Podcasts about assuming

⚖️ Understanding the Importance of a Marital Settlement Agreement | Los Angeles Divorce

In this episode of An Evolving Man Podcast, I speak with Dr. Judith Wright, relationship expert, author and co-founder of the Wright Foundation for the Realization of Human Potential.Judith has spent more than 40 years helping individuals and couples transform conflict into connection, deepen emotional intelligence and create more meaningful lives.We explore why conflict is not necessarily a sign that a relationship is failing. Instead, when approached consciously, conflict can become a doorway into truth, intimacy, personal responsibility and deeper love.We discuss the seven rules of engagement from The Heart of the Fight, including taking responsibility for our own happiness, refusing to give more than 50% of the blame, telling the truth, fighting for rather than against, and assuming goodwill.We also explore emotional intelligence, dissociation, shadow work, the drama triangle, relationship as a mirror, and how love can help us become more fully ourselves.Dr. Judith Wright: https://livewright.com/contact/Piers Cross: https://www.piers-cross.com/Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Dr. Judith Wright 02:00 Judith's journey into relationship work 05:10 Working with couples across 20 years 08:05 Personal responsibility in relationships 10:15 The drama triangle: victim, persecutor and rescuer 13:20 Changing the field in relationship 16:15 Letting go of control 18:10 The seven rules of engagement 19:00 Accentuate the positive 21:10 Minimise the negative 23:35 No one gets more than 50% of the blame 25:00 100% responsibility for your own happiness 27:15 Truth, trust and no secrets 31:10 Fight for, not against 34:00 Assuming goodwill 38:30 Why conflict is not failure 42:20 How to begin having healthier arguments 45:30 Expressing likes and dislikes 49:00 Receiving love, praise and gifts 52:15 Relationship as a mirror 55:10 The womb and the crucible 57:50 What to do when a relationship reaches an impasse 59:25 Emotional intelligence in relationships 1:00:45 Final reflections and where to find Judith---Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community Many blessings, Piers Cross http://piers-cross.com/ 

#RingRust with my musicular #aewRedemption & #Summerslam chat! & #TagMeIn as I celebrate a rather prolific WWE band, in the #3wayDanceOff! ~ ~ ~ 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!  & BROADCAST @ 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... 0:03:53 Pay-Per-Review: All Elite Wrestling's Redemption 1 0:06:04 Musicular Interlude 1 0:16:15 Pay-Per-Review: All Elite Wrestling's Redemption 2 0:17:49 Musicular Interlude 2  0:25:57 Pay-Per-Review: All Elite Wrestling's Redemption 3 0:27:11 Musicular Interlude 3 0:37:56 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Summerslam 1 0:39:13 Musicular Interlude 4 0:48:54 Assuming the Intermissionary Position 0:54:45 This Week's Macho Fact 1:05:26 Wrestler Birthdays...  1:07:19 Musicular Interlude 5 1:16:20 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: Breakin' Out of Trouble! 1:29:56 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Summerslam 2 1:31:22 Musicular Interlude 6 1:38:56 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Summerslam 3 1:39:45 Musicular Interlude 7  1:49:30 Podcast Extra 

An ordinary traffic cutoff led to an unplanned trip that ended with tires already in stock.   The real shift was less about chasing an outcome and more about quietly assuming it was already handled.   Small, unremarkable moments are usually where an assumption actually gets tested, not some big dramatic sign.   The same idea applies to health goals, where noticing small openings matters more than waiting for proof.   Assuming something is already true changes how ordinary moments in a normal day get responded to. BOOK A CALL WITH PERRY: http://talktoperry.com TEXT ME: (208) 400-5095 JOIN MY FREE COMMUNITY: http://upsidedownfit.com The Legacy Continues with Syona: https://sharesyona.co/?url=perrytinsley RESOURCES Best Probiotic for Gut Health: https://bit.ly/probyo Best Focus & Memory Product: https://bit.ly/dryvefocus Daily Success Habits (Free Download): morningsuccesshabits.com WOW! You made it all the way down here. I'm seriously impressed! Most people stop scrolling way earlier. You officially rock, my friend.

Photo: Becket In this Legal Spirits Short Take, Center Director Mark Movsesian discusses a new federal lawsuit challenging New York's Medical Aid in Dying Act. Catholic healthcare providers argue that the state's statutory regime will require them to counsel patients about medically assisted suicide, even though their religious commitments prohibit them from participating in the practice. New York has not yet responded, and important questions remain about what the law actually requires. Assuming the plaintiffs' account is correct, Mark considers whether the counseling obligation substantially burdens their religious exercise, whether the law's different treatment of hospices undermines its general applicability, and whether New York could protect patient access to legal end-of-life options through less restrictive means. Listen in! The post Legal Spirits 080: A Short Take on Religious Objections to New York's Assisted-Suicide Law appeared first on LAW AND RELIGION FORUM.

The Retirement Readiness Assessment: https://bit.ly/RetirementReadinessAssessment What would you do differently if you truly believed tomorrow wasn't guaranteed? After losing my son Markham, my relationship with time changed forever. I stopped assuming there would always be another day to say "I love you," pursue what matters most, or become the man I want to be. In this deeply personal episode, I share why I'm taking a two-day retreat to reflect on grief, purpose, faith, legacy, relationships, and how I want to spend the years I have left. If you've been putting off what matters most or wondering how to live with greater intention, I hope my story encourages you to stop waiting and start living fully today.#retirement_transformed #retirementcouple #retirement BUY MARK'S BOOK! The Evolving Man: Life Virtues Men Don't Talk About [Get the FREE Downsizing Guide] How to prepare to downsize your home https://learn.retirementtransformed.com/downsizing-guide-optin USEFUL FINANCIAL TOOLS https://geni.us/new_retirement Use this link for a FREE 14 Day Trial! [Get the FREE Downsizing Guide] How to prepare to downsize your home CONNECT: Engage in our Free Facebook Community ✔️ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/retirementtransformed ✔️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retirementtransformed ✔️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retirementtransformed ✔️ Amazon Shop: https://www.amazon.com/shop/retirementtransformed ABOUT RETIREMENT TRANSFORMED Husband and wife duo, Mark & Jody Rollins, inspire and serve as personal guides to meaningful, transformational journeys for individuals who are planning for, going through or are living in retirement. This is everything in retirement beyond your financial plan. We are not financial advisors or medical experts. Any advice we give is our own and should not be taken as professional advice. This video is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Please seek professional assistance before making any financial decisions or changes that can affect your physical or mental health. FTC: Some links mentioned above may be affiliate links, which means we earn a small commission if you buy a product from the specific link. This video is not sponsored. All Content and video segments are copyrighted and owned by ©Retirement Transformed and cannot be used without permission.

Welcome to the Inverted Orthodoxy Podcast! We're Blake, Kyle, and Doug the pastors from Living Springs, here to take you on a weekly adventure through the twists and turns of faith. Got questions? We've got answers, and sometimes more questions! Join us as we explore, celebrate, and embrace the beautiful complexities of belief. Let's dive in!(2:11 into episode)can you help me with another podcast title? thank you!! 702. April 17- Jesus said, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”' John 20:15–17. It strikes me that Jesus is still half human. Does that automatically make a hierarchy between him and the Father? Is he still answerable and obedient to the Father as we are (or should be)? (33:13 into episode) May 1- When Jesus returns and we get our new bodies and there will be no more pain or tears, what would happen if you jumped off a cliff or in front of a train or something? Assuming laws of nature still apply like gravity then you'd think you'd be Injured but if there's no more pain or tears what do you think would happen?Do you have a question you've been wanting answered? Head on over to our website www.invertedorthodoxy.com to submit a question. You can find us on Wednesdays on Youtube, or wherever you subscribe to podcasts. To learn more about our church, you can visit www.livingspringsairdrie.com

In this episode, Heather continues her new coaching series by bringing you inside another real coaching session with Elevate member Kelly McNamara of Kelly Mac Studios. You can explore Kelly's beautiful work at http://kellymacstudios.com/. Kelly has built incredible momentum in her business, but as projects near the finish line, she finds herself procrastinating. Together, she and Heather uncover a simple yet profound mindset shift: joy isn't the same as fun. Through this powerful coaching session, Heather helps Kelly reframe how she thinks about motivation, fulfillment, and the meaningful work that often lies beyond the exciting parts of building a business. It's a conversation that may completely change the way you approach your own work and the satisfaction you find in it.  Key Takeaways:    Joy and fun are not the same thing. You don't have to enjoy every task to experience fulfillment in your business. Not every stage of a project will feel exciting. The energy at the finish line naturally looks different than the excitement of the beginning. Appreciation creates joy. Focusing on what a task represents—not just how it feels—changes your experience. Beware of the stories your brain creates. Assuming something is "wrong" because work isn't fun can lead to unnecessary frustration. Finishing is just as valuable as starting. Great businesses are built by people who follow through, even when motivation fades. Motivation isn't required to take action. Discipline and appreciation can carry you across the finish line. Redefining your expectations changes everything. When you stop expecting constant excitement, ordinary work feels much lighter. Every business includes unglamorous tasks. Those responsibilities are often evidence that your business is growing. Small mindset shifts create massive results. Sometimes changing one definition changes your entire experience. The goal isn't to love every task. The goal is to appreciate the opportunity to build the business you've always wanted. What if the work you've been resisting isn't the problem... but the meaning you've attached to it? One simple shift in perspective can turn frustration into fulfillment. This coaching session might completely redefine how you experience your business. Press play and discover why joy isn't found in the easy moments—it's found in appreciating the entire journey.  How to Support the Podcast: Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review. If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people. Join our next free coaching workshop: www.getcoachedbyheather.com Connect: Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram   

Not speaking is not the same thing as not having something to say. In this episode, I'm joined by Elizabeth Vosseller, founder of Spelling to Communicate and Executive Director of I-ASC, the International Association for Spelling as Communication. And we are talking about communication. Not the easy kind. Not the "say what you mean with your mouth and everyone understands what is happening" kind. We are talking about what happens when a person has thoughts, language, ideas, preferences, humor, opinions, and vocabulary, but cannot reliably use speech to share them. Elizabeth explains that Spelling to Communicate (S2C) is a method of teaching communication to nonspeaking people. And nonspeaking is the word we want here, not nonverbal. Because nonverbal means without words. And the people Elizabeth works with are not without words. They may have no speech, very few spoken words, or lots of speech that is not reliable or communicative. They may script, loop, say the opposite of what they mean, or struggle to get their bodies to do what their brains are asking them to do. Which brings us to one of the biggest themes in this conversation: communication is motor. Speech is motor. Typing is motor. Pointing is motor. Signing is motor. Getting an idea out of your brain and into the world requires the body to participate. And for some kids and adults, that is where things get complicated. Elizabeth walks us through praxis, which is the process of having an idea, making a plan, executing the plan, and adapting when something does not go the way it was supposed to go. For people with apraxia or dyspraxia, the idea may be there. The plan may be there. But the message between the brain and the body may not move smoothly. And if we do not understand that, we can make some very big mistakes. We can look at a child who is not following a direction and assume they are being noncompliant. We can look at a child who is hitting, grabbing, bolting, or making sounds and assume the behavior is intentional in a way it may not be. We can look at a nonspeaking child and assume there are no words inside. That is a dangerous assumption. Elizabeth and I also talk about rich language environments, spelling, reading, communication regulation partners, and why support does not automatically mean influence when the support is trained, careful, and ethical. This conversation is especially close to my speech therapist heart because it asks us to slow down and separate language from speech, communication from behavior, and intention from motor access. Which is not always easy. But it matters. Because when we assume a child has nothing to say, we may stop offering them enough to think about. When we assume a behavior tells the whole story, we may miss what the body is struggling to do. And when we assume speech is the only real path to communication, we may miss the person who has been there the whole time. Key Takeaways Nonspeaking is different from nonverbal. Nonspeaking means a person cannot use speech reliably and effectively. Nonverbal means without words, which can wrongly suggest a person does not have language, thoughts, or vocabulary. Spelling to Communicate (S2C) teaches nonspeaking people to use pointing to letters as a motor-based way to communicate. Communication depends on the body. Speech, typing, pointing, signing, and texting all require motor planning and motor execution. Praxis involves having an idea, making a plan, executing the plan, and adapting when something does not work. Apraxia and dyspraxia can create a breakdown between what a person intends to do and what their body is able to do on demand. A purely behavioral lens can lead adults to misunderstand kids whose bodies are not reliably following their intentions. Rich language and literacy exposure matter, even when a child is not speaking. Communication regulation partners provide motor coaching, sensory feedback, and regulation support when they are properly trained. Assuming competence means being careful about what we say, what we offer, and what we believe may be possible. About Elizabeth Vosseller Elizabeth Vosseller is the founder of Spelling to Communicate and Executive Director of I-ASC. Since 1995, she has worked clinically with individuals with complex communication and sensory-motor differences across hospital, university, and private settings. Her work focuses on motor-based access to communication, advancing education, training, and research for nonspeaking individuals. About Your Host, Gabriele Nicolet I'm Gabriele Nicolet, toddler whisperer, speech therapist, parenting life coach, and host of Complicated Kids. Each week, I share practical, relationship-based strategies for raising kids with big feelings, big needs, and beautifully different brains. My goal is to help families move from surviving to thriving by building connection, confidence, and clarity at home. Complicated Kids Resources and Links Website: https://www.gabrielenicolet.com Schedule a free intro call: https://calendly.com/gabrielenicolet/free-15-minute-1-1-session YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@complicatedkids/featured Tell the Story (Anti-Anxiety Tool for Kids): https://www.gabrielenicolet.com/tell-the-story Blog: https://www.gabrielenicolet.com/blog Live Workshops: https://www.gabrielenicolet.com/live-workshops On-Demand Workshops: https://www.gabrielenicolet.com/workshop-replays Instagram: https://instagram.com/gabriele_nicolet Facebook: https://facebook.com/gabriele.nicolet LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielenicolet/ Free "Orchid Kid" Checklist: https://www.raisingorchidkids.com/orchid-kid-check-list-sign-up/ Enjoying the Show? If Complicated Kids has been helpful, the best way to support the podcast is to follow, rate, and leave a quick review. It helps other parents find the show, and it means a lot. If there's a topic you'd love to hear covered on a future episode, you can always reach out at podcast@complicatedkids.com. I love hearing what's on your mind and what would support your family. Thank you for being here.

For two young sisters, the old hunting shack on their grandfather's farm was the perfect place to play.Hidden out in the fields, it became their summer hideaway until one afternoon, when someone knocked on the door. Assuming it was their brother trying to scare them, they came up with a plan to surprise him instead. But when one sister stepped outside, there wasn't a soul in sight.The other turned back toward the corner of the shack... and froze. Standing silently inside was a man she had never seen before, his appearance so disturbing that she bolted for the house in terror.No one believed what she'd seen, dismissing it as a child's imagination. Years later, after another family member experienced the same mysterious knocking in that very shack, the terrifying encounter suddenly became much harder to explain.#RealGhostStories #GhostEncounter #HauntedShack #Apparition #ParanormalExperience #TrueGhostStory #Unexplained #SpiritEncounter #HauntedPlaces #GhostStory #Supernatural Love real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:

All of us have experienced loss and disappointment. We have buried loved ones. We live with shattered dreams and unmet expectations. Our lives have not turned out the way we had hoped, leaving us disoriented and confused. When these waves hit, our natural instinct is to bury our pain and put on a brave face. After all, "the show must go on." But Psalm 42 gives us a completely different blueprint for processing grief. In this Sunday's sermon, we are going to look at the raw, unfiltered honesty of a psalmist who is drowning in sorrow. We will learn how to navigate the dark valleys of life so that our hearts come out softer and our souls closer to our Lord.1. The sermon mentioned that the reasons why so much grief is unprocessed is because we equate grief with weakness, don't have time to grieve, or don't know how to grieve. Which of these reasons resonate most with you? Are there other reasons you could think of? 2. The psalmist had the emotional awareness to not only feel his pain but to articulate and describe with apt descriptions. How emotionally self-aware are you when it comes to noticing and articulating negative feelings? 3. The psalmist doesn't just feel his feelings but also diagnoses them and finds the "why?" When you experience a wave of grief or disappointment, how easy or difficult is it for you to pinpoint the exact root and cause? 4. When you compare your prayers to the brutal honesty of the psalmist, who accuses God of not only forgetting him but treating him as an enemy, how honest are you? Assuming that you are not as honest as the psalmist, why do you believe this is the case? 5. When you consider the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, how does the Gospel motivate us to feel our grief, diagnose our grief, and carry our griefs to God? Which of the three steps do you believe you most need to practice? 6. The sermon talks about how unprocessed grief does not disappear but goes underground. What griefs in your life have not been fully processed in your life? Which do you believe God is calling you to address?

⚖️ What Happens If You Fail to Disclose Assets in a Divorce? | Los Angeles Divorce

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Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're joined by Aaron Stanski, founder and CEO of Risepointe. For more than 15 years, Aaron and his team have partnered with growing churches and Christian schools across North America, helping them design facilities that remove barriers to growth and create environments where more people can encounter Jesus. In this conversation, Aaron shares some of the most common (and costly!) mistakes churches make during construction projects, along with practical strategies to avoid them. Don’t build today’s problem into tomorrow’s building. // One of the most common mistakes Aaron sees is phasing projects incorrectly. Churches may be tempted to build a larger auditorium while postponing essential components like increased parking, children’s space, or student ministry areas, assuming they’ll complete them in a future phase. Unfortunately, that second phase often gets delayed for years, leaving the church with a building that limits growth from day one. Instead of designing around what leaders hope they’ll afford later, Aaron encourages churches to build a complete project that fully supports their next season of ministry, even if that means reducing the overall size of the expansion. Create a long-term plan first. // Before drawing floor plans or establishing budgets, churches should develop a long-range vision for their campus. A master plan doesn’t mean building everything immediately. It simply provides clarity about where the church is heading. Once that long-term vision is established, leaders can determine the next right step that fits their current budget and ministry needs. Without that roadmap, churches can solve one immediate problem only to create another one a few years later. Short-term savings can become long-term expenses. // Budget pressure may lead churches to remove features or simplify systems in order to reduce construction costs. Aaron cautions that these decisions frequently create much larger operational expenses over the life of the building. Whether it’s HVAC controls, building systems, or maintenance-related decisions, saving a small amount during construction can result in years of higher operating costs. Churches need to evaluate every cost-saving measure through the lens of long-term stewardship rather than immediate affordability. Your facility should serve your mission—not become your mission. // Buildings are simply tools for ministry. The goal isn’t completing a construction project; it’s creating environments that help people take steps toward Jesus. Once the ribbon-cutting ceremony is over, the real work begins. Healthy churches continually evaluate guest experience, signage, gathering spaces, children’s environments, and overall functionality. Facilities should continue evolving alongside ministry rather than remaining frozen in time. Plan for growth before it arrives. // One surprising reality Aaron sees is that solving a facility constraint often produces immediate attendance growth. Sometimes this comes from new guests, but often it’s because existing attenders begin attending more consistently once parking, seating, or children’s capacity improves. Churches that don’t anticipate this surge can quickly find themselves facing another capacity challenge. Planning for success means considering what happens if the project works exactly as intended. Know when to start the conversation. // Aaron recommends churches begin facility planning long before they’re completely full. His general guideline is simple: when your largest service consistently reaches about 80 percent capacity, it’s time to begin exploring your options. That doesn’t mean starting construction immediately, but it does mean beginning strategic conversations, gathering data, and creating a long-term plan before your building becomes a lid on ministry growth. Courage is part of every construction project. // Building projects can feel intimidating because they involve significant financial commitments and countless unknowns. Aaron encourages leaders not to let fear drive their decisions. Throughout his career, he’s watched God repeatedly provide for churches that prayerfully stepped forward in faith while remaining focused on the mission rather than the building itself. The goal isn’t constructing impressive facilities—it’s creating spaces that help more people hear the gospel and experience life change. To learn more about Risepointe and download their free guide, Top 10 Mistakes Churches Make in Construction Projects, visit risepointe.com/unseminary. You can also schedule a free “Ask the Architect” conversation to discuss your church’s facility needs and long-term strategy. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. So glad that you have decided to tune in Listen, I know that today’s episode is going to be particularly helpful to a lot of churches. I am consistently interacting with churches, asking questions about the things that we’re talking about today. It’s a real pain point that I know many of you are leaning in on. You’re going to want to stay tuned right to the the end.Rich Birch — Excited to have my friend and really an incredible leader and expert in this whole area of developing our facilities and using them to ultimately see people take steps closer to you, really leveraging architecture, interior design, graphic design, branding, all of that stuff.Rich Birch — Aaron Stanski is the founder and CEO of Risepointe. With 15 plus years of church design, leadership, and project management experience. He works not not only with churches, but also schools and nonprofits in a wide variety of contexts. Excited to have you on the show, Aaron. Welcome back.Aaron Stanski — Thank you, Rich. Excited to be back, man. This is fun.Rich Birch — Yeah, so good to see you again. And I wanted to get you back on because I feel like, man, this is a conversation that we’ve got to keep in front of people and keep thinking about these things. But for folks that don’t know, give us a picture of Risepointe and maybe particularly the types of churches that you help when you’re like, hey, here’s the kind of churches. Aaron Stanski — Yeah. Rich Birch — How do you think about that?Aaron Stanski — Yeah, I mean, Risepointe, I mean, we’re we’re an architecture and design firm. So we have architects, interior designers, graphic designers that work directly for us. And we work with churches and Christian schools um all across the U.S. and Canada. And for us, I mean, the typical churches or schools that we work with, are ones that are about growth and are about um what we call like the you know personal ownership of evangelism.Aaron Stanski — They are churches that are like, hey, it’s not about us. It’s about it’s about people who aren’t at our church yet. It’s not even necessarily about our students and raising up those students, but it’s about families that are considering what would it look like to you know grow up their their child in Christian education. And so yeah, for us, it’s about churches and schools that are growing and wanting to have an impact on the kingdom. So.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. And I know, you know, our facilities are such a key part of what we do. You know, it’s a critical piece of the puzzle. And, you know, it’s it’s not, it can be an accelerant. It can be, or or it can hold us back. It can be the kind of thing that can help us reach more people, connect more guests, or the kind of thing that hinder us from that.Rich Birch — And you’ve been doing this for 15 plus years. When a church first comes to you, let’s say they’re wrestling with these issues. What do most leaders think, not realize that they’re walking into? Aaron Stanski — Oooh. Rich Birch — Like they’re they’re like, hey, I think we got to like do something here to fix this. What what do they what do they stumble on that’s like, hey, maybe they they’re not aware of?Aaron Stanski — Oh, interesting. That’s a great question, Rich. I mean, I think most churches, like when they call Risepointe, I mean, they understand they’re talking to an architect. They understand that construction is going to be difficult or pricing and budgeting.Aaron Stanski — And we’re going to get into a lot of that here in the podcast. I think one of the things that they might not realize when they’re first starting is, you know, just the mental load that it’s going to take to carry a project through to completion.Rich Birch — that’s good.Aaron Stanski — I mean, it’s easy to think about, oh, yeah, we’re going to have some extra meetings or, oh, yeah, Risepointe is going to be running some things. But there’s just going to be an extra load when it comes to decisions that have to be made, conversations that have to be made with your congregation, your leaders, your staff.Aaron Stanski — And that that mental load over time can take a toll and it can certainly add to the stress if you’re not careful. So.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. I don’t know what the stat is, but I remember hearing that there’s some just a giant number of percentage of lead pastors, particularly or senior leaders who transition after… Aaron Stanski — Yeah. Rich Birch — …you know, within 18 months of opening a new building because of that mental load.Aaron Stanski — Yeah. Rich Birch — You know, how does that kind of show up in maybe how you interact with them? Aaron Stanski — Yeah. Rich Birch — Or how do you lead them in a way to try to reduce that mental load?Aaron Stanski — Yeah, I don’t know. I mean, I’ve heard that I’ve heard that statistic referenced. I haven’t been able to find it actually myself.Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. Me too.Aaron Stanski — Fortunately, most the vast majority of executive pastors and senior pastors that work with us, like they don’t quit once it’s over.Rich Birch — Yes.Aaron Stanski — So…but I don’t know if that’s us doing something right or if like just as a culture and as a as churches, we’ve figured out like, hey, we’re going to support them. We’re going to make sure they have the right administrative support.Rich Birch — Right.Aaron Stanski — We’re going to make sure we you know bring some other people around them. um So I have no, maybe we should add that to like the XP ah survey or something next year, figure that out.Rich Birch — Survey. Yeah, that’s true. Yeah, that’s true. Yeah. Yeah. It was funny in that survey you referenced, we, we did, we do survey every year and there was, I was thinking about this morning as we were prepping for that. There’s an interesting dichotomy found in this year’s study where executive pastors had higher confidence that they were going to start a project this year. And I think it was like 80, it’s a high percentage, 80 some odd percentage versus finished projects. Rich Birch — So there was this like tension of like… Aaron Stanski — Yeah. Rich Birch — …yeah, yeah, we got stuff rolling.Aaron Stanski — Yeah.Rich Birch — Are we going to be able to finish it though? Aaron Stanski — Yeah.Rich Birch — Is it going to be a problem? Who knows, you know, whether we’ll be able to do that.Aaron Stanski — Oh, yeah. That’s good. I mean, they’re the prag you know they’re the pragmatists.Rich Birch — Yes.Aaron Stanski — They’re like, we we’re the ones that are going to have to get this done. And, you know, like we got vision stuff flying around here, but we also have like Sunday coming.Rich Birch — Yes.Aaron Stanski — So, yeah, I love that. That’s great.Rich Birch — Yeah, so good. So you’ve put together a new resource that I want to make sure people pick up at. You can just get it at Risepointe.com/unseminary. We’ll link to that. That’s Risepointe with an E, but it’s called “Top 10 Mistakes Churches Make in Construction Projects”.Rich Birch — Now, I don’t want to give it all away but let’s talk about maybe a couple let’s talk about a couple of them. Aaron Stanski — Sure. Rich Birch — What a couple top mistakes that you see churches make when they’re thinking about construction projects?Aaron Stanski — Yeah. I mean, at some point I should probably write a book on this topic, Rich. Rich Birch — Sure. Aaron Stanski — Not because, not because I know the right things to do, but probably cause I’ve, I’ve done most of these things myself. Rich Birch — Love itAaron Stanski — So if you’ve done some of these things, don’t feel bad, just join the club. I think I should have like a punch card or something like people can like punch out if they’ve made some of these mistakes, but…Rich Birch — Right.Aaron Stanski — One of the things that we discovered is, you know, rarely, you know, when we make one of these mistakes, rarely is it like the first time that it’s ever happened in the history of church construction projects.Aaron Stanski — Right. Rich Birch — Right.Aaron Stanski — Like, and rarely is it like some like random, unique one off thing. Most of the time we can look back and say like, oh, yeah. I kind of saw that thing coming. And so hopefully like some of these things will just like help, you know, some churches hedge off like what some of those things are.Aaron Stanski — But yeah, I mean, I'll I’ll jump right into the first one. And the first one that we see a lot is churches that try to phase the project. And that’s a, you know, that ends up being, you know, can be a big construction mistake. And one of the biggest that they make. primarily because we think phase two is coming. So we’re just going to phase the project.Rich Birch — Right.Aaron Stanski — We’re going to get this done and completed. And then three years later, we’re going to go into another campaign or we will have paid off the debt and we’re going to fix the, you know, finish the project. You know, we’ve worked with dozens of churches that spent decades in misaligned buildings because they had this approach, you know?Rich Birch — Yes. Let’s start with, I think this is great. In fact, I’ve heard you talk about this one and I have parroted this to other people when they’ve talked about their buildings. So first explain, what do you mean by phased? Aaron Stanski — Yeah.Rich Birch — Clearly pull that apart when you’re, you know, what what is the mistake that we could step into?Aaron Stanski — Yeah, so, ah because there’s two different ways that you can look at phased. Sometimes you can look at the project and go, hey, we’re going to do this first and then this second, and the construction team is going to do phase one, phase two, and then we’re done.Aaron Stanski — The construction error that I’m talking about is when we say, Hey, um, we’re going to go ahead and build the thousand seat auditorium in phase one, knowing that we don’t have enough room for the kids or parking or students and think, well, we’ll just come back in phase two and add in the parking that we need or the kids space. Um, that’s the, that’s the part that I’m talking about.Rich Birch — Yeah. And in fact, actually, I know a church that’s in this exact spot. They did not build any kind of youth space. They’ve got a great, you know, the rest of the building, but now they’re like, oh my goodness, we’ve got to go back now and redo this.Rich Birch — So why is this such a problem? Why not? Isn’t this a great way to playing the devil’s advocate? Isn’t this just a great way to save resources? We can’t do it all now. So isn’t this an a logical thing to do?Aaron Stanski — Yeah, I mean, you’re we either spend money building something that we can’t fully occupy, which is poor financial stewardship, or we end up like stuck and it hurts that first time guest experience, right?Aaron Stanski — Like I tell churches, I mean, look at the drawings that you have on paper and say, yes. Like we can do a decade or more of ministry in that space as it’s designed. Or like you got to fix it. Either fix it, or don’t spend the millions of dollars. I mean, that would be my, that would be my encouragement just to make sure we’re spending the resources the way we, the way we should, you know?Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. That’s good. And so how do I know, you know, like, because like I think this is one of those things that, you know, it’s like a, it’s a bit of a counterintuitive idea because I think lots of people actually think this is the way you do it.Rich Birch — How, what’s the better alternative then? How do we kind of pull that apart. Aaron Stanski — Yeah. Rich Birch — Double click on that, expand that a bit more to help us think more clearly on that?Aaron Stanski — Yeah, I think, you know, what we do want to have is a long term plan, right? Skipping the long term plan, that’s going to be another one of these construction fails if you don’t do it. Rich Birch — Yep.Aaron Stanski — So if we have a long term plan and say, okay, here’s what it’s going to look like on our campus if we continue to grow and we continue to trust God and here’s what, yeah, maybe here’s what phase two and phase three looks like and we’re planning for expansion. That’s great. But when it comes down to like the construction and the budget, if we just like lop something off so that we can move forward with the project, we could be we could be introducing a lid that that we don’t know about yet. Right?Rich Birch — Yeah.Aaron Stanski — And so I think what we want to do is establish that long term plan and really dial that in first and then scale it back to something and say, OK, this is a great project. It’s going to set us up for the next run. It’s the step of faith God’s calling us to do. And this thing is going to last us 10 years if we if we you know if we get it done correctly.Rich Birch — Is this, again, I’m not the expert friends at all. So I may not be so thinking about this correctly. So correct my thinking on this. Is a better way… So let’s say we’re thinking about exactly what you’re talking about. We’ve got like a 300 seat auditorium and you know we need we’re thinking we need to triple the whole thing.Rich Birch — And so we, like you say, go to a thousand seats. And so we know that then in rough terms, we would have to triple the kids ministry space, triple the you know, the parking, triple, the, you know, the crush space, the lobby space, that sort of thing.Aaron Stanski — Correct.Rich Birch — You start doing this work and then you’re on the design and you’re like, okay, but we can’t afford all all that. What I’ve seen is churches get all the way through and then they’re like, okay, they literally, they do all the design and then they’re like, okay, well, we can’t afford this.Rich Birch — They try to scope it and they just cut off the student wing or they cut off whatever.Aaron Stanski — Right.Rich Birch — Are we better to think about, okay, We eventually we want to get to triple, but let’s, let’s go from 300 to 600 and scale all those parts up that way and design a plan that then we could come back 10 years from now and maybe add the third. Is that more, is that a better idea?Aaron Stanski — Yeah, it’s a better idea because you’ll build less square footage in the first phase. Rich Birch — Right. Aaron Stanski — It’ll be more it’ll be more achievable. I think understanding what we can afford and can’t afford at the beginning… Rich Birch — Right. Aaron Stanski — …designing something to the budget, I mean, that’s really critical, right? Rich Birch — Right. Aaron Stanski — And so, yeah, I mean, I think if we just get into like, hey, what’s the vision and what would we love to have someday?Rich Birch — Right.Aaron Stanski — We’d love to have a thousand seats and stuff. Well, that’s great. um But what can we afford and what’s what’s that right next step? um Because, yeah, we have to scale the kids, the students, the parking, the guests, like all of that stuff with those number of seats.Rich Birch — Isn’t it interesting? Like we would never approach the building of our own personal house. This is the way that we sometimes do with the church. It’s me speaking with, this is not Aaron, but I, you you know, I do think we forget the, like what’s actually affordable step.Rich Birch — And we would never do that with our own home. It’s like, sure. I would love a five car garage and like, you know, this amazing, whatever insert, you know, whatever the play space and all this stuff. I, I just kind of, so like, I’m going to renovate the kitchen and I’m going to, you know, make these few changes with what I can actually afford.Rich Birch — It’s interesting that we do that. Well, you talked about the ah skipping the long-term plan is maybe one of these or something around that.Aaron Stanski — Yeah.Rich Birch — Let’s talk about that. How do we think that about the long-term plan?Aaron Stanski — Yeah. I mean, I think sometimes it’s tempting to just kind of try to solve some immediate space needs as quickly as possible. We’re running hard. Some of us are launching campuses or we’re trying to plant a church down the road and we’re out of seats. And it’s tempting to say like, hey, can we just blow this wall out and add 200 seats? Like it it feels like that’s just the next thing to do.Rich Birch — Right.Aaron Stanski — you know I’ve talked, you know a lot of pastors, they just want the problem to go away.Rich Birch — Right.Aaron Stanski — And I get it. And like the thought of, like let’s spend some time like planning out the future, like this feels like a waste of time to them a little bit. And I mean we’ve rushed few you know we’ve rushed through some projects at Risepointe’s only to be ready to start construction and realize, like oh shoot, like the problem shifted, or we’re just going to introduce this other problem. And so, I mean, I think, you know, sitting down, taking the time and it doesn’t have to take a long time.Aaron Stanski — I mean, ah you know, we’ll come in and do a needs analysis for church in like 30 days.Aaron Stanski — So like we’re not talking about like, let’s spend a year like blue sky dreaming about all the possibilities. But I am saying let’s spend let’s spend a good amount of time like thinking about it, planning it so that we know we’re not you know causing more problems than we’re fixing.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. That’s good. What’s the tension there on, and you know I picked this up from you in a previous conversation and it it has stuck with me, is that you know all of our buildings are built in kind of a particular kind of cultural moment and a philosophy of ministry moment. Rich Birch — They’re an expression of that. And but then ministries change, right? And our ministry looks different. How do we balance that reality of like, we’re kind of want to make it work for today, but then we also want to design, have some sort of conception long-term that’s like, Hey, we could imagine a future where things might change a little bit. How do we, how do we work? How do we make that happen?Aaron Stanski — Yeah, I mean, you know, some of some of it’s prescribed pretty clearly in the Bible and it hasn’t changed for thousands of years.Rich Birch — Right.Aaron Stanski — And so like the gathering together of the saints and the singing and taking care of the widows and orphans and the opening up of the word and you know inviting the Holy Spirit to participate. And so some of those things um are just going to stand the test of time.Rich Birch — Right.Aaron Stanski — I think a little bit what you’re talking about in the expression of it is you know some of the design choices and some of the things that feel relevant or good. I think we have to be careful not to chase trends you know too often in doing some of that. But I would say there’s like a wrong there’s a strong resurgence right now in you know getting back to churches that feel like churches, in walking into spaces that feel holy and not just black boxes and some of those.Aaron Stanski — And so we want to pay attention to some of those things. And we also, ah yeah, we just don’t want to be too trendy, you know. We don’t want to chase trends, especially with architecture and steel and concrete because those things are expensive to to change.Rich Birch — Yes, yes, absolutely. Yeah, that’s interesting. Okay, so what maybe what’s another one in these top 10 mistakes? Again, friends, we want you to drop by and pick it up. But what’s another one of these we could unpack for folks?Aaron Stanski — Yeah. As I was thinking through, you know, some of the mistakes that I’ve even I’ve made, I think sometimes when we’re in construction and budgets are tight and we’re tired, we get to a point where we want to ignore, you know, maybe the long term costs for some of the decisions that we make and we want to sell it out short. Aaron Stanski — I was talking to a church last week. Right. I mean, they you know, they made a decision that saved them 20 grand on the construction project, but it cost them like 10 times that every five years in ongoing maintenance.Rich Birch — Wow. Right.Aaron Stanski — And so you look back and you’re like, well, shoot, why did we do that?Rich Birch — Right.Aaron Stanski — You know, why did we try to save, you know, $1,500 per kids, you know, room in trying to like, we’ll just put one thermostat in and make all the rooms hot or all the rooms cold and we’ll just run the air conditioning or run the, run the heater. Like long-term, like you’re spending way more money in those scenarios. So that’s one of the things is like, man, what are, what’s the ongoing operational and maintenance costs of these decisions going to be?Aaron Stanski — And I mean, sometimes it’s like, oh, this thing looks really cool, or we really want to have that.Rich Birch — Right.Aaron Stanski — And that’d be an awesome feature. And you just have no idea like, oh, man, every week someone’s going to have to go out there like with a machine and like a chemical or something to keep that thing ah functioning or looking the way ah we want it to look.Rich Birch — Right.Aaron Stanski — So.Rich Birch — Yeah. Well, and that that I can see, mean I feel like I’ve been in that conversation around even the, you know, the system controls and stuff where we’re like, man, every one of these thermostats we put in is going to cost X amount of dollars. But the long-term, you know, ah flexibility and just, you know, ability to actually reduce the cost, you know, can be amazing if we get more sensors and more stuff in there. But it seems like we’re just pinched. Rich Birch — Why why does that happen? Is it rush at the, you know, we’re just not slowing down enough when we make all those decisions. We’re not asking the questions. We don’t have the right partner at the table. Help me understand why, why do we end up making these short-term, long-term, you know, trade-offs or maybe we’re saving a dollar today, costing us 10 tomorrow. Where does that actually come from?Aaron Stanski — Yeah, I mean, I think it comes a little bit from, you know, some decision fatigue definitely happens. And then, you know, maybe not counting all the costs and, you know, potentially like we’ve missed some things or, oh, yeah, we got to get the furniture in here. And the like, and so we’re right up against like what we feel like is the top lid for what we want to spend. Aaron Stanski — And then you get into some of these things, you’re like, man, we just need to value engineer, you know, some stuff out of this project. And at that point, you know, you’re saving, you know, you’re trying to save pennies. But you’re you’re sacrificing a lot of functionality. Aaron Stanski — I mean, I think in those situations, we would say we would typically take a longer term approach and say hey before we make that decision, let’s talk about those consequences, and let’s figure out if there’s another area that we might that we that we might want to save some money on. Or another decision that we could make that would still get you to where you want to be financially but isn’t going to cost you you know the the pain every year kind of moving forward.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Yeah, that’s, man, I feel like that one, I feel like I can feel that one a little too close to home. I feel like i’ve been in that conversation in the past. Maybe one more. What’s one more top 10 mistake? Aaron Stanski — Yeah.Rich Birch — And then again, we want people to pick up the whole thing.Aaron Stanski — Yeah. Oh, man. There’s a few different ones on here that I could certainly do. You know, one of the one of the mistakes I see and I’ll kind of end with this one. It’s it’s number 10 on the list. But, you know, I called it treating the building as as the mission. Aaron Stanski — I’ll state the obvious, like yeah and most of the you know all the churches that listen to your podcast would not say like the building is the mission, right? The goal is never simply to complete the building project. Aaron Stanski — The goal is to create spaces that support discipleship and outreach and worship and community impact, right, when it’s all done. But I think we also subconsciously potentially treat the building as the mission when we get to grand opening and say, man, I’m so glad I’m done. Like that’s it, like mission accomplished.Rich Birch — Right.Aaron Stanski — Like you’re building your spaces, how you’re inviting guests in. I mean, it’s never done, right?Rich Birch — Right.Aaron Stanski — I think, you know, I mean, I think McDonald’s has renovated every restaurant in America at least five times since the last time Burger King has ever done a remodel.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Aaron Stanski — And so they one of those environments is nice and I want to take my seventh grade boys over there after we play laser tag after church or whatever.Rich Birch — Yes.Aaron Stanski — And one of those I don’t. Rich Birch — Right. Aaron Stanski — And so I mean I think you know trying to figure out how are we going to constantly improve, move signage, change where the guest services spot is, like experiment with kids, check in and move them around and update the carpet and use some accent paint and buy some awesome lobby furniture and um kind of see it as sort of a repetitive thing. Aaron Stanski — And then i would also say that a lot of churches, like they hit that finish line and, you know, because of the financial stress of it and stuff, they’re like, and we made it. Unfortunately, like if you continue to grow, you’re going to have to do another project at some point… Rich Birch — Yes. Aaron Stanski — …or you’re going to want to launch a multi-site. And if you’re still carrying the debt of that first project, you’re not going to have the finances to do it. And so I think it’s also like saying, hey, you know, this building wasn’t the end, and we’re going to aggressively pay down the debt. Rich Birch — That’s good. Aaron Stanski — We’re going to aggressively um open the doors to our community and let as many people use it as we can. And so, ah so yeah, that’d be one of the, one of the end ones.Rich Birch — That’s good. Yeah, I can see that. and And I think it’s great. This part of why I love you is like, I feel like there’s a lot of folks that are in your seat that do what you do for a living, who do see the building as the mission. Even the way they talk about it, they’re like, hey, this is the most important thing. But actually, it’s just a tool to serve, which is part of why I love Risepointe, love your team, love love what you’re doing.Rich Birch — Talk to us about, I think the idea there, I’ve also experienced this, I’ve seen churches with this where they build the building and then I literally, close to a church where they built a new campus and then that campus grew by 50% in the first 10 weeks after they launched and then they were scrambling. They were like, oh my goodness, now we’ve got to like do the next thing. Rich Birch — How do we how do we plan for this one? Assuming like it might actually work like people will show up. Aaron Stanski — Yeah. Rich Birch — You know how do we how do we plan on the front end thinking about, you know, beyond okay so that we get the thing open and then a bunch of new people show up.Aaron Stanski — Yeah, and and not just thinking that if you build it, they’ll somehow magically come, right?Rich Birch — Right, that’s the tension of those two. Yes, for sure.Aaron Stanski — Because that’s the tension of those two things. Rich Birch — Yeah. Aaron Stanski — So I mean, I think having the right, you know, strategic design partner or like a partner to walk alongside you in some of that, whether that’s like someone, you know, on the church growth ah side of the equation… Rich Birch — Yep. Aaron Stanski — …that can speak into some of that strategy or the multisite strategy side of the equation, I mean, those are going to be very important voices.Rich Birch — Yep.Aaron Stanski — you know Like you mentioned, we want your facility to serve your mission, not ah be a lid. ah Sometimes when we take the lid off, we open, we solve a problem, right? Uh, and that’s kind of stating the obvious.Aaron Stanski — But we’ve worked with churches where, you know, they’re running three or four services, you know, they’re maxed out. And so, yeah, we go and we double the number of seats. We open a bunch of things. And instead of coming once every six weeks, everyone starts coming once every three weeks because there’s more parking spots and more seats.Rich Birch — Right.Aaron Stanski — And so that’s when you get that immediate 50%, you know, bump. And it’s not from, you know, reaching more people necessarily. It’s it’s literally just your attendance pattern changing.Rich Birch — Right.Aaron Stanski — So when you’re sitting down and having these conversations, I think it’s really important that you look at some of those trends. You’re looking at your attendance data, and you’re, you know, you’re sort of measuring, you know, what do we think this thing’s going to do?Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. That’s fantastic. I love I love this. So we’ve got, you know, there’s a multiple, there’s other ones that we want people to check out. Again, we’ll put a link in the show notes, but it’s just Risepointe.com/unseminary. You can pick that up. There are “Top 10 Mistakes Churches Make in Construction Projects” from the mouth of someone who sees a lot of these, we don’t want people to make these mistakes.Rich Birch — How early in the process should a church reach out to you? So my my sense is that we have churches reaching out too late in the process. But how early, like if we start thinking, hmm, you know, we’re filling, you know, things are filling up. We’re thinking about, we got to fix the kids ministry space. How when in that process should they say, hey, I got to talk to Aaron and the team at Risepointe?Aaron Stanski — Yeah. I mean, I think like if you talk to any salesperson in the, you know, on the planet, they’ll tell you like, well, you got to talk to me right away. Rich Birch — Yes. Aaron Stanski — The sooner, the better, like the sooner you’re planning to buy a car or the sooner you should call me. Rich Birch — Right. Yes.Aaron Stanski — I mean, I think ah having the conversation and the right strategic triggers to know when you need to start like the design process and the construction process, that’s the key.Aaron Stanski — So, you know, if you call Risepointe, you’re not, you know, we’re not starting architecture. We’re not selling you services or anything like that. So I think bringing bringing either us in or another trusted expert, you know we say when you reach 80% capacity at your largest service, you need to have the conversation started.Rich Birch — That’s good.Aaron Stanski — You know, you can be at 80% capacity at your largest service and be launching your first, second service, right? And that’s very different than adding your fourth or fifth on a Saturday or something like that. But in general, we we say that that’s usually that tipping point… Rich Birch — That’s good trigger. Aaron Stanski — …where we want to at least say, what is the strategy? What is the plan? What are the triggers so that the facility itself doesn’t become a lid to our growth?Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. That’s I like that’s a really good I like a good tripwire like that. I think there’s a lot of churches that are at that spot. And actually, you can go on the Risepointe website and actually schedule like an initial call, right? Rich Birch — Yeah.Rich Birch — You can drop by there. Why don’t you to tell us a little bit about that? What am I committing to? If I click the schedule to call button, what what does that mean?Aaron Stanski — Yeah, we’ve got a little “Ask the Architect” series and stuff that’s that’s rolling as well. But it basically just means you get to talk to someone who’s a church guy or gal first, but who’s an architect or a design professional. And they just want to meet you and hear a little bit about like your church and your story and where are you at and what are some of the questions that you have? What are some of the things that you’re wrestling with?Aaron Stanski — A lot of times we’re pulling up examples from other churches and kind of like walking you through some ideas or pointing you in a direction that might be helpful. But yeah, on that call, we really want to get into what’s what’s going on at your church specifically. What are some of the concerns? What are some of the things that you’re seeing or not seeing? And sometimes there’s some a homework assignment coming out of it.Aaron Stanski — Like, right. Hey, let’s go get your attendance data. Let’s take a look at some of these things. Let’s try to figure out what’s going on. Let’s have someone take a picture in the parking lot because you’re never in the parking lot on a Sunday morning.Rich Birch — Right.Aaron Stanski — You’re backstage or whatever. And ah but, yeah, it’s a great first step in you know trying to figure out you know what you need to do with your facility.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s fantastic. I’ve had, you know, multiple friends who have done that. I just be so thankful for your team’s interaction with them and just some helpful guidance in that, even that initial call to be like, hey, here’s a couple of things. Here’s a couple questions that they would ask that have you think about that, Yeah, it’s not like ah we’re committing to anything today. It’s necessarily a conversation to get the ball rolling. I think that could be super helpful. Rich Birch — Well, friends, again, we want to send you to Risepointe.com/unseminary to pick up a copy of this 10 Mistakes. I think it’s a super helpful resource that you could even just kick around with your leadership team. Hey, let’s talk about these ones. Could be great. Any kind of final words, just as we wrap up today’s episode, we want to make sure that people hear about when we’re thinking about construction projects.Aaron Stanski — You know, I would, you know, I’d say construction is ah scary and it can be expensive and it’s not what most of us went to school to do. So I would just say, like, take courage.Rich Birch — That’s good.Aaron Stanski — Like man, the number of times that we’ve seen the Lord like just show up in unbelievable ways ah when His churches stepped out in faith and said, hey, like we’re going to you know we’re going to go take something on. And so I would just say like have courage. Do not be afraid. And you know, like, yeah, make it, you know, it’s not about the building, right? It’s about it’s about lost people and and sharing the gospel. Aaron Stanski — And so, um yeah, if my mistakes can help you out in any way, I would love to love to share those with you.Rich Birch — I love it. So good. Well, Aaron, this is a great, great conversation today. Appreciate you coming back on and and helping us think through some of these issues. Again, we want to send people to Risepointewithane.com to schedule that call or, you know, pick up the mistakes. Anywhere else we want to send them online to track with you or with your firm?Aaron Stanski — Nah, man, that’s fine. I mean, they can find us on socials and stuff like that if they want to see like nerdy pictures of like church construction being built and like…Rich Birch — Mid build guys walking around…Aaron Stanski — …mid-build stuff, concrete getting poured or whatever. Rich Birch — Yes. Aaron Stanski — But but no, it’d be great.Rich Birch — Guys in hard hats, people in hard hats walking around… Aaron Stanski — Yes. Yes. Rich Birch — …you know, half built buildings. That’s good. Thanks so much, Aaron. Appreciate you, that sir. Thanks for coming on today. Aaron Stanski — Yeah, thanks, Rich. Bye.

#RingRust with my musicular #IndependenceRage #aewRedemption & #Summerslam chat! & #TagMeIn as I illustrate what WWE stands for, in the #3wayDanceOff! ~ ~ ~ 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!  & BROADCAST @ 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... 0:05:49 Pay-Per-Review: Ohio Valley Wrestling's Independence Rage 1 0:07:39 Musicular Interlude 1 0:19:58 Pay-Per-Review: Ohio Valley Wrestling's Independence Rage 2 0:20:51 Musicular Interlude 2  0:32:27 Pay-Per-Review: Ohio Valley Wrestling's Independence Rage 3 0:33:38 Musicular Interlude 3 0:43:18 Pre-Per-View: All Elite Wrestling's Redemption 1 0:45:03 Musicular Interlude 4 0:53:39 Assuming the Intermissionary Position 0:58:10 This Week's Macho Fact 1:09:54 Wrestler Birthdays...  1:11:55 Musicular Interlude 5 1:21:40 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: When WWE Stood For Walk with Elias! 1:34:34 Pre-Per-View: All Elite Wrestling's Redemption 2 / WWE's Summerslam 1 1:36:14 Musicular Interlude 6 1:42:34 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Summerslam 2 1:44:04 Musicular Interlude 7  1:51:48 Podcast Extra 

A fixed-rate loan is great, but a fixed-rate loan you don't have to rate lock is even better.In this video, Rob Beardsley and Craig McGrouther explain why assuming the seller's existing 5.8% fixed-rate loan was a key advantage for this investment.They discuss how the loan assumption removes interest rate uncertainty before closing, why lower leverage helps protect downside risk, and how multiple exit strategies provide flexibility if market conditions change.Learn more about LSCRE at www.lscre.com~

The Invite Part 2: Why Caretaking Kills Sexual DesireWelcome to Part 2 of our multi-part deep dive into A24's film The Invite. (If you haven't listened to Part 1 or seen the movie yet, major spoiler alert!) In this continuation, Lauren and Trey take an honest, unflinching look at the four lead characters to ask the ultimate psychosexual questions: Would you date them? Would you sleep with them? And what do their dynamic flaws reveal about modern long-term relationships?Lauren and Trey dismantle the hidden poisons that quietly destroy intimacy inside monogamous marriages. They explore why "caretaking" acts as a massive anti-aphrodisiac and how women's "erotic self-focus" gets shamed in long-term dynamics.From confronting the toxic "supposed tos" of marital sex to analyzing Esther Perel's famous framework; we will have many marriages in our lives, whether with the same partner or new ones. This episode is a masterclass in stepping out of "poor me" victim triangles and choosing true relational flourishing.Key TakeawaysAnalyzing Seth Rogen's miserable, back-pain-riddled character, Lauren explains why stepping into a "sweet mommy" or caretaker role completely kills erotic charge. Drawing on Esther Perel's work, she breaks down why primal sexual desire cannot exist where maternal or paternal caretaking takes over.The Male Isolation Epidemic: Trey reflects on his own male friendships, prompting Lauren to address the tragedy of male social conditioning. They dissect how culture discourages emotional vulnerability between straight men, forcing husbands to rely on their wives as their sole source of emotional anchor, connection, and touch.Lauren unpacks Esther Perel's cornerstone philosophy. As humans evolve over decades, relationship containers must either be consciously rebuilt from the inside or uncoupled. Assuming a partnership will stay the exact same through parenthood, career shifts, and perimenopause is a recipe for resentment.If you and your partner are caught in a loop of rejection, caretaking, or living on relational crumbs, it's time to rewrite your agreement. Let's work together to build a relationship container based on mutual desire and authentic agency.Request your free 15-minute consult at sexedforyou.com/freeconsult.About ThemLauren and Trey are partners living in Central Virginia, where Lauren owns and operates Sex Ed for You. She provides comprehensive sexuality education and embodied coaching to individuals, partners, and parents.Through a biopsychosocial approach, Sex Ed for You works to restore positive and respectful approaches to sexuality and sexual relationships, while increasing the possibility of pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination, and violence (World Health Organization).Sexual health is fundamental to the overall health and well-being of individuals, couples, and families, as well as to the social and economic development of communities and countries (World Health Organization). When individuals are blocked from sexual health, they are often stunted in their ability to develop sensual play, embodied connection, and enjoyment.Learn More & ConnectLearn more about Sex Ed for You: ⁠https://www.sexedforyou.com⁠Schedule a FREE CONSULT with Lauren: ⁠https://www.sexedforyou.com/freeconsult⁠Learn more about partnered communication and relational education on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/sex_ed_for_you/⁠Subscribe to the YouTube channel for conversations about sex, partnership, communication, and love: ⁠https://youtube.com/@thepartnershippodcast⁠Important RemindersThis is not a “how to” podcast, but rather a “how they” podcast. Lauren and Trey share personal experiences, perspectives, and reflections, inviting listeners to learn from what resonates, question what doesn't, and decide what feels aligned for their own lives.Lauren is not a therapist. She is a Certified Holistic Sexuality Educator and Embodied Intimacy and Relationship Coach.

Send us Fan MailVitamin K refusal has crossed 5%. That's one in twenty babies, and the curve is bending the wrong way. Ben and Eli work through a new Pediatrics case review that opens with a warning shot, that hemorrhagic presentation in an infant should no longer be a diagnostic mystery, alongside a JAMA letter tracking refusal from 2.9% in 2017 to 5.2% in 2024. Eighty-one times the risk. Intracranial hemorrhage in most late-onset cases. Twenty percent mortality. They talk about the halo effect on other refusals, the ICD code you should be using, and why this conversation belongs in the obstetrics office, not the nursery.----Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding After Refusal: A Sentinel Event in a Misinformation Era. Jacobs JW, Booth GS, Wheeler AP, Adkins BD.Pediatrics. 2026 May 1;157(5):e2026075994. doi: 10.1542/peds.2026-075994.PMID: 41916583 No abstract available.Trends in Vitamin K Administration Among Infants. Scott K, Miller E, Culhane JF, Greenspan J, Handley SC, Lo JY, Knake LA, McKenney KM, Burris HH, Dysart K.JAMA. 2026 Jan 20;335(3):272-274. doi: 10.1001/jama.2025.21460.PMID: 41359326 Free PMC article.Babies Are Bleeding to Death as Parents Reject a Vitamin Shot Given at Birth https://www.propublica.org/article/more-parents-decline-vitamin-k-shot-newbornsSupport the showAs always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: nicupodcast@gmail.com. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below.Enjoy!

#RingRust with my musicular #IndependenceRage chat! & #TagMeIn as I fail to label these songs as exlpicit, in the #3wayDanceOff! ~ ~ ~ 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!  & BROADCAST @ 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... 0:04:22 Pre-Per-View: Ohio Valley Wrestling's Independence Rage 1 0:05:37 Musicular Interlude 1 0:14:14 Pre-Per-View: Ohio Valley Wrestling's Independence Rage 2 0:14:40 Musicular Interlude 2  0:22:58 Pre-Per-View: Ohio Valley Wrestling's Independence Rage 3 0:23:30 Musicular Interlude 3 0:34:43 Battle Royale With Cheese: the Untold Story of Danhausan! 0:36:35 Musicular Interlude 4 0:46:58 Assuming the Intermissionary Position 0:52:04 This Week's Macho Fact 1:00:23 Wrestler Birthdays...  1:02:10 Musicular Interlude 5 1:11:27 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: It's Not Swearing... It's Their Last Name! 1:25:54 Battle Royale With Cheese: This Wrestling News Website *Won't* Damage Your Computer! 1:27:27 Musicular Interlude 6 1:36:17 Battle Royale With Cheese: Total Nonstop Action Smark Ball! 1:37:48 Musicular Interlude 7  1:44:53 Podcast Extra 

In this Meaningful Money Q&A episode, Pete Matthew and Roger Weeks answer real listener questions on UK pensions, retirement planning, tax and ISAs. They cover pension contributions for a spouse, starting a career in financial planning, reducing workplace pension fees with a SIPP, navigating the 60% tax trap, retiring abroad with UK pensions, and upcoming ISA rule changes from April 2027. A practical episode for UK savers, investors and future retirees looking to make clearer, more confident financial decisions. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA55    01:26  Question 1 Thanks Roger and Pete for the wealth of information you share and all the time you put in to share on finance and pensions. I have listened to a lot of your podcasts on my treks to and from work and finally took the plunge to retire early at 52 to enjoy life and get away from the desk for 8-9 hours a day. I had a DB pension which allowed me to take early whilst my wife has various pensions from previous jobs but all have the rule to take from 57 onwards. So my question is to help 4-5 years down the line. Could I put £300 a month (or the equivalent of 300 minus government contribution) into my wife's pension to continue to take account of government contributions and take the opportunity of her being on below the £12k tax threshold after giving up work? Is this possible or would this be classed as pension recycling as the government would presume the cash invested is from the lump sum I got from my defined benefit pension or is there a way to prove the money is from pay before I retired? Many thanks for your advice and support giving many people greater confidence with pensions and finances. Wayne 04:10  Question 2 Hello Pete & Roger, Thanks for all the great content and information - you are both much better than any AI chatbots! Apologies for the long back story but here goes: My name is Michael, 33 and I live in central Scotland. I have worked in a tech startup for the last 6 years but felt like a change around 18 months ago so I began sitting my CII exams. To date I have passed RO1 - RO5 and also recently passed CF6. I am sitting RO6 in April this year - wish me luck! I have recently secured an opportunity to work self employed for a specialist mortgage firm and start in early May as a trainee mortgage advisor. I have been offered a set monthly payment for 6 months then a 70/30 split after that. I would hope to have achieved CAS within that 6 month period. If I pass RO6 in April, I will have my diploma. My goal is to work as a financial planner but since I've done self study, I don't have any real experience of the financial services industry. I am very ambitious but also trying to be realistic about how to sensibly map out a route to being a successful financial planner relatively quickly. To throw a spanner in the works, a family friend who is a 62 year old IFA with £30m aum is interested in discussing me joining him and eventually taking over the business. It sounds exciting but also a little scary to me. He is only a one man band. For now I've accepted the mortgage trainee position but not sure if I am doing the right thing. The owner of the mortgage company now lives in Dubai and is looking to also remove himself from his business - he has 8 admin staff who WFH from across Scotland and he is the main adviser, specialising in BTL, bridging and commercial finance. They are only authorised for mortgages by the FCA. After that dissertation, my questions are: 1. From your experience and perspective, are mortgages a decent place to start or can you end up getting stuck there? 2. Since I have no real industry experience, only exams - is my head in the clouds thinking I could be a full fledged financial planner within 2 years? 3. If I started with the mortgage firm and got CAS as a self employed mortgage advisor, could I then also be an appointed representative for a different financial planning firm at the same time or is that not actually feasible in the real world? Once again, sorry for the huge essay but I guess context is needed. Once again thanks for all that you do, not much good content out there around these topics so keep up the good work! Regards, Michael   12:36  Question 3 Hi Pete & Roger, Firstly a very big thank you for all that you do for this community. I am learning lots from you guys and feel more confident with my finances. I'm 46 years old and currently have two pensions. My first pension is in a defined benefit plan from my steelwork apprenticeship days whereby I only paid into it for approx 6 years before moving jobs. I was able to track this down late last year and was pleasantly surprised to see that this had gone from an annual amount of £2650 in July 2007 to £4400 as of October 2025. I have been told to leave this as it is as it will grow over time with inflation. My other pension is a defined contribution plan with Royal London (RL). I am a higher rate tax payer and currently pay 10% of my £58,000 annual salary into this fund and my employer pays 5%. I would like to finish at 58 given I had a serious neck injury at 41 and don't know how long my body is going to work for me)! This pot is currently worth £105,000 and I am deliberating whether to increase my contributions in order to achieve my retirement age goal. I also have a stocks and shares ISA which is currently worth £36,000. I pay £250 a month into this but don't know if it would be more tax efficient to put this £250 into my pension instead? However, I am also mindful that the pension age may increase so by having a pot of money invested in the stocks and shares ISA I can draw this down when I like and also not bear any tax implications. Having looked into the fees which RL charge (0.71% for our employers scheme) I believe I would be able to achieve my goal quicker were I to move this into a SIPP and invest in a global ETF. I have discussed this with my employer and have asked if they would consider offering an alternative SIPP option. I feel I am meeting some resistance with this and don't believe a decision will be made anytime soon. In the interim, my compounding is being eaten away by the fees which I am currently being charged and my goal is moving further away from me. I found a pension fee calculator online and at the current rate I am investing I stand to lose approx £50,000 if I keep this with RL. I am aware that I can partially transfer my RL pension. However, to keep the employer contribution I would need to keep the RL pension open with a minimum amount of funds and then transfer the employer contribution across to my SIPP.  What is the best way to go about this to make it the most fee/tax efficient?  Should I transfer the employer contribution as soon as it is paid to RL, or would it be no different to do it on an annual basis?  I am assuming the longer I have money in the SIPP the more growth it will obtain therefore the former would be the sensible default. Am I approaching this correctly? Is there something else which I could consider? Thank you kindly, Paul   20:30 Question 4 Hi Pete and Rog - great show and love the books (but not finished them yet). Thanks for demystifying the complex world of personal finance and financial planning. I'm in the fortunate position where my projected salary and bonus will increase again for tax year 2026/27 and will take me well over the £125k tax threshold before adjustments. My 'problem' so to speak is that even after using my current year maximum pension allowance and previous years unused maximum pension allowance I can only get my adjusted income to be around £115k. Tough life I know! I can either make a large Gift Aid donation to get below £100k or use less of my unused maximum pension allowance to keep above £125k. Am I missing any other income adjustment options? What is the actual impact of not being able to hit the £100k adjusted income, and being in the £125k additional tax bracket, from a tax payment perspective in real money terms? I have some small cash savings and stocks outside of ISAs as we put most of these in my wife's name as she is a basic rate tax payer. We don't need the childcare tax scheme and not aware of any other reason to keep under £100k except to save tax and avoid the 60% effective tax rate between £100k and £125k. Don't want to let the tax tail wag the dog, and happy to give to charity, but in real terms is there actually much difference in the tax payment amount in pounds and pence (as long as I kept out of the £100k - £125k range)? Many thanks, Simon   25:33 Question 5 Hi, Fairly new listener to the podcasts, been binge watching them recently, ended up here via the meaningful money YouTube channel. Both are thoroughly enjoyable to watch and are teaching me a lot about the financial world - along with 2 other YouTube channels I like Damien talks money and James shack. Anyway my question if you have time and it's selected would be about retiring abroad. My current situation - male, 42, living north east England, working full time for NHS and will have 2 NHS db scheme pensions in retirement (1 in 2008 scheme at 65 and 1 in 2015 care scheme at state pension age).  I have 2 stocks and shares ISAs,  with about £95000 between them, 1 stocks and shares Lisa with about £4500 in it (for retirement not house purchase), about £21000 in premium bonds which I use as an emergency fund. Our house is paid off so no mortgage payments so at the minute can add to these savings at £500+ a month comfortable. My wife is 34 and here on spouse visa and hopefully will be eligible for indefinite leave to remain and citizenship soon (it will save us a lot in visa fees and stuff when it happens).  She currently works a part time job 16hr per week at minimum wage to fit around child care for our 2year old son. 1st question is would this part time work count as a qualifying year for the state pension as it's below the personal tax allowance? We have a rough plan of retiring early hopefully once our son is grown up and finished with schooling and university and moving back to my wife's home country in Asia for the better weather and lower cost of living.  As a rough plan we think when I'm 60 and wife 52 but could move later depending on family commitments. Now if I stay in NHS all that time I should have 10 years in the 2008 NHS scheme and 24 years in 2015 scheme and with conservative planning on spreadsheets will get £8000 per year from 2008 scheme and £14000 from the 2015 scheme taking at the normal pension age for these schemes.  My wife will benefit from a spouse's pension for length if I die 1st of roughly 1/3 of these figures.  I have the option of exchanging some of this pension for tax free lump sum up to 25% and the calculation is for every £1 I reduce the pension by I get £12 lump sum. Question 2 - everyone at work always talks about you got to take the maximum lump sum to avoid paying tax, but I'm not so sure as the pensions linked to inflation over the long run there could end up being a big gap between your pension with and without the lump sum.  What's your thoughts on this, if I didn't need a large amount  of cash for a specific thing surely it's better to go for the larger pension even if you end up paying for tax or am I wrong . When we move I will have a full NI record for the state pension but my wife won't and depending on your answer to the 1st question might have 20 years contribution say. Question 3 - if we move abroad before she has a full record can we make voluntary payments for extra year's while resident in another country? I see you can pay about £900 for a year in this country but I'm not so sure if where already living abroad. Assuming my savings continue to grow and the stock market doesn't complete collapse, I will use these savings to bridge the gap from 60 to 65 and then the state pension age.  And fund the move with the sale of our house which will also give us a cash buffer hopefully too. Question 4 - when moving abroad can I keep my stocks and shares ISA - I know you can't contribute more to it, but keeping it open to grow, receive dividends, withdraw money, the government website says you can but a lot of the provider websites are vague and some say they don't allow it.  Is it a case when the time comes I'll have to transfer my isas to 1 of the more expensive providers say who are more likely to allow this? Now I already know that the country I'm moving to doesn't have a reciprocal agreement so our state pension will be frozen at the level that we claim it and have based all our plans and number crunching on this. And that the country I move to may charge tax on money I draw out of my ISA when I transfer it over, and on my pension (although with the double taxation treaty hopefully not) and will seek advice of accountants over there nearer the time as currently there is some work arounds involving spouses but these may not be there in 20 years time. My last question -  would be about if I die 1st probably more likely me being older and male, is more for my wife inheriting my UK based assets - the bank accounts and isas, NHS pension.  The NHS pension should be easy she's already my nominee on record and will go through with her the forms and website for claiming it.  But the isas and bank accounts are the main worry - will it be easy for her to transfer them over to her (I'm assuming the joint accounts will be pretty much automatic) but will the single accounts be easy? Can she keep the money in the ISA still in an ISA but in her name? Would having her own ISA make this transfer easier? And most importantly is this something you think can be done online/over the phone from abroad or will it involve a trip back to the UK and back and forward to branches assuming they haven't all been shut. Thank you for taking the time to read this email, sorry it's so long, and no worries if it doesn't get chosen for the podcast. Keep up the good work Kind regards, Mark 38:15  Question 6 Change to ISA rules from April 2027. Audio question from Holly.  

Grab the King Closer Blueprint: My Step by Step Sales Process for closing over 2,000 deals (Only $27): https://www.titaniumu.com/blueprintWant to work directly with me to close more deals? Go Here: https://www.titaniumu.comWant the Closer's Formula sales process I've used to close 2,000+ deals (FREE) Go Here: https://www.kingclosersformula.com/closeIf you're new to my channel my name is RJ Bates III. Myself and my partner Cassi DeHaas are the founders of Titanium Investments.We are nationwide virtual wholesalers and on this channel we share EVERYTHING that we do inside our business. So if you're looking to close more deals - at higher assignments - anywhere in the country… You're in the right place.Who is Titanium Investments and What Have We Accomplished?Over 10 years in the real estate investing businessClosed deals in all 50 states​Owned rentals in 12 states​Flipped houses in 11 states​Closed on over 2,000 properties​125 contracts in 50 days (all live on YouTube)​Back to back Closers Olympics ChampionTrained thousands of wholesalers to close more deals_________________________________With over 4,000 Videos, this is the #1 channel on YouTube for all things Virtual Wholesaling. SUBSCRIBE NOW!    https://www.youtube.com/@RJBatesIII_________________________________RESOURCES FOR YOU:If you want my team and I to walk you through how to build or scale your virtual wholesaling business from A to Z, click here to learn more about Titanium University: https://www.titaniumu.com(FREE) If you want to learn how to close deals just like me, The King Closer, then download the free King Closer Formula PDF: https://www.kingclosersformula.com/closeGrab Titanium Profits: Our exact system we use to comp and underwrite deals in only 4 minutes. (Only $99) https://www.kingclosersformula.com/titaniumprofitsSupport the show

Learn what's in a rare bipartisan housing bill in Congress, then find out whether a credit card payment plan beats buy now, pay later. Why did a housing bill with overwhelming bipartisan support suddenly stall on the president's desk? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP©, and Elizabeth Ayoola are joined by senior news writer Anna Helhoski, and mortgage writers Abby Badach Doyle and Kate Wood to unpack the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. It's a nearly 400-page bill designed to ease the national housing shortage by cutting federal red tape around permitting, expanding small-dollar mortgages, limiting large institutional investors from buying more single-family homes, and creating incentives — not mandates — for local governments to build more housing, including manufactured homes and accessory dwelling units. Then, Sean and Elizabeth are joined by credit cards Nerd and NerdWallet spokesperson Sara Rathner to help a listener named Emma decide how to pay off a large purchase without draining her savings. They walk through how to compare the fees on a credit card issuer's payment plan against your card's regular APR, how these plans differ from third-party buy now, pay later services, and whether either option can help — or hurt — your credit score. Locked Out: 3 Outdated Myths About Manufactured Homes: https://www.nerdwallet.com/mortgages/news/locked-out-manufactured-homes-affordable-housing-crisis Best 0% APR Credit Cards of July 2026: https://www.nerdwallet.com/credit-cards/best/zero-percent Subscribe to our podcast's free email newsletter for bonus content and more from our hosts at https://smartmoney-nerdwallet.beehiiv.com/ Want us to review your budget? Fill out this form — completely anonymously if you want — and we might feature your budget in a future segment! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScK53yAufsc4v5UpghhVfxtk2MoyooHzlSIRBnRxUPl3hKBig/viewform?usp=header To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canadians investing in U.S. real estate often assume the financing process works just like it does at home—but that assumption can lead to costly mistakes. In this episode, Glen Sutherland sits down with cross-border mortgage expert Chris Micucci to break down the biggest lending misconceptions Canadian investors make and explain how U.S. investment financing really works. From DSCR loans and reserve requirements to closing costs, corporate structures, wire transfers, and choosing the right lender, you'll learn the practical lessons that can save you thousands of dollars and prevent deals from falling apart. Whether you're buying your first U.S. rental or expanding your portfolio, this episode will help you avoid the mistakes that catch many Canadian investors off guard. glensutherland.com/lenders The 13 Lending Mistakes Canadians Make: 1. Thinking you qualify based on your personal income Many Canadians assume U.S. lenders care about salary, T4s, tax returns, or employment. For DSCR loans, the property qualifies—not you. 2. Assuming you need perfect personal finances to buy Canadians often believe they need extensive financial documentation. In reality, many U.S. investment loans primarily focus on the property's cash flow and your down payment funds. 3. Believing Canadian mortgage rules apply in the U.S. Many investors expect pre-approvals, qualification rules, and lending policies to work the same way they do in Canada. They don't. 4. Getting pre-approved before finding the property In Canada, you're approved for a dollar amount. In the U.S., you're generally approved for a specific property that cash flows. Many Canadians misunderstand this difference. 5. Buying properties that are too inexpensive Ironically, smaller loan amounts are often harder to finance because many lenders prefer larger loans and higher-value properties. 6. Being surprised by U.S. closing costs Many Canadians experience sticker shock because title fees, lender fees, appraisals, escrow deposits, and other costs are itemized instead of hidden in the mortgage. 7. Waiting until the last minute to transfer money International wire transfers can be delayed by compliance reviews or audits. Waiting until the week of closing can jeopardize the deal—and potentially your earnest money deposit. 8. Waiting too long to set up your U.S. entity and EIN Many investors don't realize that obtaining an EIN can take weeks, especially during busy IRS periods. Waiting can delay financing and closing. 9. Setting up the wrong ownership structure Some Canadian tax structures work well legally but are difficult—or impossible—for many U.S. lenders to finance. Structuring without considering lending requirements can create expensive delays. 10. Not having enough reserve funds Many first-time investors budget only for their down payment. Most lenders also expect to see several months of mortgage reserves in a U.S. bank account. 11. Shopping only by interest rate A lower rate isn't always the better loan. Points, lender fees, closing costs, and how long you plan to hold the property all matter. 12. Comparing different loan products as if they're identical Many investors compare refinance quotes, construction loans, fix-and-flip loans, and purchase loans without realizing they're completely different products. 13. Using lenders who don't understand Canadian investors One of the biggest mistakes is working with lenders who primarily serve Americans. They may quote attractive terms initially, only for underwriting to discover you're Canadian and change the loan shortly before closing

#RingRust with my musicular #WrestlingNews chat! & #TagMeIn as I reference some wrestling references... & some of the best songs made for & about him, in the #3wayDanceOff! ~ ~ ~ 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!  & BROADCAST @ 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... 0:04:36 All the News That's Right on the Mark: Injury Has Ben Doing JONAH Good! 0:06:11 Musicular Interlude 1 0:17:32 Slamming Wrestling News On Its Back: the Skinny on Rhea Ripley's Title! 0:18:25 Musicular Interlude 2  0:26:19 All the News That's Right on the Mark: When It Comes to 5 Time World Champions, It Don't Matter If You're Black or White! 0:28:23 Musicular Interlude 3 0:38:57 Slamming Wrestling News On Its Back: Chicago's All Elite Once Again! 0:40:54 Musicular Interlude 4 0:49:46 Assuming the Intermissionary Position 0:57:06 This Week's Macho Fact 1:07:04 Wrestler Birthdays...  1:08:37 Musicular Interlude 5 1:20:53 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: Jim Johnston & Jimmy Hart Just Sorta Looking Around a Bit! 1:34:03 All the News That's Right on the Mark: the Greatest Wrestling Alive Versus Mexico! 1:35:59 Musicular Interlude 6 1:42:27 Slamming Wrestling News On Its Back: Snakes Can Retire, Apparently! 1:43:39 Musicular Interlude 7 -= EXPLICIT =-

In this episode of The Team Engagement Podcast, host Shawn Richards speaks with Anya Cheng, Founder and CEO of Taelor, about communication, psychological safety, and growth mindset.Anya shares leadership lessons from her experience at Taelor, Meta, eBay, Target, and McDonald's. She explains why leaders should help people use their strengths, communicate openly, and stop creating stories based on assumptions.What you'll learn:• Why psychological safety does not remove accountability • How leaders can help people succeed through their strengths • Why growth mindset means starting before you feel fully ready • How assumptions create emotional stress • Why better communication supports healthier teamsConnect with Anya:Website: https://taelor.style LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anyacheng

Employment Remains on Solid Ground Employment continues to be one of the most important indicators for both the economy and the stock market. A healthy labor market means more people are earning income, saving, investing, and contributing to overall economic growth. Those factors typically create greater demand for investment assets and provide support for stock prices. Conversely, rising unemployment often leads consumers to spend savings rather than invest, placing pressure on financial markets. The Federal Reserve closely monitors employment data when making interest rate decisions, making each monthly jobs report an important release for investors. However, it’s important to understand that the headline jobs report is based largely on surveys, making it what economists refer to as “soft data.” Because it relies on estimates from survey respondents rather than complete reporting, the data is often revised in subsequent months. The latest report was encouraging overall. More jobs were created than lost, the unemployment rate declined, and wage growth remained healthy at 3.5% year over year. While average hours worked declined slightly, rising wages combined with fewer hours worked still represents a positive development for workers. One surprising detail within the report was a decline in leisure and hospitality employment. Given the increased tourism and temporary hiring associated with the World Cup, many economists believe this portion of the report may ultimately be revised higher. To gain a clearer picture of labor market conditions, it helps to compare the survey-based data with “hard data,” such as initial unemployment claims. Unlike survey estimates, unemployment claims are based on actual filings submitted through state unemployment offices and are generally considered more reliable. Initial jobless claims have remained relatively stable throughout the year, while continuing unemployment claims have gradually declined. Together, these indicators reinforce the view that the labor market remains stable, not overheating, but not weakening either. A stable employment environment supports continued wage growth, consumer spending, savings, and investment activity. Those trends create a constructive backdrop for financial markets heading into the second half of the year. Corporate Earnings Will Drive the Next Phase of the Market Strong corporate earnings have been one of the primary drivers behind the stock market’s performance this year, and they are expected to remain a major theme throughout the remainder of the year. Corporate America has consistently exceeded expectations, helping fuel market gains. As a result, analysts have steadily raised earnings forecasts throughout the year. Earnings per share (EPS), a measure of how much profit a company generates for each outstanding share of stock, has seen meaningful upward revisions after remaining relatively flat throughout much of 2025. While this reflects confidence in the strength of American businesses, it also raises the bar. Investors will be watching closely to see whether companies can continue delivering results that justify today’s elevated expectations. Another important metric to monitor is operating margins. Markets are currently pricing in record profit margins over the coming year. If companies continue operating efficiently while maintaining strong profitability, stocks could continue benefiting from solid earnings growth. However, if expectations prove too optimistic, investors should be prepared for periods of increased market volatility. With midterm election uncertainty also entering the picture, earnings season will likely play an even larger role in determining market direction during the second half of the year. Why Gas Prices Haven’t Fallen as Fast as Oil Prices Although oil prices have retreated following the recent conflict in the Middle East, many drivers have noticed that gasoline prices have not fallen nearly as quickly. The explanation lies in how gasoline is produced, distributed, and taxed. The United States consumes more than 130 billion gallons of gasoline each year—more than any other country in the world. While crude oil prices rose sharply during the conflict and have since moved lower, retail gasoline prices typically respond more slowly. Gasoline is a refined petroleum product, meaning the cost of crude oil represents only one portion of the final price consumers pay at the pump. Refining costs, transportation expenses, distribution, and taxes all contribute to the total cost per gallon. As crude oil prices climbed, gasoline prices gradually followed. Now that crude prices have declined to levels closer to where they were earlier this year, gasoline prices are expected to follow, but historically, they tend to lag. Assuming geopolitical tensions do not escalate again, motorists could begin seeing more relief as the summer progresses and into the fall. Regional price differences also illustrate how much additional costs affect gasoline prices. States throughout the South and Midwest generally enjoy some of the nation’s lowest gasoline prices due to their proximity to Gulf Coast refineries. Meanwhile, states such as California, Washington, Hawaii, Nevada, and Oregon typically experience significantly higher prices. While crude oil costs are essentially the same nationwide, higher state taxes, increased transportation expenses, and greater distribution costs contribute to substantially higher prices at the pump. In Hawaii, for example, distribution costs alone exceed the cost of refining the gasoline. Understanding these components helps explain why gasoline prices often remain elevated even after oil prices begin to fall. Greg Powell, CIMA® President and CEO Wealth Consultant Email Greg Powell here Bobby Norman, CFP®, AIF®, CEPA® Managing Director Wealth Consultant Email Bobby Norman here Trey Booth, CFA®, AIF® Chief Investment Officer Wealth Consultant Email Trey Booth here Ty Miller, AIF® Vice President Wealth Consultant Email Ty Miller here Fi Plan Partners is an independent investment firm in Birmingham, AL, with a team of professionals serving clients across the nation through financial planning, wealth management and business consulting. The team at Fi Plan Partners creates strategies in the best interest of their clients using fee based investing. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly. Economic forecasts set forth in this presentation may not develop as predicted. No strategy can ensure success or protect against a loss. Stock investing involves risk including potential loss of principal. Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC and a registered investment advisor.The post Reports Are In first appeared on Fi Plan Partners.

#RingRust with my musicular #tnaSLAMMIVERSARY, #ForbiddenDOOR, #WWENOC & #NXTGAB chat! & #TagMeIn as I commemmorate another legendary #WWEHOF'r... & some of the best songs made for & about him, in the #3wayDanceOff! ~ ~ ~ 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!  & BROADCAST @ 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... 0:04:34 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Night of Champions 0:06:26 Musicular Interlude 1 0:18:00 Pay-Per-Review: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Slammiversary 1 0:20:57 Musicular Interlude 2  0:29:24 Pay-Per-Review: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Slammiversary 2 / NXT's Great American Bash 1 0:31:53 Musicular Interlude 3 0:42:31 Pay-Per-Review: NXT's Great American Bash 2 0:43:41 Musicular Interlude 4 0:53:32 Assuming the Intermissionary Position 0:59:23 This Week's Macho Fact 1:08:54 Wrestler Birthdays...  1:10:24 Musicular Interlude 5 1:20:17 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: Improving His Baseball Swing, By Dropping His Elbow! 1:33:14 Pay-Per-Review: AEW x NJPW's Forbidden Door 1 1:35:25 Musicular Interlude 6 1:42:26 Pay-Per-Review: AEW x NJPW's Forbidden Door 2 1:44:42 Musicular Interlude 7

She was home alone in the middle of the afternoon when she heard someone come through the front door.The keys rattled. The door opened. Heavy boots crossed the house and moved into the kitchen. Assuming it was her husband or son stopping home early, she called out but got no response. A few moments later, the footsteps started down the hallway and stopped directly outside the bathroom door.Certain someone was standing there waiting to scare her, she yanked the door open. Nobody was there.After searching the entire house and calling both her husband and son, she learned neither of them had been home. The front door was still locked, yet she remains certain she heard someone enter the house, walk through the kitchen, and stop just outside the bathroom.Years later, it's still one of the most unsettling experiences she's ever had.#GhostStories #Paranormal #RealGhostStories #PhantomFootsteps #HauntedHouse #Supernatural #UnexplainedMysteries #ParanormalExperience #TrueGhostStories #ListenerStory Love real ghost stories? Want even more?Become a supporter and unlock exclusive extras, ad-free episodes, and advanced access:

Enterprises have been slogging through the AI adoption journey, but cybersecurity threat actors have been too. As the time from vulnerability discovery to breach effectively goes to zero, the new cybersecurity playbook is all about how fast you can recover. We Meet:  Anneka Gupta is the Chief Product Officer at Rubrik Credits:This episode of SHIFT was produced by Jennifer Strong with help from Emma Cillekens. It was mixed by Garret Lang, with original music from him and Jacob Gorski. Art by Meg Marco.

Episode Chapter Summaries Chapter 1: The Roar of Madison Square Garden (00:00 – 02:57) Anne welcomes voice talent and business coach Tom Dheere back to the show. Tom explains his exhaustion, revealing that his neighborhood turned into a massive celebration zone after the New York Knicks won the NBA Championship. Anne shares a parallel memory of experiencing the World Cup celebration in Italy. They note how easy it is to get swept up in a major public triumph, sparking a deep conversation about the hidden work required behind a massive, visible victory. Chapter 2: What is Your Personal Championship? (02:58 – 04:31) Anne and Tom explore how success is rarely an accidental event. Tom challenges listeners to establish their own custom definition of "winning the championship." For a new voice actor, a title might mean booking their first paid gig, securing a national commercial, qualifying for SAG-AFTRA, or generating enough revenue to transition from a full-time day job to part-time creative work. Chapter 3: The Micro-Decision Metric & The Astronaut Analogy (04:32 – 08:25) Tom delivers a powerful perspective shift: your life and your VO career are not highlight reels. True career growth is built entirely on the micro-decisions made in the quiet moments between the milestones. Tom uses an excellent analogy comparing two college students who both want to be astronauts. Assuming equal talent and resources, the student who chooses to stay at their desk studying night after night while friends head to the pub is the one who ultimately makes it to space. Anne relates this to her personal struggle with college calculus, explaining how facing difficult, un-glamorous work builds mandatory professional humility. Chapter 4: Repetition, Homework, and the "Miyagi" Effect (08:26 – 10:25) Anne and Tom discuss the necessity of balancing the quantity of your practice with the quality of your execution. Tom references the classic Karate Kid metaphor: when Mr. Miyagi forces Daniel to paint the fence repetitively, it feels tedious and useless until that exact physical muscle memory becomes his primary shield in battle. Anne notes that this is exactly why she assigns heavy homework to her students, explaining that the real growth happens in the isolated, un-directed hours spent experiencing diverse scripts, handling audio editing, and analyzing text independently between coaching sessions. Chapter 5: Defining a Perfect VO Day & Tracking Patterns (10:26 – 14:43) Tom reveals the very first exercise he gives to his consulting students: detailing what a "perfect voiceover day" looks like, and then breaking down the 82 pre-season steps needed to make that day a reality. They treat auditions like individual games in a long season. Tom highlights why tracking your auditions is vital—not to obsess over your booking ratio, but to gather meta-data. By analyzing his past "thumbs up" ranking scores on Voice 123, Tom discovered a pattern: his primary booking keyword is "upbeat." He now uses that data to specifically filter and prioritize incoming casting notices. Chapter 6: Audition Desperation & The Character Accent Myth (14:44 – 20:20) Anne shares that her highest-booking auditions are consistently the ones she didn't over-analyze or obsess over, allowing her to deliver a natural, storytelling-focused read. Tom explains the corporate psychology behind this: buyers can smell performance desperation. He calls out a major cultural trend where new talent obsess over pitch adjustments and complex accents for animation or gaming, warning that dialects mean nothing if the underlying performance lacks real human connection. Tom uses his background narrating over 70 audiobooks to explain that a heavy accent should never get in the way of a compelling story. Chapter 7: The Production Team & The 3 Ps of Success (20:21 – End) Using basketball as a launching point, Anne and Tom examine the many moving pieces that contribute to a successful voiceover career and production. Together, they discuss the importance of teamwork, adaptability, and professionalism, and why the most successful voice actors learn to balance artistic fulfillment with business realities. Drawing on more than 38 years of combined full-time experience, they conclude with a powerful framework for career longevity: Passion, Practice, and Persistence—the 3 Ps that have helped sustain their own careers and countless others. Top 10 Boss Takeaways Define your own title: Success in the voiceover marketplace is personal. Do not measure your worth against someone else's trophy room; identify the specific professional milestones that equal a win for your business. Ditch the highlight reel mindset: Landmark moments like booking a major corporate client or launching a new website are rare. Your real business is formed by the quiet, un-glamorous work you execute on a rainy Tuesday morning. Master your micro-decisions: Longevity is built incrementally. Choosing to practice copy analysis, market your services, or clean your studio booth instead of succumbing to distractions is the daily habit that separates astronauts from dreamers. The lesson is in the doing: Do not rely on your coach to hand-hold your development. True vocal authority is forged through repetitive script interaction, self-direction, and navigating audio editing hurdles independently. Treat auditions like game tape: Use your submissions as a tool to collect raw data. Track where your auditions originate, identify the performance specifications, and look for structural trends over a 60-to-90-day window. Let the algorithm guide your focus: Platforms like Voice 123 reward positive listener interactions. Analyze your "likes" or shortlisted notices to discover your signature vocal keywords, and use that data to target similar copy. Drop the desperation: The harder you try to force a performative "announcer" melody onto a script, the faster a client will pass on your file. Ground your energy, lean into the narrative truth, and read without artificial worry. Acting outweighs accents: A casting director will instantly forgive an imperfect dialect if the character feels deeply connected, present, and humanly engaged. Prioritize psychological truth over vocal impressions. You are a player, not the whole team: Remember that a voice actor is one specific cog in a much larger production wheel. Show up to sessions directable, pleasant, organized, and ready to collaborate with engineers and directors. Harness the power of the 5-year wall: If you can commit to the industry, learn from your failures, and actively market your booth for longer than five consecutive years, your statistical probability of long-term commercial success skyrockets.

The real horror in Ravenloft wasn't ghosts, vampires, or eldritch patrons. It was Riverside updating its interface five minutes before recording. Suddenly the buttons moved, the fonts shrank every time someone mentioned the layout, and Tyler entered a state of existential panic usually reserved for failed concentration checks. By the end of the night, we had learned two important lessons. First, change is terrifying. Second, apparently none of us can remember how to spell Ricky-Ticky-Tavi. Show Notes In Part 2 of our review of Ravenloft: The Horrors Within, we tackled the remaining subclasses and discovered that the second half of the book delivered some of the strongest player options in the entire release. Between ghost-powered rogues, shadow puppies, and undead warlocks, there was plenty to like. We started with the Phantom Rogue and found ourselves impressed by how well the subclass grows over time. While the early levels still feel sparse, Tokens of the Departed remains one of the coolest thematic mechanics in the game. Collecting fragments of souls and consulting them for answers creates exactly the kind of spooky roleplaying we want from Ravenloft. Next came Shadow Sorcery, and to everyone's relief, the beloved Hound of Ill Omen survived the transition to 5.5. The shadow puppy is back, the subclass still delivers incredible battlefield control, and several improvements make it one of the standout options in the book. This may finally be proof that Wizards remembers sorcerers are allowed to have nice things. We wrapped up with the Undead Patron Warlock, which continues to deliver strong flavor and solid mechanics. Form of Dread remains fantastic, and the subclass still excels at making enemies regret standing anywhere near the warlock. Meanwhile, we somehow spent far too much time debating damage dice, exhaustion mechanics, and whether exploding yourself counts as a valid combat strategy. By the end of the review, we came away feeling far more positive about the second half of the book than the first. Not every option is perfect, but there are several subclasses here we'd happily bring to a full campaign. Assuming, of course, that the recording software doesn't change its layout again first. Links Ravenloft: The Horrors Within (affiliate link) RPGBOT.store - Pish Pash, My Memory is Trash! Other Stuff Rikki Tikki Tavi Roxane but it gets faster Spirited Away Content from RPGBOT.net DnD 5e Dark Gifts Guide Key Takeaways Phantom Rogue starts slowly but becomes increasingly interesting at higher levels. Tokens of the Departed remains one of the most flavorful mechanics in the game. Shadow Sorcery successfully preserved the fan-favorite Hound of Ill Omen. The shadow puppy is still the best boy. Shadow Sorcerer is one of the biggest winners in the book. Undead Patron Warlock retains its strong theme and useful combat tools. Form of Dread continues to be one of the coolest transformation abilities available to warlocks. Several subclasses benefited from updates that fixed earlier Unearthed Arcana concerns. The second half of the book contains more hits than misses. Software updates remain more frightening than anything found in Ravenloft. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

#RingRust with my musicular #tnaSLAMMIVERSARY, #ForbiddenDOOR, #WWENOC & #NXTGAB chat! & #TagMeIn as I commemmorate the most legendary #WWEHOF'r... & his Japanese-released EP, in the #3wayDanceOff! ~ ~ ~ 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!  & BROADCAST @ 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... 0:04:45 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Night of Champions 1 0:06:30 Musicular Interlude 1 0:14:20 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Night of Champions 2 / Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Slammiversary 1 0:15:58 Musicular Interlude 2  0:24:47 Pre-Per-View: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Slammiversary 2 0:26:25 Musicular Interlude 3 0:36:22 Pre-Per-View: NXT's Great American Bash 0:38:22 Musicular Interlude 4 0:46:10 Assuming the Intermissionary Position 0:52:10 This Week's Macho Fact 1:00:06 Wrestler Birthdays...  1:01:40 Musicular Interlude 5 1:11:18 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: I Bet He's Still Putting Over Every Younger Wrestler In Hardcore Heaven! 1:24:13 Pre-Per-View: All Elite Wrestling's Forbidden Door 1 1:26:17 Musicular Interlude 6 1:33:06 Pre-Per-View: All Elite Wrestling's Forbidden Door 2 1:34:47 Musicular Interlude 7 1:43:15 Podcast Extra 

If you want to know how to improve cognitive function, you probably already know the basics. You need to eat well, get regular sleep, exercise consistently and maintain social connections. That last point hits me hard because as someone who has taught memory improvement for fifteen years, I recently moved away from all my friends. And I’m definitely feeling the impact of that decision. And we’re all facing the consequences of the decisions we make because everything influences the quality of our minds. So if you’d like to know what I’m personally doing to maintain focus as I age while leading an unusually isolated life, today I’m sharing my research and experiences. It’s a bit unique because I’m the author of multiple memory improvement books, an independent memory researcher and someone with a reputation to maintain in the field of mental performance. And since we all need to preserve our reputations, how I’m tackling my own concentration, memory and focus challenges might help you along your own journey. Let me share this proclamation loud and clear as we begin: Tackling challenges to my own concentration and focus is my passion. And it has to be a passion and a mission because I intend to enjoy a very focused mind with strong recall abilities for as long as I possibly can. Ready to explore some of the best, science-backed strategies that are helping me? Let’s dive in! What Is Cognitive Function? And How Does It Relate To Memory? “Cognitive function” is a term used in a variety of fields, from memory science to Jungian psychology. For Carl Jung, cognition boiled down to how your mind processes and experiences emotional feeling, intuition, a variety of sensations and thought. When it comes to memory in the realm of learning, cognitive function specifically refers to: Attention and how you focus on information like hearing someone’s name Working memory so you can temporarily hold an instruction or phone number in mind Long-term memory for accessing facts like names and locations Processing speed for thinking efficiently Executive functions like planning or switching between tasks Holding focus during conversations or while studying Speaking languages Navigating a variety of places Most importantly, cognitive function governs how we use memory techniques to remember things, specifically information related to data like numbers and information related to our professional work and studies. Why Cognitive Function Slips (According To Science) First things first: If you’re concerned about your memory, please see a doctor. Or, if you’re concerned for a loved one, assist them in doing so. Generally, the reason most of us have issues is because we distract ourselves with multitasking. Good recall begins with paying attention. But far too often we clutter our lives with social media, creating digital amnesia. This is a term that literally refers to Internet-induced forgetting. The good news is that we can improve. Like focusing on diet, exercise, sleep and socializing, paying attention is a behavior. This was a point made by memory expert David Berglas in A Question of Memory. He’s worth listening to because his memory stayed sharp up until a very old age indeed. How do you turn paying attention into a behavior? Start making an effort to remember names, for one thing. Yesterday at the bank I did just that, and the clerk delighted in covering up her name tag to test me several times. You can also engage in activities like memorizing scripture. Or other forms of long-form verbatim memorization, like poetry. For an inspiring outcome from one of my students who was recovering from cardiac arrest, check out the memory improvement case study and scripture demonstration provided by Matt Barclay. There are a few more activities to consider that I’ll cover below, but let’s look at what happens to our brain cells next. It will provide more context to this mission-critical aspect of our mental lives and why maintaining memory is so valuable throughout life. Cellular Aging Judith Campisi was a pioneer in the field of cellular senescence. As one of her papers described this term, cellular senescence is “when bad things happen to good cells.” It’s bad no matter where it happens in the body. But there are two ways it can affect memory: Reducing the functioning of your brain cells Creating pain and stress that distract you and reduce focus If you find yourself dealing with cellular senescence, diet might help improve your cognition. This study found that adopting a ketogenic diet improved memory in aging mice. Anecdotally, I’ve eaten either an entirely keto or near-keto diet for years. I have to regulary eat yogurt now, and that unfortunately causes some brain fog. But during the years I ate near-totally keto, I was sharper than I ever felt in my life. Genetics We often think that things are just the way that they are. Our genes above all cannot be changed. Assuming this is true now, will it always be the case that we have to just deal with the cards we’ve been dealt in the game of life? Scientists are hard at work answering this question. One interesting study on animals has shown promise with respect to potentially treating neurocognitive deficits with gene therapy. In this case, spatial memory was studied in particular, and treated animals were able to navigate mazes better. In humans, how we use memory to navigate space is only starting to be understood. The science writer Christopher Kemp wrote a lovely book on the topic and shared his findings on this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast. Although it’s not entirely clear that Kemp’s personal struggles with navigation are genetic in nature, Dark and Magical Places is well worth reading because some scientists have shown a substantial relationship between place cells and memory. I’d be surprised if gene therapies didn’t emerge in the future that improve both spatial and other types of memory, giving them greater longevity in our lives. Environmental Factors One of the hardest things for many of us to change is our environmental conditions. As I mentioned, I moved away from the city and did not anticipate just how out of touch this would put me with my friends. I also did not anticipate that it would be such a challenge to make new ones. It’s critical that I take care of this soon, however. As this study shows, poor social connections are a strong predictor of cognitive decline. Another study found that people with stronger social networks have a lower mortality risk. The catch is that “naturally occurring social” relations are at the core of the benefit. Corny “interventions” by community groups or the recent explosion of rent-a-friend and rental family services don’t show much promise. Quite the opposite, as this Afar story details. If it’s true that people work ten-hour days only to carry on eating and relaxing with their co-workers, that sounds like a very challenging environment to live in. And that’s not to mention the possibility that worries over climate issues are causing anxiety-induced memory loss. If you’re struggling to think clearly and remember, you might want to think about how this kind of environmental issue might be affecting you. Research into eco-anxiety is underway at the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences and likely to grow in importance as a field of therapy over the years to come. How Memory Improvement Activities Can Improve Your Cognition (Even As You Age) Now that we’ve covered some of the key reasons mental sharpness slips throughout our lives, let’s look at activities that will help restore and improve your cognitive function. Obviously, diet and nutrition for cognitive enhancement are assumed. And again, please consult a doctor for advice that directly addresses your personal situation. Likewise with the following activities. If you have doubts, always run each past a qualified professional before engaging in them. Even though I engage in them myself, critical thinking remains important and I always encourage you to seek at least one professional opinion before taking any action. One: Mindfulness And Meditation I’m a strong proponent of meditation for concentration as a key activity for improving attention and memory. Not only does my book, The Victorious Mind cover much of the key research on the benefits of meditation. I wrote it because combining meditation with memory training helped me in a variety of ways. The key is to understand that there are many forms of meditation to explore. Not just sitting or chanting mantras. For example, benefits of mindfulness on your cognitive function will likely start to flow for you through: Sitting meditation Walking meditation Breathing exercises Journaling for reflective thinking exercise Going on a retreat Practicing mindfulness while eating Yoga for concentration and memory Various practices that can help regulate your dopamine levels Although studies like this one show that meditation can increase your working memory, there’s a catch. As these researchers recommend, meditation routines generally need to be systematized and conducted routinely. I’ve certainly found that my own practices need to be consistent. That’s why I optimize my environment to remind me of my meditation practice. I have my journal always in sight, the place I sit and the book of mantras I’m memorizing from. Two: Have A Purpose As You Age I know it sounds cliche. But the findings of the Rush Memory and Aging Project demonstrate that having a goal linked to purpose is associated with lower incidences of Alzheimer’s Disease and related issues. Interestingly, the study also demonstrated that “purpose in life was also associated with a reduced risk of incident disability and risk of death.” I was fortunate to spend time speaking with the memory experts Tony Buzan and Harry Lorayne. They both were incredibly sharp when I met them, despite being in their seventies and eighties respectively. Why? It was not just the fact that they both engaged in regular memory training. In my view, their strong sense of purpose was a huge part of it. Tony had the World Memory Championship he helped found, along with his work in mind mapping and his polymathic personality. For his part, Lorayne wrote and published books and performed card magic almost until the end. I myself have made teaching as a mnemonist and understanding as much as I can about memory science my purpose. It’s not clear yet that I’ll last as long as they did or make a similar mark. That doesn’t matter nearly as much to me as enjoying the benefits that doing my best in this field brings. So your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to craft your own vision statement and work on your purpose. From there on in, it’s just a matter of consistent execution. If you’d like some help with this piece of the puzzle, check out: My detailed training on crafting a vision statement The mind mapping for my business I did under Tony Buzan’s tutelage Three: Engage in Regular Language Learning Activities Another reason you might suffer cognitive decline stems from not taking on enough challenges that create mental stimulation. Few activities offer more variety and challenge than learning a new language. The problem is that many people cringe at the first sign of challenge. Yet, the challenge itself is what’s so helpful for restoring and maintaining cognitive function! As part of my mission and purpose, I’ve created many tutorials on language learning that will help you. Many of these lessons are geared to reduce the challenges and speed up the process based on my personal experiences with applying memory techniques to language acquisition. But that’s not to remove challenges altogether. In many ways, it’s more about keeping the challenges fun and eliminating the boredom of rote learning. Quick Memory-Based Exercises That Restore Concentration We’ve just covered three areas of activity to engage in over the long-term. They’re not quick fixes, but tactics and strategies to explore across a lifetime. What about things you can do within a few minutes a day and get some benefit? Well, as I talk about here, completely crossword puzzles likely isn’t one of them (though they can be fun). It also isn’t fiddling with online brain games (which have been shown not to work very well). Instead, give these quick activities a try. Four: Repeat Conversations Silently In Your Mind I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get caught up in thinking about what I’m going to say next instead of focusing my mind on my conversation partner’s exact words. To combat this, years ago I started repeating what people were telling me in my mind. Memory expert Jim Samuels teaches something similar in his book, Re-Mind Yourself. It’s a quick exercise that focuses your mind and leads to remembering more from conversations. You can also practice this repetition game while listening to podcasts or watching movies. It’s powerful. Five: Kirtan Kriya According to the Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation, just twelve minutes a day with this ancient concentration technique helps improve your memory while reducing stress. Dr. Gary Weber teaches it in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehvokeZnXMM I’ve practiced it for years and it really helps. Usually I combine it with my walking meditation sessions. Six: Incorporate Mnemonics Into Your Daily Life Although it takes a bit of setup, applying mnemonics to everyday learning tasks is easy. You can use them to remember appointments, where you parked and your shopping list. Every time you do, you’re getting in a bit of cognitive exercise. Seven: Listen Like An Audiophile Music has become ubiquitous in our society. You almost can’t go anywhere without hearing it. But that doesn’t mean it has to be background noise. Pay attention deeply to the rhythms you hear. Repeat the melody in your mind. When I do this, I find that my irritation with music I don’t want to hear goes away. Even better, it connects me more deeply with music itself. And studies like this have shown that music is linked to memory in a variety of ways, including episodic memory, semantic memory and explicit and implicit memory. Just by listening to music in a serious way, you’re giving your memory a huge workout. On another level, I try daily to listen seriously to music I’ve never heard before. Luckily, there are bloggers and vloggers who share their most recent acquisitions. Within seconds, I have them playing on Bandcamp or YouTube. Then, the steps are simple: Close your eyes Listen deeply Imagine the different instruments (even if you don’t know what they are) Call back melodies later in the day to exercise your recall abilities For an extra boost, read biographies about musicians. Go through their music in historical order. Read the assessments of professional critics about them during their era. This simple act contextualizes the music and exercises your brain’s unique ability to make connections and expand with new learning. If music isn’t your interest, you can do something similar by looking at and recalling art. Or even going to indoor or outdoor art galleries. I’ve got a whole tutorial on how to use art galleries as part of your lifelong memory improvement journey. One simple exercise is to just think back to a painting or sculpture you’ve seen. In the feature image above, I’m standing under a sculpture in Brisbane, and I’ve combined it with the music exercise. I just asked what it reminded me of and thought instantly of the Canadian band Voivod, which I know from my reading has a relationship to Metallica. Since the sculpture looks like a big M, I then turned it into a kind of virtual Memory Palace, a final type of mental exercise we’ll discuss briefly next. Improving Cognitive Function Can Be Easy & Fun As you’ve seen, there are simple ways to combat cognitive decline. The trick is putting aside the time and being consistent about the activities. I’ve shared some of the strategies I’m using to keep my brain sharp, and you’re welcome to explore even more. Keep in mind that consistency is helped by a variety of cognitive activities, not getting stuck in just one or two. There are also benefits to be had by rotating between several, especially those where learning is involved. This is shown by the principle scientists call interleaving. But you know, my favorite tactic of all is to use my memory in a variety of ways. And for that, I like to have multiple Memory Palaces. These mnemonic tools are very old and really fun to use. To learn more about how to incorporate them in your quest to improve your cognitive function, get my free memory improvement course: It will give your brain a workout with four free videos and some worksheets you can complete. If some of the steps you discover in that course present a challenge, now you know that this is a good thing. Lean into it and enjoy the results that taking on challenges brings to the long-term sharpness of your mind.

Hey, Comedy Lovers! ✤ Welcome to "Ian Lara" ⭐ All advice is bad advice, please do adult things and put this podcast on in the background.

Type 1s, known as the Administrator (source: Awareness to Action Enneagram) care deeply about doing things right. They're clear, they're specific, and they genuinely want the person in front of them to improve. But that same commitment to high standards can sometimes get in the way of the feedback actually landing. In this episode, we're walking through what Type 1s are already doing well and a few things worth adjusting so their feedback inspires rather than overwhelms.What You'll Hear in This EpisodeUnlike some types who soften feedback to the point of losing the message, Type 1s don't have that problem. Their challenge is almost the opposite. The inner critic that drives their own high standards can quietly seep into how feedback is delivered, in tone, body language, and the sheer volume of things they want to address at once. This episode helps Type 1s channel their gift for seeing what should be into feedback that motivates real change.A Note Before You Go InBefore the conversation, check in with your inner critic. Type 1s have an inner voice that is louder, harsher, and more relentless than most, and what feels like honest, measured feedback on the outside can sometimes be that inner critic talking. Ask yourself: is this feedback honest and helpful, or is it starting to bleed into perfect and harsh? That check-in can set the whole tone.3 Things to DO as a Type 1 When Giving FeedbackLead with positive intent and say it out loud. It might feel obvious to you that you're coming from a place of care, but the other person doesn't always know that. Don't skip the setup. A quick "I'm bringing this up because I want you to succeed" changes how everything that follows is received.Be specific and factual, not evaluative. There's a difference between "the report was missing the Q3 projections" and "the report wasn't good enough." The first is actionable. The second stings without direction. Type 1s naturally gravitate toward specifics, just make sure the inner critic isn't swapping facts for judgment.Offer a clear path forward. You have a rare ability to see what should be - use it. Don't just address what went wrong; give the person a concrete next step. That "good to great" instinct is a gift. Use it to look forward. 3 Things to AVOID as a Type 1 When Giving FeedbackLetting frustration show up in your tone or body language. Your words might be measured and thoughtful, and they usually are, but feelings can come through in your face and your voice without you realizing it. One Type 1 leader we worked with laughed about how his team called it his "resting [you know what] face." He had no idea he was doing it. Just something to be aware of and occasionally soften.Stacking all the things at once. Your standards are high, and there's probably a lot you could address. But delivering a long list of everything that needs to be fixed can feel overwhelming and even hopeless on the receiving end, like I can't do anything right, so why try? Prioritize the most important thing. Let the rest go for now and come back to it after the first priority is addressed.Assuming the goal is obvious. You know you're giving this feedback so they can improve. They might not feel that in the moment. Saying it explicitly isn't redundant, it's what makes the feedback land as support rather than criticism.A Phrase to Try"I'm bringing this up because I know you're capable of excellence. You can meet this standard...and I'm here to help you get there."Say it at the start, wrap up with it, or both. It reminds the other person, and yourself, why this conversation is happening.Resources + Next StepsAre you a Type 1 with something to add, push back on, or a real-world example to share? We'd love to hear from you at enneagrammba.com/contact. And if you work for or with a Type 1 and want to share what you genuinely appreciate about how they lead and give feedback, we want to hear that too.If you want to keep building your communication and leadership skills by type, grab the Enneagram Manager's Prompt Pack - a practical, downloadable guide organized by real workplace situations so you always know what to say and how to say it. Find it at enneagrammba.com.And if this episode got you thinking about how your team gives and receives feedback, that's exactly what we dig into in our workshops, company retreats, team building events, industry conferences, and more. Head to enneagrammba.com to explore your options and start the conversation.Enneagram MBA is a team training and leadership development company based in the Louisville metro area. We help organizations build self-aware, high-performing teams using Enneagram insights.Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here! 

https://youtu.be/xkCGHOYkdC0 Grant McKinstrie, CEO of Digital Position, is passionate about helping eCommerce brands grow by combining customer insights, data-driven marketing, and emerging technology. With more than two decades of experience in digital marketing, Grant has built a team that helps brands increase revenue through SEO, paid media, conversion optimization, and customer-focused growth strategies. We explore Grant’s DP Growth System: Ask AI where consumers congregate, Immerse yourself in their communities, Create content they crave, Engage them on Reddit and Quora, Have influencers create videos, and Turn craved content into ads. Grant explains why understanding customer conversations is more valuable than relying on assumptions, how online communities reveal unmet needs and buying signals, and how businesses can transform those insights into content, influencer partnerships, and advertising campaigns that drive measurable growth. He also shares how AI is changing marketing, the challenges of scaling an agency, and why innovation remains one of the most important drivers of long-term business success. — Build Yourself a Growth System with Grant McKinstrie  Good day. Steve Preda here with the Management Blueprint Podcast, and today my guest is Grant McKinstrie, the CEO of Digital Position, a full-stack agency that builds a growth system for e-commerce brands. Grant, welcome to the show.  Thank you so much for having me. Good to be here.  Well, it’s great to have you here. And I’d like to start by asking you: What is your personal ‘Why’, and what are you doing to manifest it at Digital Position?  Well, specifically when we think about the eCommerce space, there’s so much crap being sold out there. And also, in terms of what AI has done to the industry, it has allowed a lot of people to start a lot of different businesses, sell a lot of stuff, do a lot of dropshipping, and all these different things. It’s about trying to find the gems. It’s about finding the good people to work with and the businesses that are worth growing at the end of the day. There’s so much good stuff out there that gets pushed down because either they haven’t worked with a good agency or they just don’t know how to market themselves well enough.  And I think the drive behind trying to find those people who are genuinely nice to work with and brands that are absolutely worth promoting and bringing out into the world is awesome and very rewarding. Being able to do that is incredibly fulfilling. That’s not to say that we’re perfect in every way, shape, or form. And it’s not like every single business we work with is perfect either. We do what we can. But all in all, I want to be able to help market products, people, and businesses that are absolutely worth getting out into the world and getting more people to know about.  Yeah. That’s so interesting that you say that because I had a client in this space where you are, and they were a little conflicted because some of the brands they represented, they were not really proud of. And I think it really impacted their culture in turn. They felt that they were not operating with integrity with all of their clients, and that created internal friction. And it kind of held them back to some degree. So that’s fascinating that you talk about this. And I also noted on your website that your average client tenure is over four years, which I think bears testament to this. Yeah. In a large majority of cases, I mean, we’ve had certain clients for six years and, in some cases, even eight years. So when you have tenures like that, they certainly last a long time. And sometimes it just doesn’t work, and we’re also very willing to openly admit that. I don’t want anyone to think, “Oh, if we sign up with you, it’s four years, and then we’re just constantly paying you for, I don’t know, whatever reason it might be.” But genuinely, we’re here to see how we can legitimately grow the business and actually bring you profit dollars that you weren’t seeing otherwise.  Because so many businesses that we come across are just not able to allocate their marketing spend efficiently. And they’re just… I don’t know. Not to get too much into the nitty-gritty of things, but in a general sense, 95% of the businesses we talk to are essentially burning money. And in most cases, they’re being worked through an agency churn-and-burn system. And it hurts to see. Literally, I had a pitch two hours ago before this call where every single platform they were on was just burning money. They were trying to remarket to people who already knew about the brand and spending money on people who already knew about them and were already going to purchase from them.  And the agency was trying to tell them, “Hey, all of our metrics are great.” But the business is suffering because of it. It happens all the time. It generally results in tough conversations for us because agencies have such a bad reputation. And we’re always trying to pick up the pieces and revitalize that relationship. Which has its highs and lows in many ways. But we’re out here doing the best we can. Okay, so that’s a great segue because this podcast is all about frameworks—how to do something that maybe other entrepreneurs are trying to do, don’t know how to do, but you figured out. So do you have some kind of framework? Maybe it’s about getting an eCommerce company up and running on advertising and advertising profitably. Maybe it’s some other area in your business that is easy to explain in three to five steps. Does anything come to mind?  The biggest thing that we have realized lately is what we have deemed community engagement. One, because of AI, you can scrape information so easily across the internet, and you can get fed so much crap that AI is just going to automatically generate for you. But what really matters at the end of the day is: who is your audience, where the heck do they hang out, and what are they talking about?  So we are constantly looking to inject ourselves into Reddit threads, Facebook threads, YouTube comments, Quora—wherever those people possibly are. Get into the subreddits. Get into those Facebook communities. Get into the comments of influencers or whoever is relevant within that space, and talk to them. See what they’re talking about within those threads. Engage with them. Have a conversation so that you can understand what actually makes this person tick. What do they truly care about? What do they call things? What are they talking about on a daily basis?  So that when you start creating content that resonates with those people, you know exactly how to connect with them. Because, as I mentioned earlier, so many people are creating commoditized products and content because of AI, because it’s making it that much easier to do. Nobody is truly trying to connect with the consumer at the end of the day. And therefore, you’re going to have so many people who become numb to anything being thrown in their face unless they actually feel like they’re being spoken to.  So the biggest thing is to get to know the person on the other side of the screen. Go to where they hang out. Go to where they’re engaging. And listen to them. I think a lot of people forget that and want to go straight into data, metrics, spreadsheets, and all this stuff. When there is a human-to-human interaction happening within marketing every single day. And that is what you need to continue to focus on. Okay, so maybe that’s the beginning of the framework. So get to know the person—or the customer—or both.  Yeah. And it sounds really simple. It’s funny, when you put it that way, it’s just: listen to the person you’re trying to sell to. But it’s incredible how infrequently that actually happens. Because a lot of people will talk about, “My product is the best. My product is so good because it does this cool little thing that nobody else does.” But who really cares unless it’s actually solving a problem that somebody has? And unless they’re able to understand exactly how it’s going to make them feel in that moment when that problem is solved or how it connects to their core persona or whatever it might be. It’s a very simple framework. But it is the most important thing that a lot of people tend to neglect.  No, I love it. I love it. So what does the actual framework look like? I understand you go to Reddit, you go to Quora, and you listen. But what is the process? How do you even know which part of Reddit you should go to, what you should listen to, and who the customers are? Give me the rundown. What do you do when a new customer walks through the door and you want to figure out how to make them successful?  Yeah, of course. So I think Reddit is just the easiest example. I think it’s what a lot of people are familiar with, but it also provides value because it’s related to all the LLMs and what they like to cite as sources as well. Funny enough, one of the best ways to start is if you have a brand, a service, or something that you’re looking to build. Feed that into AI—Claude, ChatGPT, whatever works for you—and have it help you understand: “Hey, what subreddits should I be participating in?” If I want to sell vegetable seeds, for example—and that’s an example from a client we’ve worked with—or if I want to get more into gardening, where should I go?  It will point you to gardening, DIY gardening, seasonal gardening, and all these different places that have communities of people who are very specific when it comes to anything you want to know about gardening. Then you jump in there and see people talking about: “When should I start planting my tomatoes?” Or: “When should I do any transplanting?” Or: “How do I need to handle my watering schedule?” And then you have layers and layers of threads, topics, and information that you can gather from. People are giving it to you for free and telling you exactly how they handle those things.  And that turns into content. That turns into ways for you to engage with those people. It turns into ads because if you’re able to understand what their pain point is, then you can make an ad out of that. At the same time, you can pull a lot of that information using AI. But the biggest impact still comes from truly engaging with those people. So you said that when you figure out what those communities are talking about in their Quora or Reddit communities, then you can engage with them. You can create content, you can create ads, and you can engage. And I’m just wondering, are there other forms of engaging with customers other than through content and ads? Good question. So yeah, that’s the main part. You can directly comment within those Reddit threads, or you can start creating your own content within those Reddit communities. If you start to see a trend of multiple people asking, “How do I start planting my tomato seeds?” Or, “Where do I even start with this?” Then you can create an entire guide on your website. Build a blog post around it. Or you can get together with an influencer who’s able to make a video around it and show the entire process through a visual element as well. So you’re not just doing written content, but video too. And then you can even run ads around that.  Because one of the biggest things, for example, with this brand that I’m kind of alluding to, is that every single ad and every single piece of content they were putting out beforehand was very disconnected from the true gardener at the end of the day, or the true DIY gardener. Because everything they showed was a picture of this beautiful, perfect pepper or tomato that nobody ever experiences unless you’re operating a commercialized system with all of the technology they have access to. But somebody in their backyard is not going to have a perfectly round tomato or a perfectly formed pepper. And therefore, no one knows how to get there. So you have to show them the step-by-step process.  What soil do you need to buy? What seeds should you buy? And then you become part of that system because: “Oh, I need to buy seeds. Okay, I’m going to go to this company and buy seeds from them.” And they also helped me throughout this entire process by becoming the subject matter expert on what to do with tomato seeds. It becomes this kind of system that you naturally inject yourself into as you create content that connects with that person. Because the biggest thing was recognizing that all of the content they were putting out beforehand made people think: “Well, my food is never going to look like that if I plant it in my backyard.” Yeah. “But how can I get there so that I feel a lot less stressed about even starting?” And you’re providing this entire guide for me to follow so that I can become a better DIY gardener.  Yeah. I love it. It’s a great approach to basically figure out where to go, talk to the people, and then communicate with them and create helpful guides for them. And the influencer video—that’s also very clever. So that’s how you help drive growth for your clients. But how do you drive growth in your own business?  Yeah, good question. Funny enough, man, it is so much harder to do it for yourself when you are so focused on other people. Reflecting inward is always tough. But what we have recognized lately is that you have to have a good freaking offer. Because so many agencies in this space say the same stuff. I sat on Instagram for two hours one day and rifled through every single ad from marketing agencies in the space.  And everybody says the same thing: “You’re doing your ads wrong.” Or: “You have no idea what’s happening with your attribution.” Or: “Google Ads is making you lose money.” Or: “Meta Ads sucks.” And all these different things. And everyone is saying: “You should let us do a free audit for you.” Or: “Come talk to us and we’ll help show you what’s wrong.” It’s like, okay, there’s a pretty big gap there. I have to spend all this time talking to you just to figure out whether you’re a legitimate business and whether you’re actually going to solve my problem. And you’re not really offering anything other than: “Hey, let’s sit down and talk about it.” When everybody else is doing the exact same thing. So the offer across the industry is generally weak.  There are a few agencies that have well-built offers. What we personally figured out through A/B testing is that we don’t even try to lead with the marketing conversation. Because in some cases, businesses find it difficult to admit: “Hey, our marketing sucks.” Or: “Marketing is our problem.” But a lot of people can identify whether their website sucks. They can look at it and say it’s old or that it’s not converting well. It’s generally easier for people to make that connection than the marketing connection.  So we’ve built an offer around A/B testing. For just about any eCommerce business doing over $1 million in annual revenue, we’d love to do a free A/B test for them. We will build a landing page of their choosing. It could be their homepage. It could be a product page. It could be whatever. We will create a mock-up ourselves and come to the call with it. We’ll show them our version alongside theirs. They can decide whether it seems better or not. And if they want to move forward, we’ll implement it on their site for free. Then we’ll run an A/B test until we reach statistical significance and can determine whether our page or their page performs better.  Either way, there’s no cost to them. We just want to show that we’re capable of providing value. We want to demonstrate that we can create something better than what they currently have. If it works out, awesome. Let’s continue the conversation. If not, no harm, no foul. We weren’t able to improve it for them, and it doesn’t make sense to continue the conversation.  Yeah. That is impressive. So you’re actually building a competing site, and you show them that you could do a better job than they are, essentially. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And it’s… I don’t know. There’s somebody that I interact with who always says, “There are no sacred cows. There’s no ego in all of this.” It’s just, “We genuinely want to show that we can provide value in any way, shape, or form here.” It has garnered a lot of interest because it’s low friction. It’s, “Hey, at the very least, when we come to the call, we are going to show you something, and hopefully you like it.” And 100% of the time we’ve done this, everybody has loved it.  So it’s been a great source of driving more leads, more conversations, and more at-bats for the business. Simply by having an offer that people want to see value from, as opposed to: “Hey, we’re going to do an audit. There’s going to be a long turnaround time. Then we have to figure out the next steps. Then there’s going to be this big price tag,” or whatever it is. Whereas we’re just going to do something for you for free. If it works, great. If not, you didn’t lose any sleep over it.  Yeah. Love it. That’s pretty cool. And I think what’s really cool about it is that you do it without disrupting their existing business. Exactly. So they don’t feel like, “Okay, maybe it’s at no cost to me. Maybe it’s a marketing thing.” But at the same time, if you’re interfering with my customers, that’s actually a negative. Because it can create damage. That’s my reservation about people who offer to drive business for me. Yeah. But then they want to use my LinkedIn profile, and they can spoil my reputation online. And I’m never going to allow it. Because it interferes with my business. So I love that you found a way around that. That’s pretty cool.  Absolutely. Yeah, and we’re hoping that it just continues to grow. Fortunately, AI has allowed us to move a lot faster with this because I think that historically would have been a major holdup. Mocking up a page is not a very easy task. But because we’re able to understand the business and generate something relatively quickly through our experience and understanding of how a page should be structured, it works out really well. Yeah. Love it. So switching gears here, let me ask you this: What is something that you’re actively trying to figure out in your business?  Ooh, boy. Scale. I think the ability to scale something like this is where I’m trying to figure out what is going to break next. Historically, we’ve struggled to figure out things like: “Oh, we need a really good offer to drive cold outbound leads.” We have historically been a referral-only business. And while that’s worked, it certainly isn’t as sustainable long term as building a proper, predictable cold outbound system.  Now that we have something that is starting to work, and we’re seeing more leads come in, the question becomes: How do we scale this without the business breaking if we suddenly see a significant increase in leads? Because realistically, in the past, it’s been rare that we’ve had so many leads in the pipeline that we didn’t know how to handle them. But we’ve also recognized that the type of service we provide is elevated. We consider ourselves a boutique service. We know we’re not the cheapest in the market. But what we do know is that we can absolutely drive additional profit dollars to your business. Because we’re looking at the full marketing picture.  We’re not just focusing on PPC. We’re not just focusing on SEO. We’re not just focusing on organic social. We’re looking at how all of those things work together. And then we’re looking at the business as a whole and trying to drive an actual P&L impact. Not just say: “Oh, ROAS in Google Ads is good, so everything must be great.” No. That’s not always the case. As I mentioned earlier, that can happen while you’re still burning money because you’re simply retargeting people who already know about your business.  So the goal is understanding that we provide an elevated service and finding the right talent to help deliver it. So that as we continue to scale, we’re able to maintain the level of service that we know we’re capable of providing. And making sure that the people leading those client conversations are able to deliver on that promise every single time as well. Hopefully that answers the question, for the most part.  So if you have the deals coming through, the cold outreach is working, and your offer is working, is it just a question of finding the talent, or are there other things that could break?  Yeah. I think it’s hiring and talent for sure. And then the other piece is continuing to maintain the operational speed behind it as well. Because expectations in the industry are changing dramatically. We went from bi-monthly reporting to weekly reporting, and now people want to know how things are moving every single day. AI has sped things up to the point where people’s expectations are changing at a rate that we need to keep up with. And that is certainly one of the more difficult things to navigate.  Especially when there are 30 to 1,000 new AI tools coming out every single day. Then you need to figure out: “What’s the best one that I’m going to be able to utilize long term, instead of just dumping it and moving to a new one next week?” So yeah, the operational piece has been very interesting over the past couple of years. It went from everybody using ChatGPT, to all of these different AI transcription tools. We moved into Notion. Now we’re using Vector, which is popping off right now. Claude has obviously made a lot of strides as well. And it’s about figuring out how we continue to pivot across all of these different tools. And I’m barely scratching the surface with those examples.  We also have to make sure that the entire team is able to adapt to these changes over time. Because for so long, you could stick with a single tech stack and a handful of tools for years, and not much would change. But now, because of AI, things are adapting, changing, and improving incredibly quickly. And the expectations of the client are moving just as fast. So you need to be able to keep up with that. I’ve always wondered about this thing that Steve Jobs said: The two primary functions of a business are marketing and innovation. And you are doing one of the two primary parts of the business. You could even argue that marketing is innovation as well. So the two things converge. How is it possible for an agency to innovate for multiple clients on a continual basis?  Yeah. That just comes down to trusting the team and having the right people in the right place. And that’s why I think hiring is one of the biggest things that we need to focus on. Because AI has raised the floor for so many people. But it has also really shined a light on the people who are able to work alongside it efficiently, speed up their processes, and use their experience to make decisions really fast. It is more powerful than ever to have a creative mindset and the experience of seeing how things impact multiple different clients. And to understand how you can shift strategy at any point in time. It also requires having that childlike curiosity mindset.  Being willing not to accept everything as fact. Being willing to pivot at any point in time. It’s truly about making sure that the people around you are willing to adapt and accept that they are not going to be right all the time. But they’re willing to keep trying, keep learning, and keep figuring out what the next step is. And not fall into complacency. Because if you do, AI has probably already rocked your world at this point. So the biggest thing is having people around you, a support system, procedures, and training that allow that to happen naturally. And trusting that they will be able to follow that and see the vision—or at least try.  That’s fascinating. If there’s a company trying to figure out what to do, how to make sense of all these different platforms, SEO moving to GEO, AI, Reddit, Quora, rising advertising costs, TikTok, and all these other platforms coming online—and their head is spinning—what do you recommend they do? How do they select an agency? Of course, they should go to you. But how should they select an agency? What criteria should they use to select someone, whether that’s you or somebody else?  Yeah. I mean, really, it just comes down to being growth-minded. And maybe I’m not fully understanding the question, but if you have any passion or drive to grow what you’re doing, you need to surround yourself with people who are constantly looking to push the envelope. Whether that be an agency or an in-house team. And in some cases, it might not make sense for you to have an agency. That really depends on your brand guidelines and how closely you hold them to your chest. Because sometimes bringing in an outside agency can be very difficult.  It takes time to get them up to speed. If you’re looking to develop your own internal style of content because you have a lot of protection around the brand, then building that internally is going to make a heck of a lot more sense. Because they’re constantly going to be able to talk in your language. As opposed to an agency that wants to be an arm of your business, but at the end of the day, it’s difficult for that to always be the case. We try to live and breathe that as much as we can, but we also understand there are limitations. So I would say if you are a brand with extremely tight brand guidelines, then you need to train internally and make sure that is built into the culture and into the marketing team.  Otherwise, everything you put out from that point forward is going to be disjointed from what the brand actually means or is trying to stand for. Therefore, you need to have that in-house and you need more control over it. Otherwise, if you understand that other people have great ideas, and you want to leverage that, and you appreciate that they’re looking at hundreds, if not thousands, of brands and seeing how they succeed in the market, then an agency can be a beautiful way to go. And it’s generally more cost-effective in most cases. You’re going to have an agency with maybe three to five people—sometimes even more—overseeing your account.  And in many cases, that’s for the same cost as a single internal employee. So being able to leverage the minds of five different people with five different viewpoints of the world, and five different pairs of eyes looking at your website, versus just one… In my opinion, you’re going to win every time. Assuming you have the right team behind you. Yeah. That makes a lot of sense. So essentially, you’re outsourcing your marketing function to an expert team. This is all they do. And they’re held to a high standard because they work with a lot of companies in a fast-moving environment. It’s similar to having an internal attorney versus using a law firm with high-flying attorneys who operate at the cutting edge. You can never really replicate that cutting-edge environment, which helps nurture those people on the other side. Yeah. Love it. So if you’re listening to this and you want to take your marketing to the next level, and you want an expert team at your service to figure out how to grow your brand across multiple channels—content, advertising, customer engagement, and all that stuff—then reach out to Grant. But where can they find you, Grant?  You can reach out to us through digitalposition.com. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. I’m happy to chat with anybody. I’m more than happy to share anything I’ve learned along the way, whether you’re another agency, a brand, or whatever it might be. I firmly hold the belief that there is a massive sea of people out there to reach. And I’m happy to share any learnings that I’ve had. Because, boy, there’s so much to digest in this world, and I’m happy to share whatever I know. But yeah, digitalposition.com for anyone who would possibly want to work with us or chat. Otherwise, I’m on LinkedIn and happy to connect there as well.  Well, Grant McKinstrie, CEO of Digital Position, a full-stack agency that builds growth systems for eCommerce brands. Thanks for coming and sharing your experience and your view of the world. And if you enjoyed listening, make sure you follow us on YouTube and Apple Podcasts because every week I come with an exciting entrepreneur who is sharing the best of what they know. So thanks for coming, Grant, and thanks for listening.  Thank you so much for having me. Important Links: Grant’s LinkedIn Grant’s website

Face To Face   We all want to get it right when we study the Bible, but sometimes the biggest hurdle is assuming we already have all the answers. In this fan-favorite classic episode of The Daily Grace Podcast, we tackle the subtle danger of reading Scripture with a rigid mindset. We share honest stories about overcoming the fear of stepping outside familiar theological camps, letting go of pride, and rediscovering a genuine curiosity for the Word. Tell Us What You Think Unlock a 10% off coupon! And get first access to new sales, Bible studies & books! Join for free here! Subscribe to our Podcast Newsletter!  Connect with us:  The Daily Grace Co. | Facebook | Instagram | Daily Grace Blog | 

In this episode, we kick things off by examining a brutal new wave of financial distress hitting the transportation and logistics sector. Over the past ten days, trucking companies, truck dealers, and logistics providers have filed for bankruptcy protection while hundreds of workers faced layoffs nationwide. Notable filings include Laredo-based Triple RRR Carriers, a cross-border trucking company that operated a fleet of 177 power units, and Dallas-area logistics provider Alan Ritchey Inc., which will lay off 232 employees beginning in September. Next, we shift to the truckload sector where a strategic acquisition is poised to expand growth opportunities across the Southeast. Chattanooga-based F2F Transport announced that it has been acquired by LRT Group, a Fort Payne, Alabama-based transportation holding company focused on building transportation-based businesses. The move is expected to create new opportunities for growth and expanded service offerings, including increased access to dedicated freight opportunities for F2F's network of owner-operators. Finally, we explore a closely watched freight index that is signaling a positive inflection point may finally be on the horizon. According to a Monday report from Cass Information Systems, a positive inflection in freight shipments now appears likely after 40 months of year-over-year declines. The multimodal shipments component of the Cass Freight Index dipped just 1.2% year over year in May, the smallest decline in 18 months. Assuming historical seasonal trends, the index is projected to log a 1.8% year-over-year increase in the back half of 2026. Follow the FreightWaves NOW Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Dazai no Sochi--the head of the Yamato government in Kyushu--was a powerful position, with a lot of autonomy with lucrative opportunities.  The people in this position were often powerful members of the court capable of representing the sovereign.  They would often go on to become quite powerful in their own right.  So who were the movers and shakers that held this prestigious position during Uno no Sarara's reign?  This episode, we take a look at those who held the position and those who supported them. For more, check out our blogpost:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-151 PS:  Hang around to the end (or check the end of the transcript) for information on some possible updates coming to the show. Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is Episode 151: The Dazai no Sochi of the late 7th century   Tsukushi no Masaru was busy.  A new boss was coming in, and he wanted to make sure everything was prepared.  The Dazai may have been about as far as one could get from the capital and still be in Yamato, but it was also the first—and sometimes only—encounter some would have with the archipelago, so there was no excuse to be slacking off.  Of course, this was hardly his first new boss, though for as long as he'd been on the job, each one could well be his last.  He was getting a bit long in the tooth, after all.  Twenty-nine years was a long time to be working in the same position.  As Masaru paused, he thought back on some of the people he'd served.  There was Soga no Akae—he was ambitious.  Apparently he'd been in some rather compromising positions before coming out, but he'd done well enough when he went back.  Shame that he backed the wrong horse. That did bring a chuckle to old Masaru's throat, though.  He remembered when Prince Kurikuma had come out there, to the the Dazai, , and there were still people around who told stories of him.  When those Afumi court stooges had showed up to try and conscript the barrier guards, Prince Kurikuma and his sons just stared them down.  Everyone had been afraid that it would end in bloodshed, or at least that there would be consequences for defying the court, but Kurikuma was adamant, and the messenger had left with his tail firmly between his legs. Then there was Shima. By the time he came, Masaru already knew how everything was supposed to work. He may not have been in charge, but that wasn't his ambition.  It was enough for him to be good at what he did.  He didn't need to go all the way to the Palace and deal with the politics there—there were enough politics out here already.  Shima, though, he was clearly suited for that Palace life.  He was a capable administrator, but Masaru could tell he was ambitious.  When he left, everyone knew that he would be going on to bigger and better things. And now there was another Prince coming out. So they would get the government offices prepared and greet him with proper fanfare.  They'd bring him in and hold the ceremonies, and then they would get down to work.  A stream of officers would present him with what they were working on and what had to happen.  Masaru would be there to help make sure that everything was running smoothly and nothing got too out of hand.  And that was the way things worked out on the edge of the realm.   Welcome back to Sengoku Daimyo.  We are still covering the reign of Uno no Sarara, and, similar to last episode, we are going to continue to talk about the people who made up Yamato at this time.  This episode, more specifically, we are going to be turning away from the capital, in Asuka, and looking all the way over to Tsukushi—modern Kyushu—and at the people who served as Dazai no Sochi, or head of the local government out there, as well as the bureaucrats and staff that worked for them—at least as far we know.  Many of them went on to have considerable careers that took them well beyond Kyushu.  At the same time, we'll take a look at some of the things that happened under their rule as what Aston translates as the "Viceroy of Tsukushi". After that, I have a special announcement about the podcast at the end of the episode, so if you are interested in learning more about what we plan on doing, please listen all the way to the end to hear about some plans for the future. And with that out of the way, let's begin. So we are talking about the position of Dazai no Sochi or the Viceroy of Tsukushi.  Often these people are referred to only as being of the "Tsukushi no Dazai" or the "Tsukushi no Ohomochi".  The term "Sochi" appears later, and we first see this term applied to Prince Kawachi, in 689.  It seems to show up with two different characters, which might be a term from the later Taihou code that was retroactively applied or may refer to an evolution of the position over time.  I'm honestly not sure.  There is still plenty of confusion over what was meant in some of the references. We've discussed this position before on the podcast: This was the sovereign's representative to the world outside of the archipelago.  Not only did the Dazai no Sochi  oversee all of Tsukushi—all of Kyushu— and extensive defensive forces stationed there and in the outlying islands, but they oversaw all diplomatic and trade missions to and from the archipelago.  Envoy missions would come to Tsushima, where they would get a local pilot and send word ahead.  They would then be received at the government center, the Dazai, near modern Fukuoka and Hakata bay.  For most envoys, this was as close as they would ever get to Yamato proper.  They would offload their goods there and be put up at the government supplied quarters in Wogohori.  They would be wined and dined there, entertained as appropriate to their status, while word was sent on to the capital.  In rare cases, envoys would be sent on another journey through the inland sea to Naniwa, and then on to Asuka, but otherwise their journey would end at the Dazaifu.  Any return gifts would come back with the correspondence from the capital, and thus be handed out to the envoys and their escorts before the mission was sent back home to Silla, Tamna, or wherever they had come from. Being the middle man in this operation offered a lot of power and authority, but it also would have been quite lucrative.  While diplomatic missions brought gifts for the court, they also brought  trade goods, of which the Dazai no Sochi could have first  pick.  This is on top of the fact that this position often came with a stipend equaling the labor of hundreds of individuals.  Many of the Dazai no Sochi would serve limited terms, eventually returning to Asuka, where we see them take on powerful positions. Take, for example, our first Dazai no Sochi, Tajihi no Mabito no Shima. Tajihi no Shima was born, we are told, in or around 624 to Tajihi no Maro and a daughter of Ohotomo no Hirafu.  Tajihi no Maro, Shima's father was a powerful noble in the court of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou, and he had enough standing that he was one of the named individuals who provided eulogies for Ohoama on the occasion of his passing.   The Tajihi family were quite well placed: they were descendants of Hinokuma no Takata no Miko, aka Senka Tennou, Shima's great-grandfather.  This earned them the kabane of "Mabito", or "True Person" because of their royal lineage.   Tajihi no Shima was placed in charge of the Dazai from at least 682.  His predecessor that we know about is Prince Yagaki, who was dismissed around 676, and we don't know who filled the gap between him and Shima. Shima had quite the run.  We don't know exactly when he returned to the court in Asuka, but it cannot have been later than 689, when we see Awada no Mahito in the position.  A year later, in 690, Shima was made Udaijin, or minister of the right.  That's a huge deal and we will talk about that in a bit, but what did Shima actually oversee during his tenure as Dazai no Sochi? We have quite a few events attributed to him, this reign.  In 686, we see the Tsukushi no Dazai sending tribute in the form of human beings:  Common men and women of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, along with 62 priests and nuns.  We aren't told where these men and women came from, but I suspect that they were refugees or captives from all the fighting on the peninsula.  That they were given as tribute suggests to me that they were enslaved—or at the very least they were not free.  If they were uneducated, they were likely put to work as labor, perhaps building out the new capital or opening new farmlands.  Later we see the various missions from Silla around the death of Ohoama, and the back and forth that went on, there, and in 688 the Tsukushi no Dazai entertained Kara, a Minister of Tamna, aka modern Jeju island, who had been sent by the king of that small country.  You may recall that Tamna, while late to the game, may have been one of the last holdouts of an early Japonic speaking people outside of the archipelago. Being the Tsukushi no Dazai, Shima would not have only been concerned with foreign envoys, but also with two other groups of Hayato—specifically the Ohosumi no Hayato and the Ata no Hayato.  Little is known about them, other than that Yamato considered them to be distinct ethnic and cultural groups living in the far south of Kyushu.  We've talked before about how southern Kyushu maintained a significantly different material culture through Kofun period until more recent times.  We also have indication that they had a distinctive shield and even art style—the famous "Hayato shields" appear to have been appropriated by the court, along with a contingent of Hayato men that were expected to act as an exotic guard for the sovereign and the court.  The earliest reliable evidence we have for them is a record from 682.  There are some questions as to whether or not they were related to the groups previously called Kumaso or even the Tsuchigumo, but there is no clear historical or archaeological  evidence linking them other than the common cultural finds in Kyushu more generally. The Ata and Ohosumi Hayato may have been distinct clans or lineage groups living in Ohosumi and the area of modern Satsuma.  We have a record in 687 of the Ata no Hayato attending Ohoama's funeral and presenting a eulogy.  The chiefs who came brought 337 others—a sizeable contingent—and they were all given presents by the court.  Later, we would see presents given out to 174 Hayato by Shima's successor in the Dazai, Awada no Mahito, and then in 692 we know that the court sent priests to preach Buddhism to Ata and Ohosumi.    In 695, Hayato of Ohosumi were entertained in the capital, and they even held a wrestling match for the Queen and her attendants in the area west of Asukadera, by the site of the famous Tsuki tree. So the Hayato would have been another group that Shima no doubt dealt with on a somewhat regular basis in his capacity as Dazi no Sochi—and then later on when he returned to Asuka and took up his new role as Udaijin.   And as I mentioned, that appointment was a Big Deal.  The position of Udaijin had been vacant since Nakatomi no Kane, one of the infamous leaders of the Afumi court, was non-consensually removed from the position—and this plane of existence—when he was executed in 672, at the closure of the Jinshin no Ran.  After that, Ohoama appears to have been gun-shy about sharing power with anyone outside the royal family.  The position had been left vacant for about 18 years.  So what made Uno no Sarara take up Shima as Minister of the Right?  And what about the Minister of the Left, or the Sadaijin? Well, we don't have a Sadaijin, but we do have a Dajodaijin in the form of Prince Takechi, Ohoama's first-born son.  The Dajodaijin was the Prime Minister in charge of the entire Dajokan, the Council of State, made up of the ministers of the left and right and the 8 bureaus of the government.  The Sadaijin and Udaijin served under the Dajodaijin, in that hierarchical order, with the Sadaijin generally being considered higher in precedence.  So it looks like, in this case, they had the Dajodaijin, Prince Takechi to run the Council and Shima, as Udaijin would have been responsible for ensuring the administration of the eight bureaus was properly carried out. That Shima was appointed just under Prince Takechi again shows the power and influence he likely had and the trust he must have had from Uno no Sarara.  Remember, the Crown Prince, Kusakabe, had died before he could take the throne.  Uno was enthroned as Queen, while the Crown Prince, Karu, was still a minor.  Whereas Ohoama had his wife and many sons to help him run things, Uno no Sarara was running thin.  As had been seen with Prince Ohotsu, there was always the threat that one of Ohoama's other sons could be propped up on the throne.  Uno had to look after Karu's birthright, but there was no guarantee that he would make it to adulthood in times before modern medicine.  It appears that Prince Takechi was actually considered the next in line, just in case something happened to Karu before he could ascend the throne, which makes sense that Prince Takechi was also trusted as Dajo Daijin.  Shima's place as Udaijin must have been indicative of similar trust that he would look after the royal family's interests.  This was no doubt helped by the role he played as Dazai no Sochi. As Udajin, Tajihi no Shima went on to have a rather incredible career.  He was given 4 cho of land for his residence.  This appears to be around 10 acres or so—a not inconsiderable amount of land, and it probably refers to the amount of land he was granted in the new Fujiwara capital city.  Later, in the Nara capital of Heijo-kyo, Prince Nagaya's residence was about that size and Fujiwara no Nakamaro's residence is thought to have been about twice that.  This would have given Shima space for multiple buildings, sprawling gardens, servants quarters, quarters for his wives and children, and much more. Tajihi no Shima would continue in his role as Udaijin, and would eventually, be promoted to the position of Sadaijin, a post he held only briefly, as he passed away almost a year later. He was not forgotten, however.  It is thought that he was the model for one of the suitors of Kaguya Hime in the famous story of Taketori Monogatari—the tale of the Bamboo Cutter.  Taketori Monogatari, also known as Kaguya Hime Monogatari, is considered the oldest known story in the Monogatari form.  It was probably written in the late 9th or early 10th century, with references to it appearing in works as early as 909 CE.  This suggests that Tajihi no Shima and others were still remembered, at least in part, over a century later. Shima is also thought to have been the patron of the famous poet, Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, one of the famous 36 immortal poets.  We'll have to include Hitomaro in a later episode, though we might come back to him after this reign, as he isn't mentioned in the Chronicles, but we do have some fragmentary biographical information thanks to his inclusion in the Man'yoshu.  In fact, he's probably one of the most famous poets in the Man'yoshu who is not otherwise mentioned.  We are told that he was the court poet during the reign of Uno no Sarara, so it makes sense that Shima may have very well been his patron and helped him get his start. Now while Shima was back in Asuka, making it big in the court, the position of Tsukushi no Dazai had to be filled, and we are told that the mantle was taken up by Awada no Mahito no Ason.  This name is a bit tricky, as it seems to have two kabane:  Mahito and Ason.  Since his father is said to have been Kasuga no Awada no Omi no Kudara, the assumption seems to be that "Mahito" was his name, rather than his kabane.  Although it was likely pronounced "Mabito" at the time, I'm going to go with the modern pronunciation of "Mahito" in part to distinguish it from the kabane.  A quick side note:  When reading names from this period, we usually see the kabane coming right after the family name, as the kabane is basically a rank for the family and not the individual.  But we do occasionally see the kabane tacked on at the end of a name, as in Awada no Mahito's case.  I would also like to quickly draw your attention to his father's name:  Kudara.  That can also be read as Baekje.  Was this an indication that his father or an ancestor came from the continent, perhaps from Baekje?  Or just that he had close ties to that kingdom?  I couldn't find anything specific, but it seems interesting that he was put in place at the Dazai, where dealing with the continent would have been an important part of his duties. Awada no Mahito was not just a noble of the court, and even if his father was of Baekje descent, that may not have been the main thing that gained him the position.  It may have also had to do with an earlier incident.  We are told that in 653 Mahito was one of those who traveled with the 2nd envoy to the Tang court as a scholar monk.  He would later return to secular life, but that experience must have been a big feather in his cap, helping him land a good position at court.  In fact, in 685, we are told that he was Jikikwoushi rank—a fairly respectable position for anyone at the time—and he apparently tried to get his father raised to the same rank as he was.  Aston translates the record as saying he was willing to give his rank to his father, but it is unclear to me if this means he was offering to give up his rank altogether.  At the very least it seems that he felt awkward outranking his father—a good, filial attitude, it would seem.  However, Ohoama didn't care.  In the past, rank may have been given to entire families, but now the court was giving rank to individuals, and the rank Mahito had earned was his, not his father's.  And so his request was denied. Four years later, Ohoama was gone and Awada no Mahito was sent to the Tsukushi no Dazai.  We are told that he was in that position as of 689.  If that was the position of Dazai no Sochi, however, he didn't hold it for long, as Prince Kawachi was raised up to that position that same year, and here we have a bit of a conundrum.  Mahito is only mentioned as "Tsukushi no Dazai" while Prince Kawachi is specifically mentioned, at least twice, as Tsukushi no Dazai no Sochi.  There are some who suggest that Mahito may have been the Dazai Daini, an assistant to the Dazai no Sochi—effectively the second-in-command it would appear.  This makes some sense, when you consider it, and he may even have been acting Dazai no Sochi until Prince Kawachi was appointed. Of course, because our records are quite lackluster, and we are never actually told when Tajihi no Shima left the position, it is possible that Awada no Mahito was actually the Dazai Sochi for many years leading up to 689, and that Shima had returned to Asuka some time ago.  This is the problem with the way things are written—sometimes they mention a name and sometimes just a position, and rarely do they mention when someone stepped down. Still, Mahito oversaw a few things that we can be somewhat sure about as they happened after he is first mentioned in the position, though it was all in the same year.  For one thing, he is the one who presented gifts to the 174 Hayato in the first month of 689.  This included cloth, ox hides, and deerskins.  He was also there when the Queen sent relief to the Barrier Wardens whose terms were up.  These were the Sakimori, a position set up to defend the archipelago and repel any potential invasions.  I would assume they were regularly rotated out, especially if they were expected to man the fortifications out on some of the islands.  It is interesting that we don't often see them referenced, so it isn't clear to me why the reference was made here—it may have just been a note in one of the sources the Chroniclers were using. Later that same year, we also see garments being given out—likely meaning official court clothing—to the Tsukushi Dazai and others.  This was probably to bring them all in line with the latest formal wear being used in the court in Asuka.  We also know that in the 6th month of that year they entertained the Silla envoys, who were given various presents. And then, two months later, Mahito is out and Prince Kawachi comes in.  At the same time that Prince Kawachi is being made the Dazai no Sochi, our previous Dazai no Sochi, Tajihi no Shima, had his rank and fief increased.   I doubt this was a coincidence, and it is one of the things that, for me, lends credence to the idea that Shima had just then returned to Asuka and Prince Kawachi was his replacement, suggesting that Mahito had really just been in an acting capacity while the change over was taking place. Unfortunately, if we were looking for more information about Prince Kawachi's background, we would be disappointed.  Although he is a prince, probably descended from Nunakura, aka Bidatsu Tennou, we don't have a lot about him.  He—or someone with the same name, since we do see these Princely titles get reused, it seems—is found in the reign of Ohoama traveling with Ohotomo no Yasumaro and Fujiwara no Ohoshima to go entertain Gim Jisyang of Silla.  Later we see a Prince Kawachi delivering eulogies during Ohoama's funeral.  That suggests he held an important position, and that he was somewhat familiar with the continent, but we don't get a whole lot more.  Our next evidence is when he was appointed to the post of Dazai no Sochi in 689, a position he would hold until his death in 694—which may also explain why we just don't see too much of him in the record.  A promising career may have been cut short, as happened all too often back in that day and age. Still, as Dazai no Sochi, he had plenty to keep him busy.  Not a month after he arrived, Isonokami no Maro and Ishikawa no Mishina arrived at the head of a delegation.  They were there to deliver patents of rank to members of the Tsukushi government and to inspect the fortifications at the edge of the archipelago.  These were the same fortifications being manned by the newly arrived Sakimori. Speaking of the members of the Tsukushi government, it took a lot of people to make the Dazaifu work, not just the Sochi giving people orders about what they should do.  There were numerous assistants helping to keep everything running.  Some of them would have just been dealing with the Sochi's own residence, while others were clerks, guards, and more.  It really was a miniature version of the court in Asuka, and would have required a lot of people to tend to it.  And we know of at least one of them:  Tsukushi no Fubito no Masaru, whose imagined thoughts we heard at the top of the episode.  In 691, Masaru was recognized for 29 years of service as a secretary to the Tsuksuhi no Dazai.  Twenty-nine years in place suggests to me that he would have likely been one of the longest serving members of the Tsukushi government center.  He would have known where all the bodies were buried—perhaps quite literally.  While the Dazai no Sochi was often a temporary appointment, sometimes just for a few years, they would have likely leaned on Masaru for his expertise.  This is just like how modern government appointees like ambassadors may come and go, including for political reasons, but they rely on permanent staff, including a lot of locals, to provide the institutional knowledge they need to do their jobs.  One can assume that if Masaru had been successful for 29 years he knew how things were supposed to work.  And so I hope that his superiors made sure to remember that when Secretary's day rolled around. Prince Kawachi didn't make it 29 years, but he made it five.  He might have gone even longer, but he died in office in 694 and was posthumously raised in rank for his service.  History is full of stories, but in real life, the stories don't always follow the expected narratives.  As much as we'd like to think otherwise, good, moral people do not always triumph and sometimes those who do awful things are never punished.  And some times stories come to abrupt ends.  Of course, looking back, it just is what it is.  Prince Kawachi's life becomes little more than a footnote.  And yet, what if he had gone on?  Would he have followed Tajihi no Shima to help become one of the grand ministers of the court?  Unfortunately, we will never know.  He could have been a rising star, but we just know about his passing. Five months after Prince Kawachi's untimely death, he was followed in the post by Prince Mino.  Prince Mino would continue in the position, it seems, through the end of the reign in 697—or at least nobody else was appointed until 700, when Isonokami no Maro—apparently the same one who had previously come out to inspect the fortifications during Prince Kawachi's tenure—was appointed.  Although he came into the position in the next reign, we'll still touch on him, as he was another notable figure at this time. Looking back at Prince Mino, however, we seem to run into a problem—there are too many Princes Mino in the record.  If you just use the English translations, you'll find several references to Prince Mino, but if you look at the original text, you'll see that there are at least three different spellings.  For one it means "Beautiful Field" and another is just "Three Fields".  A third "Mino" is spelled with characters that don't necessarily create obvious meaning, and may just be a phonetic spelling. It is possible that all of these Princes Mino are the same.  Spelling wasn't standard, and different characters could be used for the same name.  On the other hand, we have one set of characters being used to describe a Prince Mino who supported Ohoama during the Jinshin no Ran, while another, the "Three Fields" Prince Mino, describes one of the sons of Prince Kurikuma, who was with his father in Tsukushi when the Afumi court came calling.  Since travel wasn't necessarily an overnight endeavor—unless you were Ohoama, rushing through the mountains to the east—it would seem that the Prince Mino in Tsukushi is unlikely to be the same one as the Prince Mino who joined Ohoama's forces back in the Home Provinces. So let's make the assumption that Prince Mino—Prince "Three Fields" Mino—is one person and the others are separate.  What do we know about him? Well, he appears to have had experience with Tsukushi and the government out  there, since he would be the son of Prince Kurikuma, a former Tsukushi Dazai no Sochi.  We talked about Prince Kurikuma before, back in numerous episodes, but particularly in episodes 128 and Episode 144, as well as references in betweend. Prince Kurikuma was not only a significant factor in the outcome of the Jinshin no Ran, denying the Afumi court the resources of all of the defenders at the Tsukushi fortifications, he shows up in local legends in Tsukushi still today.  So he definitely seems to have had an impact on the region.  It also suggests that Prince Mino had connections in the area through his father. After his father's posting as Dazai no Sochi ended, Prince Mino appears to have returned with him to Asuka.  He is described as a key member in Ohoama's court.  He was one of the Princes mentioned in the audience at the Daigokuden in 681, when Ohoama instituted the commission to bring together the various court sources that we presume would eventually lead to the creation of the Chronicles—the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki.  Later, he become a daibu, a high official, of the Household Bureau, responsible for the household of the sovereign, the sumera no mikoto.  This meant the upkeep of the palace, the kitchens, and the various servants waiting on the sovereign and his family.  This also means that he was likely close to the movers and shakers of the court. One of the projects under his purview appears to have been the laying out of a new palace and a new capital city.  In 682 he headed up the investigations at the place called Nihiki, determining that it would be a good location for what would eventually become Fujiwara-kyo—a project still underway in Queen Uno's reign.  He was also sent out to Shinano two years later to look for a site for a second capital.  It ended up not happening, but he spent a couple months and eventually came back with a map of the region.  It may be that the Fujiwara-kyo project took up a lot of Mino's time and effort, because we then don't hear from him for another decade, during which Ohama passed away and so much more happened.  Assuming he was still involved with the Fujiwara capital project, however, we see that in 691 there was a ceremony held for the tranquility of the new capital—a Chin-sai or, what we would today call a "Ji-chin-sai".  This is a "land pacification ceremony" done when breaking ground on a new building or other project.  So it looks like planning and land clearing had taken some 10 years, but it was finally ready to get started.  Later that same year we hear of them laying out the residences of high ranking nobles, like the Udaijin, Tajihi no Shima, and we also see the Queen inspecting the roads.  Then, a year later in 692, they were holding the land pacification ceremony for the new palace.  The queen would move into the new palace in the very last months of 694. But by that time, Prince Mino was on to his next assignment.  He had been appointed Tsukushi Dazai no Sochi earlier that year following the death of Prince Kawachi.  Not much more is said of Tsukushi for the next three years of the reign, but we do see the Hayato visiting Asuka, presumably with Prince Mino's assistance. We don't have a clear idea of when Prince Mino retired—it's certainly not in the Nihon Shoki—but we know that he did because he was succeeded in the role by none other than Isonokami no Maro, who would take up the position in 700.  Prince Mino, on the other hand, returned to the court, where he would eventually pass away in the year 708. And that was the last Dazai no Sochi who held the position during this reign, but I do want to talk about the one who came after Prince Mino just a bit—though more because this was an up-and-coming court noble whom we should be watching. Isonokami no Maro was born, by all accounts, in the year 640.  Despite his name he was actually born to a family that we know somewhat well from much earlier on: The Mononobe.  In fact, his father is apparently Mononobe no Muraji no Umaro, and he appears to be descended from the main line of the Mononobe family, which had declined ever since Mononobe no Moriya had been defeated and killed by Soga no Umako and others. And it seems that the Mononobe curse of being on the losing side in a contest for power hit Maro during the Jinshin no Ran, because we see him, at that time referenced as Mononobe no Muraji no Maro, along with two servants, or Toneri, serving Prince Ohotomo—aka Koubun Tennou—up to the very end.  In fact, when Ohotomo fled and the Afumi court deserted him, only Mononobe no Maro and the servants stayed with him when he eventually strangled himself. And one would think that would be it.   You were with the rival for the throne in the most contentious fight in recent memory.  You couldn't protect him and you were on the wrong side.  Sure, Ohoama was going to pardon you because he couldn't just rid himself of half of the court and hope things would still run smoothly—that would be a surefire recipe for disaster, and nobody wanted the government crippled like that.  However, you can't imagine that those on the losing side would be given any position of trust or authority. And yet, in 676, we see that Mononobe no Maro was sent to Silla.  And he wasn't just helping out: he was sent as the chief envoy of Ohoama's court.  That is quite the turnaround in four years, and we don't really know why, but it has been speculated that Ohoama was actually impressed.  While other members of the Afumi court fled and abandoned Ohotomo to his enemies, Maro and the two toneri with him did not, staying with Ohotomo until the bitter end, and likely conveying what had happened to the other side once it was all over.   That kind of loyalty was impressive, especially back then. It is also thought that Maro may have benefited from the fact that Enoi no Okimi, who was also descended from the Mononobe family, fought on the side of Ohoama.  This is a common scenario we see throughout Japanese history, where different members of the same family fight on different sides of a conflict, often meaning that no matter who wins the family can still claim to have been on the winning side.  When Okimi passed away in 676 he was posthumously recognized as the ujigami, or clan head, of the Mononobe, leading some to suspect that a bit of his shine may have rubbed off on Maro as well. In 684, when the various kabane were being rectified by Ohoama's court, the Mononobe no Muraji were included as Ason, or Asaomi.  There is some thought that around this time is when Maro changed his name to Isonokami, which is a name that was previously used by members of the Mononobe, including one of the brothers to Mononobe no Moriya.  We see him mentioned as Isonokami no Maro in 686, as one of those giving a eulogy for Ohoama: specifically he gives the eulogy on behalf of the Houkan, or Nori no Tsukasa, the Judicial officers.  He is mentioned right after Fuse no Miushi, whom we talked about last episode, who would go on to become a Dainagon and, later, Udaijin, or Minister of the Right. The first connection between Isonokami no Maro and Tsukushi was in 689, and we noted it earlier—he came out to inspect the fortifications as well as to hand out patents of rank to the court officials working out there on the edge of the realm.    He would return to Asuka in time to be a part of Uno no Sarara's official enthronement ceremonies.  There he is named Mononobe no Maro, and is in charge of the shields.  Given what we know of the role of the Mononobe as the early soldiers of the court, it makes sense that he would play this role, and that they would use the name Mononobe rather than Isonokami.  In the same way, the ritual was conducted by Fujiwara no Ohoshima, but he is recorded as Nakatomi no Ohoshima, probably because these were roles specifically for the Mononobe and Nakatomi, rather than for the Isonokami and the Fujiwara. This is another thing that can be quite frustrating when researching Japanese history—names can change at the drop of a hat, and people often had various ancestral names and titles that could be pulled out for various political or ceremonial reasons.  If you don't have the history or understand the nuance it can be easy to just think that it is a different person altogether.  And when you don't have much information, sometimes you have to ask yourself which is it? Maro would stay close to Queen Uno, even accompanying her to Ise shrine, and then, in the following reign, he would succeed Prince Mino as Dazai no Sochi in the year 700.  It isn't clear, however, if he left for the Dazaifu immediately, since in 701 he is noted as having been promoted from the office of Chunagon to Dainagon, and in that same year he went with Royal Prince Osakabe to pay respects at the house of the late Udaijin, Tajihi no Shima, who had just passed away.  He then left for Tsukushi in 702—or possibly headed back.  But in 703, he was once again back in Asuka, paying condolences on the death of the next Udaijin, Abe no Miushi—aka Fuse no Miushi, the same one whom Maro had pronounced a Eulogy with during the funeral ceremonies for Ohoama.  Isonokami no Maro would go on to take the mantle of Udaijin, and then eventually Sadaijin as well.  He would be raised up to the second rank, along with the famous Fujiwara no Fubito, who took the vacated position of Udaijin.  This meant that technically Maro was the senior of the two, though many people think that Fujiwara no Fubito held most of the actual power.  Regardless of that, Isonokami no Maro nonetheless would go on to become the highest ranking court noble before his eventual death in 717.  At that point he was 78 years old, by the reckoning of the day, and he had seen multiple sovereigns, several bloody conflicts, and the creation of two permanent capitals—Fujiwara kyo and Heijo kyo, in modern Nara.  He went from being a supporter in the Afumi court, on the wrong side of the Jinshin no Ran to become the highest ranking court noble in the land.  He would be granted the head of the Mononobe family and would continue to prosper as Isonokami.  It was truly a remarkable career over an incredible span of time. And there you have it.  A look at some of those that were sent out to the Dazaifu in Tsukushi.  In later years, the post of Dazai no Sochi would be seen more as a burden than a blessing, but at this point it was still a lucrative and powerful position.  Several of those involved in the Dazaifu or who held the position as Dazai no Sochi would go on to even more powerful positions back in Asuka.  Whilst this posting did move you further away from the politics—perhaps not always a bad thing—it also put you atop a structure where one had considerable power, authority, and autonomy, at least at this point. Next episode we'll get back to the court in Asuka and take a look at a little more of what is going on.  Before I end this, however, a quick administrative note about the podcast.  This creation is a labor of love.  It was started largely as a way to get myself to regularly dive into the Chronicles and really see what was going on.  In particular, I was excited about the Asuka period, because I don't think we really have enough of a sense of what life was like and what was going on back then.  It was clearly a very dynamic time, and yet we tend to see it through the lens of later Nara and Heian court culture, which was still very much evolving.  The stories that I *didn't* know about were what drew me to this project, and I hope that we've all learned a bit more as the project has continued. And we are reaching the end of the area that is covered by the main Chronicles, the Kojiki, the Nihon Shoki, and the Sendai Kuji Hongi, which have been our main guides through this period.  But that doesn't mean we are bringing things to a close. Next we have the Shoku Nihongi and many other grecords, and I am going to keep up with the project and the schedule as best I can.  In fact, it looks like I may be able to devote even more time to it in the near future as some drastic life changes are coming for me, such that I will no longer be working a 9-to-5 job while also trying to get this podcast out like clockwork twice a month—not to mention my other passion, teaching traditional Japanese martial arts here in the DC region at a local not-for-profit dojo.  This is happening as we are also in the process of building a house, traveling, and more.  But it does mean that we are going to be looking into alternative sources of funding beyond just donations.  We are eternally grateful to everyone who has donated, but I may end up doing something that I've been putting off for a while: allowing advertisements.  I want to do this so that we can continue to offer this for podcast for free, but hosting, staying up to date on sources, etc. does cost money.  I'm not looking to make a huge profit, but if we can at least get the podcast paying for itself, that would be a good start. Before I do that I'll look to find a way that we can get subscribers on Patreon and elsewhere ad-free copy.  I just need to figure that out, but once I do, I'll let you all know. So there you have it.  We aren't going to stop the podcast, but we may be adding a bit more to it in the future.  I hope, though, that we can do more beyond the historical chronicles.  For instance, did you know that we have an English translation of a 17th century cookbook up on our website, SengokuDaimyo.com?  I would love to redact those recipes and maybe provide some cooking videos for anyone who would want to try them.  A shoutout to Max Miller of Tasting History, who reached out to us about using a couple of our translations for his episodes on historical Japanese cooking – Max is a great guy and his series and cookbook are well worth following.  But there's a lot more to explore: one of my favorites so far that we've tried is "keiran", or "eggs": doughy balls filled with brown sugar and cooked in a miso based soup.  I don't know if there is anything like that still being served in Japan, but it's a strange and pleasant recipe and I would love to do that again and record it for everyone to try. All of this is in the works, and nothing will change immediately, but I wanted to keep you all in the loop.  Thank you so much for listening, I can't tell you how much it means. And of course, as always, 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.

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Send us Fan MailWhat if one of the biggest missing pieces in teacher retention is how we support mentor teachers?In this episode, Becca talks with John Pascarella, professor of clinical education at USC and Chief Academic Officer of the USC Race and Equity Center, about why mentor teachers are often asked to support new teachers without the training, role clarity, compensation, or coaching they actually need.They unpack why being a great teacher does not automatically make someone a great mentor, how mentoring adults requires a different skill set, and why schools need to stop treating mentorship like informal volunteer work.This conversation is for instructional coaches, school leaders, district leaders, and teacher leaders who want to strengthen new teacher support, improve teacher retention, and build more effective mentoring systems in schools.John's Info:Faculty profile  |  CCTE Policy Brief (free download, includes my brief on mentor teachers)  |  Learning Policy Institute (Stanford University)Buy "The Resistance Solution" here!Let's Stay Connected!Website  |  Instagram |  Twitter |  Linkedin |  Facebook |  Contact Us

An old Victorian primary school in London's East End. A rarely used rooftop playground. And, on one ordinary school day, a set of toilets that should have been empty.When Jeff was eight or nine years old, a plumbing problem meant the only working toilets were on the roof. Mid-lesson, he was sent upstairs alone. Inside, the room felt strangely quiet, the kind of silence that makes a child pause before they understand why.Then he heard it: the clear laughter of a young girl.Assuming someone else was inside, he called out. No answer came. One by one, he checked the cubicles, expecting to find another pupil hiding there. But every door opened onto nothing. No child. No movement. No way out except the one he had come through.A short, chilling Fright Bites account of childhood fear, old school buildings, and the kind of unexplained sound that stays with someone long after they've run back to class.Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, leave us a rating, and drop a review. It really helps the show reach more listeners. Here's where to find more:Support the show: Patreon (patreon.com/hauntedukpodcast) | Ko-fi (ko-fi.com/hauntedukpodcast)Follow us: Instagram @hauntedukpodcast | TikTok @hauntedukpodcast | X @hauntedukpodWebsite: https://hauntedukpodcast.com/Produced by Pink Flamingo Sound Studio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a body of research that says the clothes you wear don't just change how others see you — they change how you see yourself. Kelly traces this idea from her conversation with Denver high school principal Steve Day back to a foundational psychology study, and lands somewhere unexpected: that identity might be less something you earn and more something you assume. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Assuming the best and believing God's promises

Peter Mauch notes that Tojo acted as a tyrant by assuming multiple cabinet positions. After losing four carriers at Midway, Tojo utilized propaganda and censorship to hide the truth from the public. (10/16)1941-42 -43