to come—was prized more highly than even swordplay. After all, archery was used both in war and on the hunt. It is something that even the sage Confucius suggested that people should practice. It is also helpful that they could always shoot at targets as a form of competition and entertainment. Later, on the 14th day of the 1st month, Naka no Oe promulgated new Court ceremonial regulations, and new laws about people giving way on the roads. This rule was that those of lower status should get out of the way of those of higher status. Funnily enough, in the description of Queen Himiko's “Yamateg”, back in the 3rd century, this was also called out as a feature of the country. It is possible that he was codifying a local tradition, or that the tradition actually goes back to the continent, and that the Wei Chroniclers were projecting such a rule onto the archipelago. I'm honestly not sure which is which. Or perhaps they expanded the rules and traditions already in place. There were also new laws about prohibiting “heedless slanders and foul falsehoods”, which sounds great, but doesn't give you a lot to go on. The law and order theme continues in the following month. A census was taken and robbers and vagabonds were suppressed. Naka no Oe also visited Kamafu, where he had settled a large number of the Baekje people, and inspected a site for a possible future palace. He also had castles built in Nagato in Tsukushi, along the route of any possible invasion from the Korean peninsula. In the third month, we have evidence of the continued importance of kami worship, when they laid out places of worship close to Miwi mountain and distributed offerings of cloth. Nakatomi no Kane no Muraji pronounced the litany. Note that it is Nakatomi no Muraji—as we mentioned, the Nakatomi would continue to be responsible for ceremonial litany while the Imibe, or Imbe, family would be responsible for laying out the various offerings. Miwi would seem to be the same location as Miidera, aka Onjou-ji, but Miidera wouldn't be founded for another couple of years. In the 9th month of 670, Adzumi no Tsuratari, an accomplished ambassador by this point, travelled to Silla. Tsuratari had been going on missions during the reign of Takara Hime, both to Baekje and to the lands across the “Western Seas”. While we don't exactly know what transpired, details like this can help us try to piece together something of the relative importance of the mission. In the last entry for 670, we are told that water-mills were made to smelt iron. If you are wondering how that works, it may have been that the waterwheel powered trip hammers—it would cause the hammer to raise up until it reached a point where it would fall. Not quite the equivalent of a modern power hammer, it still meant that fewer people were needed for the process, and they didn't have to stop just because their arms got tired. The following year, 671, got off to a grand start, with a lot of momentous events mentioned in just the first month of the year. First off, on the 2nd day of the first month, Soga no Akaye – now back from his stint as governor of Tsukushi - and Kose no Hito advanced in front of the palace and offered their congratulations on the new year. Three days later, on the 5th day, Nakatomi no Kane, who had provided the litany at Miwi, made an announcement on kami matters. Then the court made official appointments. Soga no Akaye was made the Sadaijin, or Prime Minister of the Left, and Nakatomi no Kane was made Prime Minister of the Right. Soga no Hatayasu, Kose no Hito, and Ki no Ushi were all made daibu, or high ministers. On top of this, Naka no Ohoe's son, Prince Ohotomo, was appointed as Dajodaijin. “Dajodaijin” is a new position that we haven't seen yet, and it is one of those positions that would only show up on occasion. It is effectively a *Prime* Prime Minister. They were considered superior to both the ministers of the left and the right, but didn't exactly have a particular portfolio. The Ministers of the Left and the Right each had ministries under them that they were responsible for managing. Those ministries made up the Daijo-kan, or the Council of State. The Dajodaijin, or Daijodaijin, was basically the pre-eminent position overseeing the Council of State. I suspect that the Dajodaijin seems to have been the evolution of the Naidaijin, but on steroids. Nakatomi no Kamatari had administered things as Naidaijin from within the royal household, but the Dajodaijin was explicitly at the head of the State. Of course, Prince Ohotomo was the son of Naka no Oe himself, and the fact that he was only 23 years old and now put in a place of prominence over other ministers who were quite likely his senior, is remarkable. I wonder how much he actually was expected to do, and how much it was largely a ceremonial position, but it nonetheless placed Ohotomo just below his uncle, Crown Prince Ohoama, in the overall power structure of the court. Speaking of which, following the new appointments, on the 6th day of the year, Crown Prince Ohoama promulgated regulations on the behalf of his brother, Naka no Oe. There was also a general amnesty declared, and the ceremonial and names of the cap-ranks were described in what the Chronicles calls the Shin-ritsu-ryo, the New Laws. Towards the end of the first month, there were two embassies, both from now-defunct kingdoms. The first was from Goguryeo, who reportedly sent someone named Karu and others with Tribute on the 9th day, and 4 days later, Liu Jenyuan, the Tang general for Baekje sent Li Shouchen and others to present a memorial. I'm not sure if the Goguryeo envoys were from a government in exile or from a subjugated kingdom under Tang and Silla domination. The Tang general in Baekje was a little more transparent. That said, that same month we are told that more than 50 Baekje nobles were given Yamato court rank, perhaps indicating that they were being incorporated more into the Yamato court and, eventually, society as a whole. That said, the remains of the Baekje court sent Degu Yongsyeon and others with tribute the following month. This is also the year that Naka no Oe is said to have placed the clepsydra or water clock in a new pavilion. We talked about this significance of this last episode. We are also told that on the third day of the third month, Kibumi no Honjitsu presented a “water level”, a Mizu-hakari. This would seem to be what it sounds like: A way of making sure that a surface is level using water. There is also mention of the province of Hitachi presenting as “tribute” Nakatomibe no Wakako. He was only 16 years old, and yet we are told he was only one and a half feet in height—one shaku six sun, more appropriately. Assuming modern conversions, that would have put him approximately the same height as Chandra Dangi of Nepal, who passed away in 2015 but who held the Guiness World Record for the world's shortest person at 21.5”—or 54 centimeters. So it isn't impossible. The fact that he is called “Nakatomibe” suggests that he was part of the family, or -Be group, that served the Nakatomi court ritualists. Unfortunately, he was probably seen more as an oddity than anything else at the time. Still, how many people from that time are not remembered at all, in any extant record? And yet we have his name, which is more than most. In the following month, we are also told that Tsukushi reported a deer that had been born with eight legs. Unfortunately, the poor thing died immediately, which is unfortunately too often the case. And then the fifth day of the fifth month rolled around again. This year there was no hunting, but instead Naka no Oe occupied the “Little Western Palace” and the Crown Prince and all of the ministers attended him. We are told that two “rustic” dances were performed—presumably meaning dances of some local culture, rather than those conforming to the art standards passed down from the continent. As noted earlier, this day would be one of the primary ceremony days of the later court. The following month, we are told that there was an announcement in regards to military measures requested by the messengers from the three departments of Baekje, and later the Baekje nobles sent Ye Chincha and others to bring tribute. Once again, what exactly this means isn't clear, but it is interesting to note that there were three “departments” of Baekje. It is unclear if this was considered part of the court, or if this was Baekje court in exile managing their own affairs as a guest in Yamato. It is also interesting that they seem to have been traveling to the Yamato court while Li Shouchen was still there, sent by the Tang general overseeing Baekje. That must have been a bit of an awkward meeting. We are told that they all took their departure together on the 11th day of the 7th month. Does that mean they left with the Tang envoy? Was the Tang inviting some of them to come back? Or just that they all left the court at the same time. The same month, Prince Kurikuma was once more made Governor of Tsukushi—or possibly made governor the first time, depending on whether or not you think the Chronicles are accurate or that they pulled the same event twice from different sources. We are also told that Silla sent envoys with gifts that included a water buffalo and a copper pheasant for the sovereign. The 8th month of the year, we hear that Karu of Goguryeo and his people took their leave after a seven month long visit. The court also entertained the Emishi. Two months later, Silla sent Kim Manmol and others with more tribute, but this envoy likely found a different feeling at court. And that is because on the 18th day of the 8th month, the sovereign of Yamato, Naka no Oe, took to his bed, ill. There was a ceremony to open the eyes of 100 Buddhas in the interior of the palace, and Naka no Oe sent messengers to offer to the giant Buddha of Houkouji a kesa, a golden begging-bowl, an ivory tusk, aloeswood, sandalwood, and various objects of value, but despite any spiritual merit that may have accrued, it didn't seem to work. Naka no Oe's illness continued to grow more serious. He would continue to struggle for another two months, until, on the 3rd day of the twelfth month, Naka no Oe, aka Tenji Tennou, sovereign of Yamato, passed away. For all that we should be careful to avoid the “Great Man” theory of history, it is nonetheless hard to deny that Naka no Oe had an incredible impact on the country in his days. From start to finish, while one could argue that many of the reforms were simply a matter of time as the archipelago absorbed more and more ideas from across the straits, Naka no Oe found himself in the middle of those reforms. The Yamato State would never be the same, and he oversaw the birth of the Ritsuryo state, a new state nominally based on laws and rules, rather than just tradition. It may not be entirely clear, but he also helped inculcate a new sense of the power of the sovereign and of the state, introducing new cultural imaginaries. Yamato's reach wasn't just vague boasting, but by instituting the bureaucratic state they were able to actually expand the reach of the court farther than any time before. And through those changes, Naka no Oe had, in one way or another, been standing at the tiller. Now, he was gone, as were many of his co-conspirators in this national project. Which leaves us wondering: What comes next? Well, we'll get to that, but not right now. For now, let us close this episode with Naka no Oe's own end. Next episode, we can get into the power struggles that followed, culuminating in an incident known as the Jinshin no Ran: The Jinshin war. Until then, thank you once again for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts. If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website, SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page. You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com. Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now. Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.
Have you ever made something and it turned out ok, but somehow it just didn't look right? Maybe you thought those two paint colors would go together, but now you're not sure. Or maybe the furniture arrangement in the living room looked great on paper but it sort of doesn't work now that you see everything in place. I think we've all had those moments. I had one not long ago with a photo I was doing. It wasn't quite right, but since I had to get it done, all I could do was to shrug and sign off on it, whether it was right or not. But if a piece of music we're working on doesn't sound right, we want to fix it, not forget it. I'm sure you know what I mean. You've been working hard on a piece. You muster up your courage to do a recording of it and after a lot of takes, you come up with one that you think is pretty good, without noticeable mistakes or hesitations. Then you listen to it, and something's not right. Is it too slow? Are you not making the dynamics clear? How come it doesn't sound the way it sounds in your head? This is truly a challenging point, because it can be difficult to know the precise things you need to do to make the music sound the way you want. Assuming that the notes and the rhythms are correct and that you're playing reasonably expressively, what else is there? That's the question we're going to answer today. I'm going to identify three things that are essential to make any piece of music sound “right.” These three are the same whether you are playing a classical piece or a folk piece or a hymn or a pop tune. When each of these is in place, your piece will sound like you want it to. And the bonus is that you have choices. Every one of us harpists makes these choices, but you may not realize the power behind them. These choices are what makes one harpist's interpretation of a piece sound different from another harpist's, even though they both may be beautiful performances. My friend, you have the power to make your music sound right to you; all you need to do is exercise your freedom to choose. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode: Our 2025 Super Summertime Challenge starts today in the Hub. Participate and win! Download the free Harp Mastery® app. Harpmastery.com Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-213
A Cirrus with fluctuating fuel flow, de-injecting an engine, and fear of overhaul are on tap for this episode. Email podcasts@aopa.org for a chance to get on the show. Join the world's largest aviation community at aopa.org/join Full notes below: Joe has a Maule with a 540 engine in it. The company has a mod to turn the engine to a carbureted version and he's wondering about the legality of something like that. Paul said it happens in the 210 market. Whether it's a good idea is another issue, the hosts say. Joe is unable to run autofuel is the injected version, which is why he's interested in it. Colleen said she'd rather have an injected engine than run mogas. David wonders how perspective owners are so afraid of TBO. He has a 182 with an engine that's nearly at TBO, and people who contact him are afraid of the high time. The hosts discuss strategies for buyers who may be looking at airplanes with engines at TBO. Assuming the engine is running well, a new owner can fly it on that “borrowed time” while they learn and enjoy the airplane. Alternatively, if the engine truly needs to be overhauled, the time down is obviously a concern for a new owner. Mike said he thinks it's best to buy an airplane with a run-out engine. The price has been discounted for the cost of the engine, the seller is motivated, and worst case you have to overhaul it soon. And every hour and year that you don't have to overhaul it is “free.” And when it does come time to do the overhaul, you get to do it to your spec. Shalom has a Cirrus that isn't behaving. If he sets the mixture at lean of peak, the fuel flows start to fluctuate. A few minutes later, it will drop off sharply, and then back quickly. The manifold pressure and rpm stay pretty consistent. He's changed the fuel pump and the spider. Nothing has helped. Mike said if there's a constriction in the fuel line between the fuel control unit and the manifold, it can cause oscillating fuel flow and lower flows.
Assuming you're not reading this on your yacht, then the most contentious thing in the world is right beneath you. Since the dawn of agriculture, peasants, farmers, landlords, and states have vied for control of the land. Jo Guldi is the author of the The Long Land War: The Global Struggle for Occupancy Rights. She […]
#RingRust with my #TNAagainstAllOdds, #WarChamber, #WorldsCollide & #MITB chat... & I think cowboys are very odd, in this week's #3WayDanceOff! #TagMeIn ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!} ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL! If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:03:56 Pay-Per-Review: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Against All Odds 1 0:05:21 Musicular Interlude 1 0:13:53 Pay-Per-Review: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Against All Odds 2 0:15:06 Musicular Interlude 2 0:24:10 Pay-Per-Review: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Against All Odds 3 / Major League Wrestling's War Chamber 1 0:25:23 Musicular Interlude 3 0:37:06 Pay-Per-Review: Major League Wrestling's War Chamber 2 0:38:02 Musicular Interlude 4 0:45:01 Pay-Per-Review: WWE & AAA's Worlds Collide 1 0:46:53 Musicular Interlude 5 0:53:27 Assuming the Intermissionary Position 0:59:13 This Week's Macho Fact 1:08:31 Pay-Per-Review: WWE & AAA's Worlds Collide 2 / WWE's Money In the Bank 1 1:09:47 Musicular Interlude 6 1:18:52 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: Imagine What He Could Do To You! 1:29:23 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Money In the Bank 2 1:30:43 Musicular Interlude 7 1:39:20 Battle Royale With Cheese: Fired Mid-Match! 1:41:06 Musicular Interlude 8
Hey humans! In this episode, as we continue our series on 'Assuming Positive Intent,' I'm diving further into a topic I believe is one of the most challenging things we navigate: the duality between victimhood and accountability. To pick up from last week, I really break down what victimhood looks like – that mindset rooted in an external locus of control, where we might blame others or circumstances, often stemming from past adversity or trauma, and I don't want to minimize that. I explore the significant costs of this mindset, especially in our workplaces—how it erodes trust, blocks progress, and reduces psychological safety—to really lay the foundation for why understanding this is so critical before we talk about how to shift towards accountability in our next episode. Stacie More episodes at StacieBaird.com.
Seven years have passed since we last saw an updated version of Shimano's flagship mountain bike group. Assuming you weren't holding your breath, and as a result are still with us, then today is the day of the update.Yes, new XTR Di2 M9200 is here. It represents Shimano's delayed entry into true wireless shifting, and brings with it a number of other interesting developments (a new brake oil, anyone?).In this episode, Escape Collective's Dave Rome and Alex Hunt sit down with Shimano North America's MTB Product Manager, Nick Murdick. The North American offices of Shimano have been playing an increasingly significant role in the development and design of Shimano's next generation parts, and Nick has been at the centre of that for the new XTR.This episode speaks candidly with Murdick about the new group, some challenges faced, some decisions behind the details, and a few teases of what may still be to come. Alex and Dave wrap up at the end with a few quick thoughts. Meanwhile, you'll need to visit our article on Escape Collective to find all the nuanced details and ride impressions of the new XTR product range.A chunk of this episode (along with our written report) is free for all to enjoy and learn from. However, as Escape is wholly member-funded (which means this isn't sponsored or paid content), you will need to be a member of Escape Collective in order to hear it all.
The CHGO Bulls crew discuss freshly sourced rumors that the Chicago Bulls will not keep Coby White and Josh Giddey, but only one of them. Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm reported in his Substack that multiple Eastern Conference personnel figures believe the Bulls are “unlikely to retain both Josh Giddey and Coby White.” Assuming the Bulls sign Giddey to a long term contract in a few weeks, what does that mean for White? Will the Bulls shop him this summer, or perhaps keep him until the 2026 in-season trade deadline? What will Arturas Karnisovas seek in return if he does decide to move on from Coby? Peck, Big Dave and Will Gottlieb break down all the possibilities. Plus, the guys debate whether “The Shrug” is the most iconic Bulls moment - or even the most iconic NBA moment - on the Anniversary of Michael Jordan going bananas from downtown in the 1992 NBA Finals.
In this episode of my 'Assuming Positive Intent' series, I wanted to share a personal insight that really struck me, especially as I've been feeling a bit exhausted from a big push at work. I talk about the crucial difference between falling into a 'victimhood' mindset and practicing 'self-compassion,' and I offer one simple but powerful shift I've been using. I'm finding this helps me foster empathy and move from that reactive place to one of empowerment - I hope that it helps you, too! Stacie More episodes at StacieBaird.com.
The Ten Minute Bible Hour Podcast - The Ten Minute Bible Hour
Galatians 5:16-18 Thanks to everyone who supports TMBH at patreon.com/thetmbhpodcast You're the reason we can all do this together! Discuss the episode here Music by Jeff Foote
Renegade Thinkers Unite: #2 Podcast for CMOs & B2B Marketers
B2B CMOs know positioning matters—but too often, it vanishes when sales starts talking. In this episode, positioning guru April Dunford pulls back the curtain on the disconnect between marketing and sales and shares exactly how to build a sales pitch that wins. Drawing from her book Sales Pitch and decades of experience, April shares a battle-tested framework for building pitches that set the context, overcome indecision, and spotlight your unique value—without overwhelming buyers or falling into feature hell. Key Mistakes: Mistake #1: Treating positioning as marketing-only Mistake #2: Assuming sales will “get it” if you hand them positioning docs Mistake #3: Building sales pitches without a clear, compelling structure In this episode: Why positioning is the starting point for every winning pitch How marketing can frame the problem so sales doesn't chase the wrong story Why leading with your company history stalls momentum What smart pitch sequencing sounds like in action
HT2270 - Beyond the Circle of Our Fellow Photographers One of my lifelong regrets about photography has been that the audience for most fine art photography, particularly for contemporary photographers, are other photographers. Who shops in the photography section in your local bookstore? Assuming, that is, that it has a photography section. Show your appreciation for our free weekly Podcast and our free daily Here's a Thought… with a donation Thanks!
Hi my loves
#MARKETS: ASSUMING THE GLOOMIEST IN APRIL. LIZ PEEK THE HILL. FOX NEWS AND FOX BUSINESS1941
Today's agenda: Yep, that's a power trip! Cringe corporate speak: one off Hot topic: coaching and dealing with difficult coworkers: how to work effectively (even when they're jerks!) Defining what "difficult" means is hard, especially in the HR world Assuming the best intent and playing dumb Are you okay? Gatekeeping and lack of consideration Productive conversations can make things better BTW: check out our Besties newsletter this week for helpful discussion guide questions and prompts Knowing when to document and escalate You can only control yourself (so don't waste your time or peace on someone else!) Questions/Comments Your To-Do List: Grab merch, submit Questions & Comments, and make sure that you're the first to know about our In-Person Meetings (events!) at https://www.hrbesties.com. Follow your Besties across the socials and check out our resumes here: https://www.hrbesties.com/about. Subscribe to the HR Besties Newsletter - https://hr-besties.beehiiv.com/subscribe We look forward to seeing you in our next meeting - don't worry, we'll have a hard stop! Yours in Business + Bullsh*t, Leigh, Jamie & Ashley Follow Bestie Leigh! https://www.tiktok.com/@hrmanifesto https://www.instagram.com/hrmanifesto https://www.hrmanifesto.com Follow Bestie Ashley! https://www.tiktok.com/@managermethod https://www.instagram.com/managermethod https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyherd/ https://managermethod.com Follow Bestie Jamie! https://www.millennialmisery.com/ Humorous Resources: Instagram • YouTube • Threads • Facebook • X Millennial Misery: Instagram • Threads • Facebook • X Horrendous HR: Instagram • Threads • Facebook Tune in to “HR Besties,” a business, work and management podcast hosted by Leigh Elena Henderson (HRManifesto), Ashley Herd (ManagerMethod) and Jamie Jackson (Humorous_Resources), where we navigate the labyrinth of corporate culture, from cringe corporate speak to toxic leadership. Whether you're in Human Resources or not, corporate or small business, we offer sneak peeks into surviving work, hiring strategies, and making the employee experience better for all. Tune in for real talk on employee engagement, green flags in the workplace, and how to turn red flags into real change. Don't miss our chats about leadership, career coaching, and takes from work travel and watercooler gossip. Get new episodes every Wednesday, follow us on socials for the latest updates, and join us at our virtual happy hours to share your HR stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
When Israel went to battle against the Philistines they assumed that they could bring out the ark of the covenant to the battlefield, and that it's presence would either oblige God to win the battle for them or that the object itself had some kind of mystical power. They were sorely mistaken, and the Philistines promptly defeated them captured the ark. Assuming that their victory is a victory over Israel's God, the Philistines place the ark in Dagon's temple. Time and again, however, the Lord silently causes destruction, catastrophe and misery for the Philistines wherever the ark is taken, until finally, they become so desperate they put it on a cart and send it back where it came from. 1 Samuel 5 - 1:10 . 1 Samuel 6 - 3:44 . 1 Samuel 7 - 8:39 . 1 Samuel 8 - 13:05 . Proverbs 27 - 16:43 . :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org
Fantasy Baseball Live – May 11, 2025 – 3:00 pmSegments 1 and 2 – Review of the weekend gamesMicrosoft Teams:Additional Questions:1.Are the Padres this good, or are the Rockies this bad? They lost 13-9 on Friday, 21-0 on Saturday, and we shouldn't forget about the doubleheader loss to the Tigers on Thursday (21-3). The Rockies' run differential is -134, having nearly lapped the second-worst run differential in the league, the Baltimore Orioles. 2.Corbin Burnes shoved against the Dodgers on Saturday. Good to see.3.Cade Horton wins his first game as the bulk innings guy. Were you happy with what you saw?4.Ranger Suarez looked great in his second outing, but It was against the Guardians. He has Pittsburgh next Friday. Are you starting him?a.Lance McCullers was awful yesterday. I started him against the White Sox and danced with the devil, but not yesterday. Should I be done with him or keep him on my bench for a while? His sinker (fastball) is down to 91.6 MPH, and while his slider is still missing bats, it got destroyed, as did his change-up.5.Casey Mize hits the IL with a hamstring strain. This one hurt for me as I have him in a number of leagues. Assuming a short IL stint, I still look at the matchup before starting him, but he has yet to have a blow up. Should I start him with confidence going forward?6.Jasson Dominguez had three home runs on Friday. Judge with two more home runs on Saturday and is now leading the league with 14 and batting average (.396). Just a ridiculous start to the season.Segment 3 – Waiver WireSegment 4 – Closer ReportClose
In this episode of Sexy Marriage Radio, we explore the complexities of relationships, focusing on the concept of regressions and how they affect emotional functioning. We discuss the different types of regressions, the impact of stress, and the contagious nature of regression in relationships. Our conversation emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and understanding one's emotional state to improve relationship dynamics. Takeaways Understanding regressions can empower individuals in relationships. Acute regressions are short-lived but impactful. Steady state regressions can go unnoticed and affect daily functioning. Stressful life events can trigger regressions. Recognizing triggers is crucial for managing regressions. The emotional state of one partner can influence the other. Communication is key to navigating regressions in relationships. Self-awareness helps in identifying personal regressions. High meaning situations can exacerbate emotional challenges. Assuming one is regressed until proven otherwise can lead to better self-management. Enjoy the show! On the Xtended version … In the XTD, we described what regressions look like - now we cover what you can do about them. Join us to find our. Sponsors … Everylove Intimates: Add spice and connection to your marriage with a Date Box. Get 20% off with our code SMR at https://everyloveintimates.com/smr Academy: Join the Academy and go deep The post Understanding Our Functioning Is The Key To A Better Marriage #727 first appeared on Sexy Marriage Radio.