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Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're joined by John Plake, Chief Innovation Officer and Editor-in-Chief of the State of the Bible research at the American Bible Society. With decades of experience as a pastor, missionary, professor, and researcher, John brings a unique perspective on how people are actually engaging with Scripture and what we should do about it. The “movable middle” is growing. // One of the most significant insights from recent research is the rise of what John calls the “movable middle”—millions of people who are open to the Bible but not yet engaged with it. This group has grown by approximately nine million people in recent years. They are curious, interested, and even positive toward Scripture, but they lack the tools, confidence, or guidance to engage it meaningfully. This represents a massive opportunity for churches willing to step in and help. People want a guide. // Through focus groups and research, John discovered that many people in the movable middle feel intimidated by the Bible. They struggle with language, context, and navigation. But perhaps most striking is they want help. Contrary to what some leaders might assume, they are not rejecting the church as a guide. In fact, many say, “If we can't trust the church to help us understand the Bible, what good is it?” This creates a clear invitation for churches to step into a more relational, guiding role in discipleship. A surprising discipleship gap. // One of the most sobering findings is that nearly half of weekly church attenders are not regularly engaging Scripture on their own. While churches invest heavily in preaching and programming, many people are not developing personal habits of Bible engagement. John suggests that churches often focus on delivering content rather than equipping people to engage Scripture themselves. The result is a gap between what happens on Sunday and what happens in everyday life. From teaching to equipping. // If churches want to close that gap, they must shift from being primarily content providers to equipping environments. This means helping people develop the skills, habits, and confidence to read and apply Scripture on their own. It also requires understanding the real barriers people face, like time constraints, confusion, or lack of community support, and addressing those barriers with practical solutions. A new tool for churches. // To help leaders take action, the American Bible Society has developed the “Next Step for Church” assessment. This free tool allows churches to measure spiritual health, Bible engagement, and key leadership behaviors within their congregation. Within a few weeks, leaders receive a detailed, data-driven report highlighting strengths, challenges, and suggested next steps. Data that leads to discipleship. // John emphasizes that data is not an end in itself; it's a tool for better shepherding. By listening to their congregation at scale, leaders can identify patterns, confirm instincts, and prioritize what matters most. The assessment surfaces both what's working and where growth is needed, giving churches a clear path forward. It also connects individuals to personalized Scripture engagement resources, helping them take their next step spiritually. Why Scripture engagement matters most. // Nothing has a greater impact on spiritual growth than a person's relationship with the Bible. In fact, Scripture engagement accounts for a significant portion of overall spiritual health. When people consistently engage with God's Word, transformation follows—affecting beliefs, behaviors, and relationships. Signs of hope for the future. // Despite broader cultural challenges, John sees encouraging trends, especially among younger generations. Millennials and Gen Z show increasing openness to Scripture, even if they are still exploring. While overall trends may appear flat, meaningful change is happening beneath the surface. For churches willing to engage this moment, there is real opportunity for impact. To explore the research further or access the free church assessment, visit church.nextstep.bible and begin discovering how your church can better equip people to engage Scripture every day. 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! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: Risepointe Do you feel like your church’s or school's facility could be preventing growth? Are you frustrated or possibly overwhelmed at the thought of a complicated or costly building project? Are the limitations of your building becoming obstacles in the path of expanding your ministry? Have you ever felt that you could reach more people if only the facility was better suited to the community’s needs? Well, the team over at Risepointe can help! As former ministry staff and church leaders, they understand how to prioritize and help lead you to a place where the building is a ministry multiplier. Your mission should not be held back by your building. Their team of architects, interior designers and project managers have the professional experience to incorporate creative design solutions to help move YOUR mission forward. Check them out at risepointe.com and while you’re there, schedule a FREE call to explore possibilities for your needs, vision and future…Risepointe believes that God still uses spaces…and they're here to help. Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. I am so glad that you have decided to tune in today. This is one of those episodes that there’s a great resource in it that going to want to make sure you engage with. There’s super helpful content. Plus it’s about an area that I know so many of us are thinking about, we’re wondering about, we’re asking questions about. Rich Birch — So super excited to have John Plake with us today. He is the chief innovator ah innovation officer and editor-in-chief of the State of the Bible Research Series, which comes from the American Bible Society. And they’re on a mission to make the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford so that all may experience its life-changing message. ABS has really a whole bunch of different tools and approaches, and we’re excited kind of expose a little bit more about that today. John has been in ministry over 30 years. We’ll just call it over 30 years. And it served as a pastor, missionary, professor, researcher. John, welcome to the show. So glad you’re here.John Plake — Thanks so much for having me today. It’s great to be with you.Rich Birch — Why don’t you fill in the picture a little bit? Tell us a little bit about your background. You know, what brings you to your current work?John Plake — Yeah. Closer to 40 years now. Rich Birch — Nice. Yeah, yeah. That’s great.John Plake — It’s a little uncomfortable to talk about that.Rich Birch — That’s great.John Plake — Yeah. You know, I start out like a lot of people in ministry. I grew up in a home that ministry was central. Actually, both my grandfathers were ministers. My father was a minister. Ministry is kind of the family business in a way, but I really did sense a direction from God when I was about 15 years old to to pursue full-time ministry.John Plake — There was some detail around that. Ended up going to Bible college and and then started what turned out to be about nine years of full-time pastoral service. And I hadn’t been in that for very long before I realized that everything I learned in Bible College was preparing me to serve a generation that no longer existed in a culture that was gone. John Plake — And I thought, my goodness, I know God’s word pretty well. And mean, I’m a lifelong learner of God’s word. I love the Bible. And yet, didn’t really know culture very well. And I didn’t develop those tools until just years and years of practice, some missionary service, wonderful teachers at at Wheaton College and graduate school and and just a lifelong journey of learning.John Plake — So at American Bible Society, when I got here, the State of the Bible, program or this research project was already underway. And we’d been helped out by the Barna Group, which does some wonderful foundational work. And eventually it just kind of grew up and it got to a place where we had an internal team that was running it ourselves, now in collaboration with the National Opinion Research Council or NORC at the University of Chicago. We just do, I think, what is the largest ongoing study of Americans’ relationship with the Bible and faith and the church. And we get to talk about it all the time. Rich Birch — Yeah, I love it.John Plake — So, I mean, this is the best job in the world.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. It’s it’s great research, something that I think should be on the kind of list of things that we need to be paying attention to. It’s been a gift to the church for so long and something that we should continue to to pay attention through. Now, let’s talk about you specifically. You spent three plus decades. I didn’t want to say almost 40. You know, I’m not saying that. I’m not saying that. I could say that, you know, a couple years ago, I clicked across one of those numbers with a zero on the end as my birthday. And ever since then, I’m a little sensitive about the the age thing. Rich Birch — So anyways, As a ministry, missionary professor, researcher, you’ve done a lot. How does wearing all of those hats, what do you what does that bring to you as you come to the data? How does that impact you as you think about really the state of the Bible research?John Plake — Yeah, you know, I think research can be dull. You know, it can sound like it’s all about writing questions or it’s all statistics and numbers. But for me, the research is all about the people. Rich Birch — So true.John Plake — It’s all about the people in our communities and in our churches that we’re trying to understand better so we can serve them well with the gospel. I, for years, I’ve used the analogy that that being in gospel ministry is like being a human bridge across a river. I grew up not very far from the Mississippi River in the St. Louis area, and there was a big 100-year flood when I was early on in ministry. And I mean, none of the bridges worked anymore. You couldn’t get from one side to the other.John Plake — And I thought, you know, that’s a tragedy that I encountered sometimes in ministry where maybe I was deeply rooted in one bank of the river, the text, but I wasn’t necessarily deeply rooted in the other bank of the river, which was the context.John Plake — And it’s this lived experience of the people that I was I was serving. And that I wanted to serve in my community, but I needed to understand them better. So I wasn’t just spouting you know Aristotelian logic to them. Or I wasn’t just coming at them with the pat answers that I’d learned. Like I’d never heard anybody in my life walk into my office and say, Pastor John, you got to tell me, what can you describe hamartiology to me from. You know like I had to learn that in school, but that’s not what people struggle with. Rich Birch — That’s so true. Yeah. John Plake — They had totally different questions and I needed to love them and honor them enough to understand their questions and answer them responsibly and reliably from the pages of scripture.Rich Birch — Yeah, love it. Okay, well, we’re going to dig into a little bit of just a couple of the findings just to kind of, we’re trying to whet your appetite, friends, to take steps towards this. So the 2025 data showed, and we’ve seen this, a real bump in Bible engagement, particularly among millennials and men. If I’m reading it correctly, though, we saw 2026, a shift happen, maybe back down. And so what’s going on? Actually, I heard another sociologist in a kind of a related field that was about church attendance talked about the dead cat bounce, that it was like, you know, which I thought, oh, that’s a, but there’s a similarity going on here. Pull this, this finding apart. Help us understand this.John Plake — Yeah, apologies to cat lovers out there.Rich Birch — Yes, exactly.John Plake — We were we were hoping, you know, I think we were really hoping. We looked at 2025. We saw that men in particular were leaning into the Bible in ways we hadn’t seen recently. Millennials doing the same thing. There there were some interesting numbers in 2025. And so when the 2026 numbers came to my desk in late January, I thought, I hope we’re extending I hope it’s going to be a trend. But it wasn’t. It was a blip.John Plake — And there’s more to it, though, than just the fact that scripture engagement didn’t go up. It also didn’t go down. And the level of people in America who are Bible disengaged, meaning they never pick up the Bible on purpose at all, that actually didn’t go up either. What grew was this kind of curious explorer group in the middle that we call the movable middle. And over the last two years, it’s grown by 9 million American adults. Rich Birch — Wow.John Plake — And so what we do see is there’s there’s openness to the Bible. There’s experimentation with the Bible. But people are jumping in and they’re trying it and they’re not being able to get hold of it. And I think that’s largely because of us.John Plake — Because Bible people who are around them aren’t saying, please come do this with me. Let me help you. Let me honor you enough to to respect your questions, to ask what you’re dealing with, and help you explore those issues through the pages of Scripture.Rich Birch — I love that movable middle, man, that feels like the kind of group we want to connect with and reach out to in our community. Any other, when you, when you’ve been thinking about this movable middle, what are some other kind of characteristics of those people or other things that, you know, are kind of telltale signs of this group as we’re thinking about them as it, as it pertains to Bible engagement?John Plake — Yeah, they’re an amazing group, and we’re going talking more about them all year, but they are probably my favorite subject in America. There are 74 million American adults that are in the movable middle.Rich Birch — Wow.John Plake — 74 million of our neighbors who are like…Rich Birch — Wow.John Plake — …and here’s what they tend to say: They love the Bible. They think it’s a great idea. But if you handed them a Bible, they don’t know how to find what they’re looking for. They don’t know how to navigate it. They get confused by the language in in Scripture.John Plake — I remember doing a a focus group with a bunch of people in the movable middle. I was in Chicago. it was an area I was really familiar with. I used to pastor in that area. And we got them talking about their experience with the Bible. And we said, hey, does anything ever stop you or kind of you know make you check out because you’re struggling with what’s going on? John Plake — And one young lady at the table said, yeah, you know the language of the Bible is really really hard for me to understand. It’s it’s a really old book. It uses expressions I don’t understand. And a gentleman sitting across the table from her just kind of chuckled and said, yeah, what the hell’s a mustard seed? And everybody laughed.John Plake — I was behind the glass and I just about fell out of my chair because they didn’t teach me to talk like that in a Assemblies of God seminary.Rich Birch — Yes.John Plake —Things like that, you know, that’s just not the way we roll.Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah. Yes.John Plake — But it was so authentic and he wasn’t being mean.Rich Birch — No.John Plake — He was just saying, boy, I don’t I don’t get it. And then they said, you know, we really want a guide. Rich Birch — That’s good.John Plake — And so we pushed on that a little bit. At the time, there were some clergy abuse scandals that actually there were billboards up in Chicago about clergy abuse scandals that all of us lamented. And so we’re like, OK, listen, do you trust the church to be your guide? Because ee saw these billboards, you know, and it’s your city. And so what what do you think?John Plake — And they said, well, of course we do. I mean, it’s terrible when people in the church abuse their position and abuse others. And that’s not what they’re supposed to do. But if we can’t trust the church to help us understand the Bible, what good are they, really? And so, yes, we’re looking to you, church, to help us connect more deeply with the Bible, understand what it meant to the original hearers and readers and how we apply it to our lives today.Rich Birch — Okay, that’s yeah, that’s really cool. I look forward to hearing more about the movable middle in this coming year. Another thing that jumped out to me, which I feel like, man, I’ve seen this in my church. This is like you you named a group that I see, but it’s surprising, at least it’s surprising on its face. So nearly half of weekly church attenders, weekly church attenders, which is, that’s like really engaged, you know, are not regularly engaging, engaging scripture on their own.Rich Birch — Man, what, so what should we do about that? That’s an interesting, how does, how should that impact our discipleship strategy? What are you encouraging us to be thinking about? And these people that are with us all the time, but they’re not engaged with scripture.John Plake — Well, I think the first thing to do is to just recognize it. Rich Birch — Right.John Plake — You know, a lot of pastors that I’ve talked to, when we talk about scripture engagement, they tell me things like this: Everything we do is scripture engagement. I spend my whole week preparing a scriptural message. I’m, you know, we’re preparing small group curriculum and Sunday school curriculum and all of this stuff. It’s all about the, everything we do is about the Bible. John Plake — Well, okay. But I had a I had a young youth pastor come to me not that long ago and he said, John, look, you were me once a few years ago. If you knew then what you know now, what would you do differently?John Plake — And the answer is I would do everything differently, than the way I ought to do it. Because what, in my tradition, there was a lot of emphasis on the preaching event, and I put a lot of effort into those communication events, but what I didn’t put as much effort into is empowering people in my church to do what I was doing, which was dig into scripture, understand it for themselves, giving them the tools to do that.John Plake — And then in May, we’re going to be releasing a chapter, just in a few few days now, we’re going to be releasing a chapter all about parents. And one of the startling things is the time pressure that moms are under. I mean, it’s incredible. And so we need to understand where they’re coming from and where they have barriers, but also have some compassion on them and help to support them when they’re really facing struggles. Like they don’t have enough time. They don’t have the resources or the community coming around them to help them to engage God’s word ah more fulsomely, more transformatively.John Plake — We know how to do this stuff, but we’re not connecting the dots to everybody that’s coming to hear us talk every…Rich Birch — That’s good. That’s good. I know I’ve in my seat as an XP, um you know, I’ve overseen a lot of what we do on the programming side and what we do on the weekends. And I’ve, you know, it’s like, that i don’t think I’ve ever said this publicly. It’s like the kind of behind the scenes conversation. I’ve sometimes wondered, I’ve said, you know, like, what we do on the weekend to try to make the Bible understandable is so completely different than Tuesday morning in someone’s life. Rich Birch — Like, we pull out all the stops to make it interesting. We get like world class communicators, incredible graphics, you know, emotional music, all of this to try to… But then the question is, okay, so now on Tuesday morning when you’re tired and you haven’t had your coffee yet and you’re just about to go read scripture, man, like that feels like a long ways away. There’s like a gap there that I sometimes wonder maybe we’re making it worse. You know. Maybe we’re making it harder. I said that. You didn’t say that. Rich Birch — So maybe there’s pastors that are listening here and they read this kind of report. They read this kind of finding and they’re like, hey, that’s interesting. But like, how what do I do in my church specifically? So you know we want we don’t want to just leave people with a tough stat.Rich Birch — I think we see that in our church. There’s people in our church that are here all the time. They’re not that engaged. But you’ve actually developed a new tool or ABS has developed a new tool to help us think through that. Why don’t you walk us through it? Tell us a little bit about it. How’s it work? Talk us how it can help us.John Plake — Yeah, so recently we developed two tools that kind of work together. One of them you can find on the internet at nextstep.bible. And it’s just for anybody who’s like, hey, I’m on a spiritual journey. I’m kind of stuck. I don’t really know what to do next. Maybe you’re just getting started exploring what it means to be a Christian. Maybe you’re Jesus’ little brother or sister. Wherever you are in that journey, there’s always a next step for us.John Plake — And so what we’ve done is analyzed along about a million spiritual life surveys. Rich Birch — Wow.John Plake — And from this huge quantity of data, we’ve learned that people are at different places in that journey. They’re at different points on the map. And we want to make sure that they’re equipped to have the right thing at the right time. I think currently there are 21,000 scripture engagement resources available there.Rich Birch — Wow.John Plake — They’re absolutely free. They’re in English, Spanish, and French. So go check it out, nextstep.bible.John Plake — But if you’re a pastor or you’re a church leader, you’re probably wondering, well, what’s going on in my church, right? So I see all the national data, but I think our tendency is to say, well, we’re the exception, right?Rich Birch — So true. Well, that’s not our people. John Plake — I know I know everybody else is struggling, but we’re doing okay.Rich Birch — Yes.John Plake — And and so it’s good to check our assumptions a little bit. They used to say a really sad statistic that 10 o’clock on Sunday morning was the most segregated hour in America, which makes me sad. What makes me sad also is that 12 o’clock noon in America is the most dishonest hour in America. That’s the hour when pastors tend to start greeting their people after the church service closes and they hear all these comments: oh, Pastor, that was the best sermon I’ve ever heard. And it wasn’t. It just wasn’t. All right, let’s face it.John Plake — There’s somebody out there who preaches better than you do and better than I do. They’re available on YouTube. People don’t need you to be the best Bible teacher in the world. They need you to be the best pastor for them. Rich Birch — That’s good.John Plake — And the tools that are all about focusing on their relationship with the Bible, their holistic spiritual formation, and our leadership behaviors. And so for that, we built the Next Step for Church Assessment.John Plake — It’s actually standing on the foundation or built on the engine block, if you want a different metaphor, of the old reveal research that the Willow Creek Association had come out with. It’s no longer available. And we were able to acquire all of their historical learnings, but also add in things like human flourishing and e-pastoral leadership behaviors that lead to churches really being missionally effective and strong. Excellent stuff on Bible engagement and spiritual formation. John Plake — So the the big challenge we had, I was talking with Dr. Ed Stetzer about this because he was at LifeWay Research when the Transformational Church Assessment was being built. And it was always hard because analyzing this kind of data required a lot of human intervention. It’s very expensive to do. It’s very complicated to deliver. And even a small cost can be a barrier for churches that have strained budgets. It doesn’t matter if you’re a church of, you know, 2,500 25,000 or 250. There’s always more places to put your money than there are dollars that are available to do it.John Plake — And so at American Bible Society, we said, you know what, as a gift to the church, because we love the church, we need to make it completely free. And so you can go to church.nextstep.bible and you could sign up today. Literally, we’re recording this on a on a Thursday. You could go there today and by Sunday, you could be launching your survey. Two weeks later, you’d automatically have results in your own online dashboard. You’d get key highlights emailed to you. There’s a place for custom questions. There’s just all kinds of really, really rich information.Rich Birch — So good.John Plake — And it it doesn’t take the place of the kind of learning that you have as a pastor. You learn deeply in relationship with others. You’re observing what’s going on. You have a team that’s around you. But what it does is it provides this valid, reliable sift and sort function. It’s based on well, I don’t know even know how many, well over 3000 churches, well over half a million survey responses went into building this and making it a tool that that is a good benchmark for you to say, you know what, if we want to move from where we are today to where God is calling us, here are the things we need to focus on.Rich Birch — It’s so good. And friends, I want to encourage you to to go there. Just church.nextstep.bible. I know many of us have a heart for saying, listen, we want to measure more than just nickels and noses. The number of people that show up and revenue that comes in. And this a great way to kind of inject at something that’s at the core of what we’re supposed to be doing as a church. So why don’t we just give a little bit more detail?Rich Birch — What is it? You know, what’s it actually measuring? How is it? You know, how could it be helpful? How how could it kind of dovetail with some of the things we’re already tracking? Maybe give us, you know, what kind of insights are we going to gain from this if we if we put our people through this?John Plake — Yeah, maybe it’s worthwhile to just back up and say it’s based on a congregational assessment. So really this kind of work is all about just listening to your congregation at scale. So if you have 25 people coming to church, you can probably have this conversation with them if you know how to ask the right questions. Rich Birch — Right.John Plake — You can go to the website. You’re like, what’s in the survey? There’s a button you can click. You can read the whole survey. It’s fine. We’re not going to try and surprise you with anything. But really simple stuff. How’s your relationship with Jesus? How often are you interacting with Scripture? What difference is that making in your life? We ask the standard Harvard human flourishing questions. We ask about um how the pastoral team or the senior pastor, him or herself, is doing at actually modeling Christlike leadership for you. Rich Birch — It’s so good.John Plake — And all of that reporting then gets brought into a database. It’s all anonymous. So individuals don’t, they don’t have to tell you who they are. They can’t tell you who they are other than by characteristics. And you’re going to get this really good, robust picture of what’s going on at the church. John Plake — Now, what does it take for somebody to do that? It takes about 20 minutes of their time, and time is expensive, right? People always have too much to do. So in return for that investment, at the end of their survey experience, they will have already told us everything we need to know to match them to great resources at nextstep.bible.John Plake — And with their permission, not without it, they can click a button, pass that data over to the individual nextstep.bible platform. They can create an account and right away, they’re going to be finding things like YouVersion Bible reading plans that are just for them.John Plake — If you’ve got people in your church and they’re outliers, they’re they’re way more spiritually advanced than everybody else, or they’re just getting started and everybody else is way ahead of them, these kinds of tools create bespoke pathways for them so they know what to do next. All the while, the church leadership can sit back and say, okay, here’s our results. And as a team, now what do we need to do to serve the whole congregation well?Rich Birch — I love this. You know, this is what incredible tool that you’ve put together here for our churches to wrestle through and to, you know, not only help us as a church as we’re thinking about these issues, but then help individuals in our church. What what would be some of the ways that churches might use the data that’s generated to impact what we’re doing in our programming? How how could we use this to improve what we’re doing?John Plake — Sure. There are really three things we want everybody to do. First, just discover what’s going on. Just just check your assumptions at the door and and say, okay, what do the data tell us about what’s going on in our church life and in our people’s lives? That’s the first thing.John Plake — Second thing is it’s going to surface for you the top three things that you’re doing great. And it’s going to give them to you in the report. And you need to throw a party. Like there are people who make these things happen for you. No pastor is doing this all by themselves. And so plan a party, celebrate what’s going well.John Plake — The third thing it’s going to do is it’s going to give you suggestions about, okay, here’s where your congregation is today. It won’t surprise you, but it might inform you. I’ve never seen a pastor look at the report and go, ah you guys got it wrong. Rich Birch — Sure, right.John Plake — Usually they they see the report and they go, yeah, okay, yeah, you got me.Rich Birch — Yeah. Confirmed some hunches I’ve had. Yeah. Yeah.John Plake — Right? But we don’t we don’t have time. We don’t have the resources. We don’t have the expertise to be able to sit down and and kind of scientifically walk through this process. So we do that for you. We deliver the report. And then we’re going to give you two key action items that we think churches like yours in a similar place have done that have helped move them toward spiritual health and missional effectiveness.John Plake — And that’s really what it’s all about. We want your congregation to be spiritually healthy. We want your your church as a whole to be missionally effective. And when that happens, often there’s numerical growth. Often there’s financial growth. But there’s certainly more missional impact that’s coming through your congregation and its work.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s cool. So if I’m like a church of a thousand people, let’s say, and just round number to picking out of the sky, how how what kind of percentage of my congregation would I need to take this to give me a reasonable, you know, statistical, you know, feeling good about the data for it? What what kind of number um should I be thinking about?John Plake — Well, the first thing is we’ve built in a tool that will tell you how to get to a margin of error of plus or minus 3%. Rich Birch — Love it.John Plake — And that does vary depending on the adult attendance that you have. So let’s say you’ve a thousand adults. And by adults, I mean anybody in high school or older can probably take this survey. Rich Birch — Yep.John Plake — And you can cut the data like by gender or by age. All of that live filtering is in the online platform. Rich Birch — Oh, that’s so good.John Plake — So if you’re the you’re the youth pastor and you’re like, well, wait, tell me about the young people that took the survey. You can just look right at them and compare them to the rest of the congregation, which I bet will be enlightening. But nevertheless, how many do you need if you’re a church of 1,000, it’s about 275.Rich Birch — Okay.John Plake — If it’s a smaller church than that, then you’re still going to need a pretty significant percentage. So if I roll that all the way down to a church of 100, you need 80.Rich Birch — Okay.John Plake — And if you roll that up to a church of 5,000, well, you don’t need that many more than 275.Rich Birch — Interesting.John Plake — So you’re going to report that out to you. It’s very, very doable. And, you know, I’ve pastored at large churches and I pastored a small church. And I’ll tell you, when I pastored a church of under 100, I could have gotten a census of the people, like everybody, to do a survey like this. They would have been glad to tell me these things. Rich Birch — Right.John Plake — And it’s not that I couldn’t have had a conversation one-on-one with most of the adults in the congregation. It was something different in that case. I actually didn’t know what to ask. I used to run into this when I was a campus pastor at a Christian university. And I would have young people walk into my office and I was like, I know I should be able to help them, but the challenge they’re facing is different than anything I’m familiar with. I don’t have any analog for this in my personal experience. And so this sort of takes the mystery away. We don’t ask fluffy questions. We ask research proven questions that are going to give you the information you really need so you can take action.Rich Birch — That’s amazing. That’s think this is such a great tool for people. I can see how, you know, it’d be so helpful for folks that are listening in to, you know, might be be able to plug in grab this experience for their people, help their church, help the folks that are attending. That’s, that’s incredible.Rich Birch — So, you know, you’ve picked an interesting vocation to be connected with the American Bible Society. And because, you know, this is such a critical and important part of developing people’s relationship, obviously, with Jesus; its core to all of it. And we have seen a long historical downward trend, and you’re pushing against that, which is amazing. But what gives you hope in the middle of all of that? What would it when you look at the church around you know, the country, where do you see flashes of just good things going on that are like, you know, when it comes to the relationship with scripture that even, you know, even when we see maybe the overall numbers are not as great as we want them to be, what are some kind of flashes of hope we should, that we could encourage folks with today?John Plake — Well, I’d like to maybe point to just three things that leap to mind. Rich Birch — Yep.John Plake — The first of them is I never talk to anybody in the church who says the Bible is a bad idea. Rich Birch — Sure.John Plake — Everybody likes the Bible. We’re all trying to figure out how to communicate its message better, to understand it more deeply. It’s transforming our lives, and we want to be able to share it with others. John Plake — And that’s great because, number two, there’s nothing that makes a bigger difference in somebody’s spiritual life than their relationship with the Bible. I mean, absolutely nothing. And I’m saying this as a researcher. I’ve tested it. I can’t find anything that makes a bigger difference. John Plake — In fact, when we looked at Christian college and university students, 60% of their overall spiritual health across lots of domains—beliefs, practice, putting faith into action, loving God, loving others, all these things, 60% of the variance in their spiritual health is solely accounted for by their relationship with the Bible.John Plake — So if we can help people have a dynamic relationship with scripture, we win. That’s all there is to it. It’s just that simple. And so that is really encouraging.John Plake — And then the third thing, ah the third thing is how I say this nicely? I'm I’m from Gen X and so to my Baby Boomer friends, I’m sorry, but you guys don’t have the influence that you once did.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s true.John Plake — And that’s a good thing because there’s new openness among Millennials, and Gen Z and even younger Gen X um that we just don’t see among Baby Boomers. It’s like Baby Boomers made up their minds in the 60s and early 70s and said, this is what I believe and I’m not changing. And they haven’t. John Plake — That’s not to say that someone who’s a Baby Boomer can’t have a a spiritual experience and transformational experience. It does happen. But on the population level, like when we looked at the Bay Area of San Francisco, if you look at the scripture engagement, church engagement, love God, love others data in the Bay Area, it looks like what you’d expect, until you strip out the Baby Boomers. And then suddenly it looks better than every place else in America.John Plake — You’re like, what’s going on? Well, looks like all the unreconstructed hippies that moved to the Bay Area are actually holding a lid on the population numbers. And when you remove that and you go, oh, wait a minute, let me look under the headline and say what’s happening. There’s more going on than is easy to see. And I think this happens in big national trends.John Plake — Oh, is Scripture engagement up or down? Is you know church attendance up or down? Whats what’s going… big national trends. Yeah, okay, those are helpful, and we want those to change. But what’s changing first is below the fold. Things in Gen Z, things among Millennials, things in young men, those things are starting to change, and I think those are the first glimmerings that God is at work in a new way in America, and I can’t wait to see it.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s that’s a great word. And that lines up with what we’re seeing, even just experientially talking to churches across the country. You know we’re so we’re seeing there is something going on with younger generations, which is great to see. I was I was born in 1974, the lowest birth rate year of the 20th century. I am classic Gen X. Like you know I am like statistic I’m the statistical average Gen X and has spent a lot of my time trying to hand stuff from the Boomers to the Millennials. And, yeah, there’s lots of encouraging news there, particularly with the younger generations. Rich Birch — I also want to speak to on the the work I’ve done in the church growth stuff that I’ve done and coaching I’ve done with churches, one of the things that’s just undeniable is churches that have a high view of scripture, that is, they’re trying to get people engaged with scripture. They they talk about it like it’s actually true. How do we say don’t know what’s the best way to talk about that? Those are the churches that are prevailing, and that actually works out statistically. You see that time and again. Talk to us about that dynamic, which is kind of co-related to the things we’re talking about today. From your perspective in the stats and all that, how how have you seen that work out as you’ve looked at churches across the country?John Plake — Yeah, I think you’re exactly right. The churches that are the healthiest in America, that are growing, that where where people are spiritually healthy, have a really dynamic relationship with Scripture. And it kind of it cuts across tradition. Rich Birch — Yep.John Plake — There are some traditional things going on. I was listening to Justin Brierley and his surprising Rebirth of Belief in God podcast, and it was from last season, and he he had someone on, he was interviewing, and what she was saying was there are the parts of the church that seem to be thriving are kind of the, the the older, the ancientness traditions, whether it’s Catholic or Orthodox, that what she called somewhat irreverently, the smells and bells side of of the church.Rich Birch — Sure, sure.John Plake — And on the other side, kind of my end of the swimming pool, I’m, from the Assemblies of God, so the Pentecostal and Charismatic side. And she said, what’s going on is that both ends of that spectrum are totalizing. John Plake — They’re saying, you know what, the the Bible places certain expectations and demands on people. Christ places certain expectations and demands on people. And these parts of the church aren’t sort of shy about talking about that from a biblical perspective. She said, what’s what’s dying is that part in the middle where we’ve reduced church to a PowerPoint and you know an Excel spreadsheet. And she said, that part of the church seems to be dying and no one’s coming to the funeral. Rich Birch — That’s good. John Plake — And I thought, you know okay, right?Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah, that’s good.John Plake — So if we revitalize our relationship with God through scripture, there’s a next step for every church. It doesn’t matter what, you know whether you’re mainline or evangelical or, you know, Pentecostal or Orthodox or whatever it is, but but reviving our relationship with God through Scripture is really where it’s at.Rich Birch — That’s so good. i Yeah, I call that middle group the just because it rhymes doesn’t mean it’s true group. You know, like the, you know, were just like, it’s all my thoughts. No one wants to come and find us. They want to find God ultimately. Well, I don’t want to pick any fights with anybody that’s listening in, but I really appreciate today’s conversation, John. This has been great. So we want to send people to church.nextstep.bible.Rich Birch — The the promise of in two weeks, your church could have a comprehensive report on spiritual health, on where your church is, spiritual health is at, that’s a huge promise. And so again, this is go to church.nextstep.bible. Any kind of final words as we wrap up today’s episode?John Plake — You know, you might be familiar with Cally Parkinson. Cally was the co-author of all of the Reveal books, every single one of them. She was head of communications for the Willow Creek Association when they were running this. She’s probably had more conversations with pastors and church leaders about survey results like this than anybody I know, maybe than anybody alive. And Cally likes this so much. She said, John, I want to have a personal consultation with the first hundred churches that go through this.John Plake — And so if you want to be in that group, she’s going to offer to spend an hour with you and just walk through your results and help explain it. There are videos throughout the platform that will explain it as well. And you can’t beat talking to Cally. She loves pastors. She says you’re the salt of the earth. And she just really wants to serve you because the work that you do to save people is just so valuable to her. So anyway, just wanted to offer that. And I know you’d probably love to meet Cally.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s fantastic. Well, appreciate you being here today. Thanks for the great work you do at the American Bible Society. John, appreciate you being on today. Thank you.John Plake — Thank you.
On this episode of The Daily Grateful, Michael takes a joyride straight through the Baby Boomer experience — from transistor radios and handwritten letters to Woodstock, rotary phones, and standing in line for concert tickets like it was a sacred mission from the rock-and-roll gods.Michael reflects on growing up in a world with no smartphones, no internet, and no GPS… just bicycles, neighborhood adventures, and parents yelling your full name when it got dark outside. Along the way, he shares stories about seeing Jerry Lee Lewis, the Dave Clark Five, Frank Zappa, and Jefferson Airplane back when concerts cost less than a large pizza today.But this episode is more than nostalgia. It's about resilience, gratitude, and being part of the last generation to experience an entirely analog childhood before the digital world took over. From polio vaccines to AM radio to the strange realization that radio may actually be making a comeback, this one is funny, heartfelt, quirky, and deeply human.Because maybe growing older doesn't make us obsolete.Maybe it makes us all part of living history.#DailyGrateful #MichaelCrose #BabyBoomers #LivingHistory #ClassicRock #OldSchoolCool #GratitudePodcast #BoomerLife #Storytelling #RadioDays #Nostalgia #WoodstockGeneration
In today's episode of Scaling UP! H2O, host Trace Blackmore sits down with workplace resilience expert and U.S. Marine veteran Tiffany Wentz‑Root to decode how different generations show up in the industrial water treatment industry. From the Silent Generation's post‑war loyalties through Baby Boomers' commitment to long hours, Gen X's distrust of corporate loyalty, Millennials' desire for purpose and feedback, and Gen Z's demand for emotional literacy, the conversation illustrates how each cohort was shaped by historical and technological upheaval. The discussion reframes "hustle culture" and argues that a focus on mental health and values alignment can increase retention and performance. Generations and the events that shaped them Tiffany explains that generations are roughly 20–30 year cohorts defined by shared formative experiences. The Silent Generation (1928‑45) endured the Great Depression and World War II; Baby Boomers (1946‑64) were taught loyalty and stability; Gen X (1965‑80) witnessed mass layoffs and became fiercely independent; Millennials (1981‑96) were helicopter parented and accustomed to participation trophies; and Gen Z (1997‑2012) grew up online, socializing via games and apps and weathering school shootings and a pandemic. These histories explain why Baby Boomers and Gen X equate "hard work" with hours logged, whereas Millennials and Gen Z measure effort by pride, alignment and emotional impact. Gen Z's exposure to constant online crises makes them the "anxious and afraid generation" with record rates of anxiety and depression, highlighting the need for supportive leadership. Hustle culture versus emotional literacy The conversation challenges the idea that toughness equals success. Wentz‑Root stresses that leaders must "stop prizing strength" and recognize that feeling and processing emotions is hard work. She advocates for environments where people can bring their whole selves to work rather than suppressing feelings in order to conform to traditional hustle culture. She notes that Gen Z sees phone calls as "prehistoric" and prefers to communicate via apps like Snapchat or Discord, so older professionals should adapt their communication style—using fewer capital letters, punctuation and more emojis or GIFs—to avoid appearing angry or dismissive. For water treatment companies seeking to recruit young professionals, she urges them to articulate company values and support mental health, because Gen Z will leave if work doesn't align with their skills or passions. Practical strategies for leaders and organizations To bridge the generational divide, Wentz‑Root proposes creating a "social contract": a collaboratively defined set of values, behaviors and communication norms that are revisited regularly. Such agreements encourage teams to discuss how they prefer to give and receive feedback, when to use Slack versus meetings, and what good work looks like across ages. She also recommends structured cross‑mentorship, matching senior employees who are nearing retirement with junior colleagues based on skills rather than age, so institutional knowledge isn't lost. She cautions against judging younger staff as entitled or weak; rather, leaders should ask why behaviors exist and treat differences as strengths. Lastly, she reminds Baby Boomers and Gen Xers that sharing decades of hard‑earned experience with Gen Z isn't charity—it's how you build a legacy and ensure the industry thrives. For water‑treatment professionals, recognizing that "different doesn't mean wrong" can unlock better collaboration, innovation and resilience. By replacing judgment with curiosity, establishing social contracts and mentorship programs, and adapting communication to younger workers, leaders can turn generational tension into an asset. Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge! Timestamps 02:32 — Trace Blackmore introduces the episode and sets the context: exploring generational dynamics in the industrial water treatment community 09:20 — Tiffany Wentz‑Root introduces herself as a Marine Corps veteran and therapist who helps corporations improve communication, empathy and resilience. 15:07 — Definition of a "generation" and how cohort boundaries from Silent Generation to Gen Alpha are defined 18:06 — Examination of how Baby Boomers were taught loyalty and work stability, Gen X learned independence after witnessing mass layoffs, and Millennials received participation trophies and craved feedback 00:24:33 — Wentz‑Root calls for leaders to stop equating strength with suppressing emotion; feeling and processing emotions is difficult work 25:02 — Gen Z is described as the anxious and afraid generation with record levels of anxiety, depression and suicide, shaped by school shootings and constant online news 27:03 — Contrasting COVID experiences: Trace led a team through uncertainty, while Tiffany's son saw the lockdown as "awesome" because he stayed home playing games. 28:41 — Discussion of how Gen Z socializes through apps like Snapchat, Discord and Steam; texting is archaic and phone calls are "prehistoric" 32:09 — Panel reflections: Baby Boomers and Gen X define hard work by hours worked, Millennials by pride in results, and Gen Z by alignment with skills and passions 33:37 — Tiffany emphasizes that "different doesn't mean wrong," urging listeners to see younger workers' needs as strengths 40:26 — Introduction of social contracts: teams co‑create values, behaviors and communication norms to bridge generational expectations 42:42 — The role of cross‑generational mentorship; match people by skill and career stage, not age, and leverage Gen Z's expertise with tech and communication platforms 01:13:26 — Trace's closing reflections: in male‑dominated, hustle‑driven industries, ignoring emotions isn't sustainable; sharing knowledge now ensures a legacy and a thriving future Quotes "We need to stop prizing strength first and foremost. We need to understand that emotions are very difficult to face. To feel your feelings, to name them, to process them—that's hard" "When I asked, 'What's your definition of hard work?' the baby boomer said, 'I put in a lot of hours.' Gen X said, 'I put in a lot of hours.' Millennials said, 'I get the job done and I'm proud of it.' Gen Z said, 'It's when the work that I've done aligns with my skills and my passions, and I feel good about what I did'" "Judgment kills curiosity … When I see someone of a different generation with a different way of communicating, I automatically go, 'That's bad, that's weird.' Instead, I want you to step into curiosity and say, 'Why would they do that? What happened in their life that shaped them to be this person?'" Connect with Tiffany Wentz-Root Phone: (425) 359-5088 Email: tiffany@resilientroots.com Website: resilientroots.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanywentz-root/ Guest Resources Mentioned Generational Diversity Outline Bridging the Gap: Navigating Generational Diversity at Work 17776: What football will look like in the future by Jon Bois Pity the Reader: On Writing with Style (Paperback) by Kurt Vonnegut (Author), Suzanne McConnell (Author) Washington's Farewell: The Founding Father's Warning to Future Generations by John Avlon Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned AWT (Association of Water Technologies) Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses Submit a Show Idea The Rising Tide Mastermind Words of Water with James McDonald Today's definition is an ion with a net negative charge, formed when an atom or molecule gains one or more electrons. Examples include bicarbonate, chloride, and sulfate. Can you guess the word or phrase? 2026 Events for Water Professionals Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we've listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE.
Broadcasting LIVE from Black Matt Studios, THE BOOMXERS are four friends too young to be Baby Boomers but too old to be GenXers. We get together every week to Jibber Jabber about music, entertainment, rural news, crazy inventions, portmanteaus, and so much more. Featuring the phenomenal music quiz known as JIMMY READS. The BoomXers: Unfiltered, Unpolished, Unapologetic, and Unsponsored.
What do demographics, migration patterns, and a $100 trillion wealth transfer have to do with real estate investing? In this episode of The Real Wealth Show, Kathy Fettke sits down with demographic expert Ken Gronbach to discuss the population trends he believes will shape the economy and housing market for years to come. Ken explains why falling birth rates around the world are creating labor shortages, why the United States remains in a stronger position than many developed nations, and how an estimated $100 trillion wealth transfer from Baby Boomers to younger generations could influence housing demand, consumer spending, and investment activity. They also discuss migration to the South, the outlook for multifamily housing, the reshoring of manufacturing, the rise of Gen Z's "tool belt generation," and why demographic trends may be more important than today's headlines when making long-term investment decisions. If you're a real estate investor looking beyond interest rates and market cycles, this episode offers a big-picture perspective on where future demand and opportunity may emerge. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:36 Demography & Fertility Decline 04:12 China 05:57 Immigration Policy 07:22 Misleading Headlines 10:21 Millenials 12:43 Baby Boomers and Wealth Transfer 14:20 Kathy's Story 15:18 Jobs Market & AI 18:02 Millenial Trends 19:54 Demographics and Wealth 21:17 Real Estate 23:25 Gen Z: The Tool Belt Generation 25:49 Multifamily Housing 27:09 Housing Supply 27:48 Where Baby Boomers will Retire 30:25 Reshoring DISCLAIMER The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as an offer to buy or sell any securities or to make or consider any investment or course of action. For more information, go to www.RealWealthShow.com
Don and Tom tackle a Wall Street Journal financial decision-making quiz that explores how to prioritize competing goals such as retirement savings, high-interest debt, mortgages, and student loans. The discussion highlights the importance of employer matching contributions, the damaging impact of credit card debt, and the reality that many financial decisions depend on individual circumstances and risk tolerance. They then answer listener questions about retirement portfolio allocation, Fisher Investments' sales tactics and fees, stock ownership concentration among wealthy Americans, and whether a federal retiree should consolidate TSP assets into a Vanguard IRA. The episode emphasizes building a financial plan before making allocation changes, avoiding market predictions, and simplifying finances where possible.0:00 Wall Street Journal financial decision-making quiz begins1:23 Prioritizing 401(k) matches versus high-interest debt4:31 When to pay down credit cards instead of investing more5:20 Borrowing from a 401(k) to eliminate 22% credit card debt6:07 Mortgage payoff versus other debt reduction strategies7:55 Mortgage prepayment versus additional retirement savings9:35 Building a hierarchy for financial priorities11:07 Listener Bob asks about retirement readiness and portfolio allocation13:02 Fisher Investments' fees, sales tactics, and active management claims16:15 Why retirement planning should come before allocation decisions19:40 Stock ownership concentration among the wealthiest Americans22:03 Why markets are not a zero-sum game23:51 Will retiring Baby Boomers hurt stock prices?25:52 Listener asks about consolidating TSP and Vanguard retirement accounts29:18 Comparing Vanguard and TSP target-date fund allocations31:57 Benefits of simplifying and consolidating retirement accounts35:06 Don discusses sales and distribution of The Line UncrossedQuestions? Comments? Click!
Summary Lt Gen Clint Hinote, USAF (Ret.), and CH(COL) Light Shin, USA, join host Josh Jackson to examine influencer culture through a biblical lens. Hinote brings decades of military leadership experience and is now building a speaking ministry focused on integrating Christian faith and leadership into a single, unified message. Shin serves as an active-duty Army chaplain and father of three daughters, navigating influencer culture's effects on faith and family in real time. Both will be speaking on the theme of influence at OCF's White Sulphur Springs Conference Center this summer. The conversation begins by establishing a biblical framework for thinking about influence—one that applies to all Christians before it applies to military officers specifically. A few key distinctions anchor everything that follows. First, the platform versus the algorithm. Both guests agree that social media platforms are morally neutral—the tool itself is neither good nor evil. Hinote compares them to the Roman road system: the same infrastructure used to carry armies also carried the early gospel across the known world. What man built for one purpose, God can use for another. The YouVersion Bible App is offered as a contemporary example of Christians using technology with vision for gospel purposes. The algorithms driving those platforms, however, are a different matter. They are deliberately engineered not to inform or build up users, but to keep them scrolling—by targeting base impulses, feeding comparison, and manufacturing shame. Hinote frames these as the "flaming arrows" of Ephesians 6, and the first thing you see on social media that triggers envy, comparison, or temptation is an arrow. Recognize it. Raise your shield of faith. Second, influencer versus witness. Shin draws a sharp distinction from Acts 1:8, saying that an influencer seeks to build a following but a witness tells the truth about what they have seen and heard, regardless of the audience's reaction. Both guests agree that Christian influence should be a byproduct of a Christ-centered life—not a goal pursued in its own right. When influence becomes the goal, self replaces God at the center. The framework they offer is simple: know Christ above all things, do what Christ commanded, and become more like Jesus through that ongoing, lifelong process. Influence, rightly understood, flows from that. As Shin puts it, the question worth asking regularly is: "Whose kingdom did I build today—God's or mine?" Third, authenticity over curation. The lie of influencer culture, Hinote argues, is that you have to look like you have it all figured out. In reality, authenticity builds trust, and trust is what creates genuine influence. This is as true in the gospel as it is in personal branding, and the early church wrestled with the same pull toward following personalities over Christ, as Paul addresses directly in 1 Corinthians 1:12. The standard the guests return to throughout is 1 Peter 3:15 (ESV): "Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you—yet do it with gentleness and respect." With that foundation in place, the conversation turns to what this means specifically for Christian officers serving in uniform. Referenced in this conversation: Summer R&R 2 at WSS (Hinote) Summer R&R 6 at WSS (Shin) YouVersion Bible App The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller Questions answered and themes covered in this interview include: How is social media affecting the younger generation entering military service? Young people entering the military are increasingly shaped by a worldview centered on self-promotion, curated personas, and metrics of online acceptance. This stands in direct tension with what military formation is designed to accomplish. The foundational goal of basic training is the breakdown of individual ego and the subordination of self to the unit. Shin references Timothy Keller's The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness as the counterpoint to what he observes: recruits arriving not in freedom, but in what he calls "bondage of self-obsession"—more concerned with how they're perceived on a platform than how they're showing up for the person next to them. Hinote adds that this tension isn't new, and that American individualism has always been something the military has had to address. However, the platforms intensify that individualism by continuously reinforcing exactly the self-focused impulses that military culture is trying to dismantle. Character development must be continuous and intentional, not treated as something institutions address only when there's time. Resource: The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller How do I share my faith as a military officer without it being weird or forced? Start by living the message before communicating it, and know which role you're speaking from at any given moment. Hinote, drawing from his own experience rising through senior military ranks, offers a framework that proved practically useful. When you are on a platform, in uniform, with rank on your shoulders and a flag behind you, you are speaking from a position of institutional authority, and conflating that authority with the authority of Christ risks manipulation and coercion, which is not Christlike leadership. In settings where you have more personal freedom—as a church member, a neighbor, a citizen—you have more latitude to speak openly about your faith. The key is empathy: always consider what role your audience sees you occupying. In either context, when you fail—and you will—own it and apologize. Authenticity builds trust. Trust creates real influence. A practical starting point Hinote recommends for any developing leader is this: keep a journal, write down every role you hold, and identify the through line connecting them all. Then live that through line. The standard throughout is 1 Peter 3:15 (ESV): "Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you—yet do it with gentleness and respect." Statistics and data shared this episode (plus a few extra not included): A working definition of influencer culture: Influencer culture is a social and economic phenomenon created when social media platforms reward people for curating a public identity, performing for engagement, and building an audience around themselves. Influencers use their platform to shape the opinions, lifestyles, and purchasing decisions of their audience. Every generation is influenced in some way by influencer marketing: 55% of Gen Z trust influencer recommendations, compared with 44% of Millennials, 35% of Gen X, and 28% of Baby Boomers (2025 Clutch survey). StoryBox says there are approximately 127 million active social media influencers worldwide—roughly 2.4% of the global social media user base of 5+ billion people. EMarketer breaks that down into 4 tiers of influencers: Nano: 1,000–10,000 followers; Micro: 10,000–100,000 followers; Macro: 100,000–1 million followers; and Mega/celebrity: 1 million+ followers. The vast majority of influencers on TikTok (nearly 88%) are nano-influencers and Instagram follows a similar pattern with nano-influencers representing about 76% of its influencers (eMarketer). According to some reports, military-related content on TikTok alone amassed over 15 billion views in 2023; look up #MilTok. Military.com calls it the rise of soldier influencers. Influencer culture is not just shaping what people buy (or which branch to join)—it's doing three things: It's shaping how an entire generation sees themselves, forms relationships, and decides who to trust. Consider the following: In terms of how they see themselves: Writer and Substack author Freya India, whose book GIRLS was published earlier this year, frames influencer culture this way—girls as young as 12 packaging themselves for Instagram, getting feedback on their appearance, measuring their worth in likes and followers. An adjacent stat is this: 47% of Gen Z often or always feel anxious (Gallup, 2023). That's the self-perception toll. In terms of forming relationships: A Harvard study says 61% of young adults ages 18–25 report profound loneliness—the highest rate of any age group. This is the one that tends to surprise people, because the assumption is that hyper-connected generations would be less lonely or that older generations would be the loneliest. In terms of deciding who to trust: Only 8% of Gen Z say there's a religious leader they can turn to (Springtide Research). And from Edelman—religious and faith leaders rank at 44% trust rate among Gen Z, well below doctors, scientists, and teachers. But here's the flip side: family members rank at 88% trust. The hunger for relational authority is still there and it's real. Instead, it's institutional authority that's taken a hit.
In Episode 105, we break down President Trump's call for patience on Iran amid escalating tensions and high-stakes negotiations. We analyze Sen. Jon Ossoff's fiery Atlanta rally where he sharply attacked Trump and the GOP. Plus, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene blames Baby Boomers as the "most dangerous generation," sparking generational fireworks. We dive deep into the rise of hyper-emotional political tribalism, where feelings about the messenger trump facts, fueled by political correctness, woke ideology, and identity-driven reasoning. Learn how this emotional filter harms honest debate and what the Founders warned us about regarding factions. Independent analysis, no spin. Just your source for disinfecting sunlight on today's biggest stories. Please take a moment to rate and review the show and then share the episode on social media. You can find me on Facebook, X, Instagram, GETTR, TRUTH Social, TikTok, YouTube and Rumble by searching for The Alan Sanders Show. And, consider becoming a sponsor of the show by visiting my Patreon page!
The aging Baby Boomer generation and a heightened national focus on health are driving unprecedented demand for healthcare services. But what does this shifting demographic mean for the financial performance of medical office buildings? In this episode, host Michael Bull sits down with 20-year medical office sector veteran Paul Zeman to break down the current state of the market, shifting values, and what to expect moving forward. What you'll learn in this episode: Market Metrics: Current occupancy rates, supply and demand forecasts, and where cap rates are landing for medical office properties. Investor Playbooks: Practical tips and actionable strategies for developing, buying, or selling medical real estate. Provider Guidance: Crucial real estate advice specifically tailored for healthcare providers navigating today's market. Tune in for the actionable business intelligence you need to navigate the medical office sector. For more market insights and video episodes, visit CREshow.com. Michael Bull, CCIM Michael@BullRealty.com 404-876-1640 x 101 Paul Zeman Paul@BullRealty.com 404-876-1640 x 133 TCN Worldwide Real Estate Services - A global network of over 1,500 leading commercial real estate professionals delivering integrated, expert sales, leasing, management and consulting services across 200 U.S. and global markets. https://www.tcnworldwide.com/ Buildout - Aconnected software platform built for commercial real estate brokerages—combining CRM, marketing, data, and back-office automation. https://www.buildout.com Bull Realty, TCN Worldwide - Commercial Real Estate Asset & Occupancy Solutions in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast U.S. https://www.bullrealty.com/ Commercial Agent Success Strategies - Twenty-one cloud accessed commercial broker training videos with slide deck action notes. Learn more at https://www.commercialagentsuccess.com/
In This Episode A massive wave of business ownership transitions is coming—and many business owners are not prepared for it. In this episode, Adi Klevit interviews Esther Aguilera and Erika Baez-Grimes, co-founders of Silver Tsunami Transitions, about the unprecedented transfer of wealth and business ownership expected as Baby Boomers retire. Together, they share their expertise on helping owners prepare their businesses for successful exits while preserving both value and legacy. Adi, Esther, and Erika discuss one of the biggest challenges facing closely held businesses today: owner dependency. Many business owners have built successful companies, but the knowledge, relationships, and decision-making authority often remain concentrated in a single person. This creates significant risk for potential buyers and can dramatically impact valuation. The conversation also highlights the importance of understanding business value before planning an exit. Esther and Erika explain why business valuations and exit readiness assessments provide critical insight into a company's strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. By addressing operational gaps, building leadership teams, and documenting systems, owners can create businesses that are more attractive to buyers and easier to transition. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that exit planning should begin long before a business goes to market. Whether the goal is selling to an outside buyer, transferring ownership to family members, or creating an internal succession plan, proactive preparation creates more options and better outcomes.
The Baby Boom generation pioneered the counterculture movement of the 1960s so it's not so surprising that 50 years later they are using compounds like psilocybin and LSD with the goal to improve their overall quality of life. Today, we get into all of the above with Abbie Rosner, the author of the forthcoming book “Psychedelics and the Counterculture of Aging.” She researches and writes about how her generation of Baby Boomers is exploring the drugs of their youth to enhance their experience of aging. In "Psychedelics and the Counterculture of Aging," she suggests that the growing underground movement of older adults using psychedelics is helping rewrite the narrative around aging —as a time of healing, growth, spiritual deepening, joyous intimacy, supportive community, and acceptance of the inevitability of death. Abbie is a freelance journalist, writer, and public speaker based out of Washington, D.C., and she has written extensively on older adults, cannabis, and psychedelics for Forbes, Double Blind, and other journals since 2018. Her new book comes out in July 2026. ◘ Related Links Abbie Rosner's website https://www.abbierosner.com/ Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research https://www.hopkinspsychedelic.org/ NYU Langone Health's Center for Psychedelic Medicine https://bit.ly/4dvwAG6 UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics https://psychedelics.berkeley.edu/ GW Integrative Medicine Podcast Medical Cannabis, Psilocybin, & More Playlist https://bit.ly/3RO8q0Z ◘ Transcript bit.ly/3JoA2mz ◘ Disclaimer: The content and information shared in GW Integrative Medicine is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in GW Integrative Medicine represent the opinions of the host(s) and their guest(s). For medical advice, diagnosis, and/or treatment, please consult a medical professional.
Broadcasting LIVE from Black Matt Studios, THE BOOMXERS are four friends too young to be Baby Boomers but too old to be GenXers. We get together every week to Jibber Jabber about music, entertainment, rural news, crazy inventions, portmanteaus, and so much more. Featuring the phenomenal music quiz known as JIMMY READS. The BoomXers: Unfiltered, Unpolished, Unapologetic, and Unsponsored.
On today's MJ Morning Show:Chess BoxingEustis PD... sad story with a strange twist... son took own life-police later returned the gun to the motherMorons in the newsDecorating doors on a cruise shipPin ChasersTexts that are spam to Fester and to MJStreaming Netflix? MJ may cancelRob Base RIPKanye scheduled to play Ray JayTennis player at French Open needed to take a bathroom break during matchTaylor Swift wedidng updateWhat's the average cost of a date, based on your age group? (Millenials, Gen X, Gen Y, Baby Boomers...)MJ's Instagram videosThrift City USA has a suitFHP arrested a woman for DUI, resisting, peeing in public...Guy crashed while high on shrooms, robbed a 7-Eleven 4 timesVolusia County incident involved wasp sprayWoman renting AirBNB's and filming herself relieving herself on furniture in more troubleWill Levis sex tape.... apologized to his momBrad Pitt... dated teens in the 1980's... why is this story back now?ZooTampa complaint... do we believe it?Guy climbs to second story of apartment to put out fireShorty Shane tells of his latest issue with stupid peopleGuy smashed car he thought belonged to his ex... sentencedGFA6 not released today, though an old memo said it would beDog fired a shotgun and hit a nearby driverRays have best record in the ALWander Franco... avoids jailComedian had 600lb refrigerator fall on herKathy Griffin had colonoscopy complicationSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This Memorial Day, Michael reflects on a generation that might just save the world. A Baby Boomer who helped stop an immoral war and shaped a cultural revolution, Michael shares why he believes Gen Z is carrying that torch forward — with more tools, more empathy, and more purpose.At Dunedin Memorial High School, a chance encounter with a young Navy ROTC cadet changes everything. Watching her run her fingers across fallen veterans' names, then snap to a flawless salute at half-staff, Michael sees it clearly: this generation gets it.From marble memorial plaques spreading across the globe to a girl in uniform honoring strangers who died before she was born — this episode is a love letter to remembrance, resilience, and the next great generation."They're going to change the world. Probably do a better job than us."#MemorialDay #GenZ #DailyGrateful #PodcastLife #HonorTheFallen #BabyBoomer #Dunedin #MilitaryLife #ROTC #Gratitude #Podcast #SEO #Remembrance #VeteransDay #Inspiration #Faith #Leadership #NextGeneration
In this episode, we break down Ryan Burge's demographic analysis of American Protestant churches and the uncomfortable math behind membership decline. Using age-distribution data across major denominations, Burge argues many churches aren't stable—they're simply being “buoyed by the Baby Boomers.” With modal ages in the late 60s, shrinking numbers of young adults, and fewer children in the pipeline, many groups are approaching a demographic tipping point. Decline won't be gradual; it will feel slow and then sudden. Unless leaders plan now, some denominations could lose 30–50% of their adult members over the next couple of decades. The message is clear: this isn't a theological or programmatic problem. It's an actuarial problem, and the clock is already ticking. The post The Burge Report: Boomers Can't Save Us Forever: The Hard Truth About Church Demographics appeared first on Church Answers.
This episode examines how Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z approach contemporary dating etiquette in distinct ways shaped by technology, culture, and shifting values. We discuss optimal post-first-date communication, generational attitudes toward sexual intimacy on early dates, and practical guidance on when to schedule the next meeting. Listeners will gain evidence-based insights to navigate modern dating with clarity and respect, regardless of their age or the generation of their partner.
Also: how do phone cameras affect the way we experience live events? This episode originally aired on December 5th, 2021. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Fill in the blank: The problem with this generation is _____. Whether you're Gen Z, Millennial, or a part of the Baby Boomers, every group tends to think less of the generations before them, and the ones after. We often believe that our elders had it easier, and that the young people today are lazy and misguided. But what if we focused more on raising up the next generation in the ways of the Lord rather than all the ways they could be better?
Most people know Social Security exists, but very few understand where it came from, what it was actually designed to do, or why the math behind it looks the way it does today. Before you make any decisions about when to file, you need to understand the full picture. In today's conversation, Nic and Randy clear the table on all things Social Security. From its origins in 1935 and the generational math that's quietly straining the trust fund, to the real trade-offs between filing at 62 versus waiting until 70. This episode is designed to replace fear and confusion with clarity and confidence. ⸻ ⏱️ Episode Highlights [00:35] – The origin story: How Otto von Bismarck's walk through the streets of Europe gave birth to the concept of Social Security. [01:25] – The design problem: Why Social Security was never meant to be a pension, and how we turned it into one. [03:01] – The generational math: 72 million Baby Boomers drawing down. 29 million Gen Xers paying in. Why don't the numbers add up? [06:37] – The Millennial factor: Why 80 million Echo Boomers may be the unlikely heroes of the Social Security story. [08:10] – Filing at 62: When taking Social Security early is actually the right decision, and why no one should guilt you out of it. [10:39] – Waiting until 70: The case for an 8% guaranteed compound growth rate that almost nothing else can match. [13:45] – The trust fund reality: What depletion between 2033 and 2034 actually means, and why 70 to 75% of benefits are still projected to be paid by 2070. [14:50] – Beyond retirement: Why Social Security also matters for widows, survivors, and disability benefits. ⸻ Links & Resources Mentioned • Email: connect@meritfa.com • Website: meritfinancialadvisors.com ⸻ Closing Thoughts If today's episode resonated with you, please rate, follow, share, and leave a comment, it helps us reach more people who deserve clarity over confusion when it comes to Social Security. If you don't have a Social Security filing plan or you're unsure when and how to file based on your situation, reach out at connect@meritfa.com. We'd love to help you make the right call, on your terms, not out of fear. Stay coachable! Investment advice offered through Merit Financial Group, LLC., an SEC-registered investment adviser.
In this special, off-topic feature of the Very Clinical Podcast, hosts Zach and Kevin trade dental bonding agent chat for guitars and grit. They welcome Alan to kick off a multi-part series on the cultural endurance of rock and roll music. Inspired by Alan's recent trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the trio dives deep into Kevin's theory of the "grocery store enigma"—the bizarre phenomenon of why 50-year-old classic rock from the 60s, 70s, and 80s still completely dominates grocery stores, dental offices, and sports stadiums today. The guys debate the historical shifts in music distribution, the massive consumer bubble of the Baby Boomer generation, and why these track-driven "comfort foods" with unforgettable hooks have outlasted vintage television and physical albums. From the universal sing-along power of "Sweet Caroline" to the dark, paradigm-shifting arrival of 90s grunge, this episode uncovers why classic rock remains an immortal force in modern culture. Join the Very Clinical Facebook group! Join the Very Dental Facebook Group using one of these passwords: Timmerman, Paul, Bioclear, Hornbrook, Gary, McWethy, Papa Randy, or Lipscomb! The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you'd like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! We're proud to be supported by the folks at Net32! I'm a big fan of the Bioclear Method! I think you should give it a try and I've got a great offer to help you get on board! Use the exclusive Very Dental Podcast code VERYDENTAL8TON for 15% OFF your total Bioclear purchase, including Core Anterior and Posterior Four day courses, Black Triangle Certification, and all Bioclear products. Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you'll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code "VERYSHIP" you'll get free shipping on your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist! Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products! CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you'll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!
What does the future hold for the 99% of American manufacturing defined as "small business"? In this episode of Manufacturing Talk Radio, host Louis Weiss sits down with Carrie Hines, President and CEO of the American Small Manufacturers Coalition (ASMC). Carrie shares her deep expertise on the vital role of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network—a powerful public-private partnership providing boots-on-the-ground technical assistance across all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Discover how MEP centers are driving domestic growth by mapping supply chain risks, accelerating reshoring initiatives, and helping small facilities navigate advanced automation. Carrie also tackles the ongoing workforce crisis, highlighting how modern manufacturing is leveraging AI, video, and gamification to bridge the skills gap and preserve institutional knowledge as Baby Boomers retire. Tune in to find out why the industry is no longer "dark, dirty, and dangerous," and how a career in modern, high-tech manufacturing commands an average salary of over $90,000. Key Takeaways From This Episode:- The Scale of Small Manufacturing: Why businesses with fewer than 500 employees make up 99% of the U.S. manufacturing landscape.- Securing the Supply Chain: How the MEP network works directly with lower-tier suppliers to mitigate risks and transition outsourced resources back home.- Next-Gen Workforce Solutions: Overcoming knowledge loss through community college partnerships, apprenticeships, and AI-driven training.- Accessible Technical Support: Navigating the fee-based, cost-effective consulting services and technology labs available to small and rural manufacturers.Looking to connect with your local MEP center or learn more about the ASMC? Visit smallmanufacturers.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Most people fear getting older, but Gary Cole believes aging can become one of the happiest and healthiest stages of life. In this episode of Unstoppable Mindset, Gary and I explore what it really means to age well through purpose, relationships, movement, optimism, and daily lifestyle choices. Gary shares lessons from the Blue Zones, the science behind longevity, and why mindset matters more than most people realize. You will hear practical insights on healthy sleep, nutrition, exercise, happiness, spirituality, and how to create a life filled with meaning at any age. Highlights: · 00:10:22 - Learn why society fears aging and how mindset changes the way we experience getting older. · 00:18:24 - Discover how daily lifestyle choices impact aging more than genetics. · 00:20:40 - Hear why older years can become some of the happiest stages of life. · 00:31:07 - Learn why purpose and meaningful routines matter after retirement. · 00:48:53 - Discover the Blue Zone habits linked to longer, healthier, and happier lives. · 01:00:35 - Hear Gary's top five habits for living a healthy, active, and fulfilling life. About the Guest: Garry is a Baby Boomer with a passion for aging well, which he describes as a life of health, happiness and longevity. Garry lives in Michigan with his wife Pam, their cat, Simba, and their Samoyed dog, Amara. A graduate of The University of Michigan he is a big Wolverine fan. Although he did not win his March Madness Pool, he is very happy with the final outcome. Go Blue. When he is not cheering on the Wolverines, he enjoys travel, reading, and living vicariously through his two recently adulted children. The oldest, Parker, will graduate from Medical School in May and start his residency at Rutgers University in July. His daughter, Paulina, is living her best life in Chicago, working in the financial services industry and enjoying everything the city offers. After spending three years researching the topic of aging he decided to share what he learned. His first book, "Are We Old Yet?", was published in 2024 and became a best seller in the Aging category. Garry continues his research and publishes blogs on his website and speaks on topics related to aging. As he likes to say, most of us have the privilege to age, it is up to us to do it well. Ways to connect with Gary: Website, https://www.garrycole.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551415109016 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GarryCole-g2r LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrycole/ About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes:
What does it mean to retire in 2026, and how does today's retirement landscape differ from 10 or 20 years ago? With more retirees facing challenges such as rising healthcare costs, higher cost of living, concerns about Social Security, shifting demographics, and the impacts of national debt, this episode digs into the current risks and opportunities for those planning their golden years. I share insights from a recent Goldman Sachs retirement study and answer listener questions on retirement planning software, investment strategy before retirement, handling 401(k) and IRA loans, and Social Security rules for working retirees. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [00:00] Retirement planning in 2026 [06:28] Current market conditions and challenges [10:31] Rising health insurance costs [14:24] Financial strain on parents supporting kids [18:48] Concerns about retirement taxes [23:21] Preparing for financial downturns [28:20] Understanding 401 (k) and IRA loans [32:35] Social Security benefits and retirement planning [37:23] Understanding annuities and IRA conversions Inflation and the Cost of Living One of the biggest concerns voiced by pre-retirees is how much more expensive life has become. The past decade, especially following COVID-19, has seen inflation spike well above its historical average. Not only are day-to-day essentials like groceries and gas more costly, but so too are the experiences retirees often look forward to—such as travel and dining out. With airline tickets and fuel prices high, the cost of enjoying retirement can quickly outpace what many planned for just a few years ago. Healthcare: An Ever-Increasing Expense Another major pain point is the skyrocketing cost of healthcare. Medicare premiums have jumped (with Medicare Part B premiums alone increasing by over 9% in one year recently), and pre-Medicare retirees face especially steep coverage costs. Whether paying directly, dealing with COBRA, or navigating the healthcare exchange, retirees must factor in the rising cost of both routine and unpredictable medical needs, which eat into savings at a faster rate. Social Security and Family Support With millions of Baby Boomers now collecting benefits and the youngest Boomers becoming eligible, there is increased pressure on the system. There are some very real concerns about funding gaps and the likelihood that Congress will have to make difficult decisions soon to ensure benefits remain viable for future generations. Retirement planning is now more deeply intertwined with broader demographic changes. People are waiting longer to marry, buy homes, and start families—all of which impact when and how retirees are called upon to support children and grandchildren. Whether contributing to down payments, funding weddings, or assisting with fertility treatments and adoptions, modern retirees often find their savings supporting family milestones happening later in life. National Debt and Tax Policy Government debt is at record highs, surpassing $39 trillion, and this raises serious questions about future tax rates. Retirees must plan for the possibility that taxes will increase, which could impact how much of their savings they'll have available for spending. Retirement in 2026 and beyond is both promising (with record numbers of millionaires) and uniquely challenging. By understanding these new realities, today's retirees can build a plan that provides peace of mind and the freedom to enjoy life's next chapter. Resources & People Mentioned 3 Steps to Retirement Planning Goldman Sachs Retirement and Insights Survey Connect With Gregg Gonzalez Email at: Gregg.gonzalez@lpl.com Podcast: https://RetireStrongFA.com/Podcast Website: https://RetireStrongFA.com/ Follow Gregg on LinkedIn Follow Gregg on Facebook Follow Gregg on YouTube Subscribe to Retirement Made Easy On Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts
How Divorce Affects Children | FT: Dennis Vetrano Jr.CONNECT WITH CHARLENEOn Instagram @mscharlenebyars (https://www.instagram.com/mscharlenebyars/?hl=en)On YouTube @chosentraining (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAEFkimtIowqoyz1_lnF8Rg)Work with me HERE (https://charlenebyars.com/)CONNECT WITH DENNISOn Instagram @drvlaw (https://www.instagram.com/drvlaw/)For Consultation connect here: https://linktr.ee/DRVLAW?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGn7xoFvtMMl7qHsaOsB_KDZk72IpdEqcfHlI4FbdQQ1M_nCPDs57eQDv9I91M_aem_fz8lEaIuWeYsHn70bJpE4wIn this power-packed episode, we shift perspectives from the therapy couch to the courtroom. Host and remarried divorcee is joined by Dennis Vetrano Jr., a seasoned family law attorney with over 20 years of experience. Dennis pulls back the curtain on why marriages actually end, the "people problems" vs. "relationship problems" distinction, and the small, daily habits that act as the only real defense against the courtroom.In this Episode we cover:00:00 – The Pattern of "Quiet Breakdown" Dennis explains why giving away small opportunities to connect is the #1 silent killer of relationships.02:40 – Meet Dennis Vetaono Jr. An introduction to the seasoned divorce attorney and host of the DVR Law Show who reverse-engineers failed marriages to help couples succeed.05:15 – Personal Injury to Family Law: A Lawyer's Journey How Dennis discovered his passion for advocating for families and why he started "reverse-engineering" divorce cases.08:22 – People Problems vs. Relationship Problems A critical distinction: Why your spouse can't fix your individual trauma, and why some issues belong in individual therapy, not marriage counseling.12:10 – The Myth of "Falling Out of Love" Dennis explains why love doesn't vanish overnight—it's "death by a thousand cuts" and the loss of daily micro-connections.15:45 – Why You Should Never Sleep in Separate Beds A controversial take on why protecting the literal "space" for connection is vital when life gets busy.20:12 – The Baby Boomer Divorce Spike Dennis discusses why long-term couples are splitting after 30 years and how to avoid the "resentment trap" in later life.24:45 – Marriage as the #1 Priority Why putting your spouse before parents, friends, and even children (in a healthy way) is the key to a 50-year marriage.29:10 – Should You "Stay for the Kids"? A raw conversation about the impact of divorce on children. Dennis and the host debate the balance between a "toxic environment" and the stability of the family unit.35:30 – Connecting Through the "Grind" How sharing household tasks and "commiserating" over daily stressors like diapers and bosses creates a stronger bond than vacations ever could.42:15 – Throwing Away the "Scoreboard" Why keeping track of who did what is a recipe for disaster. Dennis shares how to give without expecting immediate reciprocation to shift the relationship dynamic.48:40 – Is the Grass Greener? The Regret of Divorce Dennis shares insights on why more people are starting to regret leaving workable relationships and how to know if yours is still viable.55:20 – Moving Forward: Legal Wisdom for Relationship Growth Final advice on how to use the "divorce attorney's perspective" to prevent ever needing one.What does a divorce attorney see that most couples miss? Dennis Vetrano Jr. joins the podcast to share the "death by a thousand cuts" patterns that lead couples to his office. From the danger of sleeping in separate beds to the "scoreboard" trap, Dennis reveals how to reverse-engineer a failing marriage and turn it back into a thriving partnership.We tackle the tough questions: Can you fix a "people problem" with marriage counseling? How does divorce really affect children long-term? And why are so many Baby Boomers filing for divorce after three decades?If you've ever wondered if the grass is truly greener on the other side, this episode is a must-watch.
Don explores one of the biggest financial stories unfolding right now: the massive transfer of wealth from Baby Boomers to the next generation. But as Don explains, this won't simply be a giant wave of money changing hands overnight. Longer life spans, healthcare costs, taxes, and poor planning could dramatically reshape how much wealth families actually keep, and who ultimately benefits from it. Here's some of what we discuss in this episode:
It was once the American Dream. Home ownership. It's not to be blamed on we Baby Boomers although God knew you all want to. In this edition we track the development of the American home thru history as prices go higher and higher and the dream becomes more of a nightmare.
Welcome back to Late Boomers! We're Cathy and Merry, your guides to creating your next chapter with passion, purpose, and possibilities. In this insightful episode, we dive deep into a topic that's high on the minds of many Baby Boomers and their families: reverse mortgages, what they are, how they work, and whether they could be the financial solution you've been looking for.Our special guest is Kevin Guttman, a senior mortgage broker, reverse mortgage specialist, and three-time Amazon bestselling author, with over 21 years of experience. As one of only a small number of certified Reverse Mortgage Professionals in the country, Kevin brings a wealth of knowledge, a transparent approach, and a passion for educating seniors and their families.In this episode, we cover:What makes a reverse mortgage different from a traditional mortgageThe top misconceptions and myths about reverse mortgagesHow reverse mortgages can provide financial flexibility without requiring you to leave your homeWho makes an ideal candidate (and who doesn't)Creative ways retirees are using reverse mortgages to improve their livesKey protections and recent regulatory changes that make reverse mortgages saferImpact on heirs and estate planning considerationsCommon mistakes to avoid and how to start the conversation with your familYWhether you're thinking about tapping into your home equity, seeking greater financial security in retirement, or simply want to learn about every option available, this episode is packed with actionable insights and compelling real-world stories.Key TakeawaysReverse mortgages offer flexibility: you can access your home's equity as a lump sum, monthly payments, or via a line of credit, with no monthly mortgage payment required.You do NOT lose ownership of your home, you remain on the title, and the only way the loan is repaid is through sale or refinance when you leave the home.Reverse mortgages are highly regulated and now much safer thanks to government reforms, mandatory counseling, and protections for non-borrowing spouses.This financial tool isn't for everyone: It's best for those planning to remain in their home long-term and can manage property expenses.Your heirs have options: they can pay off the loan, sell the home, or request extensions if needed, and there's rarely pressure for a rushed decision.Education is key, don't fall for myths and misinformation, and always work with a trusted, experienced reverse mortgage professional.Start the family conversation early, and use the “toolbox” approach. Getting informed now means you'll be ready, even if you never need it.If you're a homeowner approaching or in retirement, or if you have aging parents, this episode is a must-listen. Listen now, subscribe, and share this episode with friends and family who can benefit from understanding their financial options.For more resources, visit reversemortgagerevolution.com for Kevin's free consumer guide, short educational videos, and to learn more about his Amazon bestselling book, “A Reverse Mortgage Changed My Life.”Subscribe to Late Boomers so you never miss an episode filled with expert advice and inspiring stories. Remember, it's never too late to create the life you want start exploring your next chapter today!— Cathy & MerryMentioned in this episode:Late Boomers is part of the eWomenPodcastNetwork. eWomenPodcastNetwork
Broadcasting LIVE from Black Matt Studios, THE BOOMXERS are four friends too young to be Baby Boomers but too old to be GenXers. We get together every week to Jibber Jabber about music, entertainment, rural news, crazy inventions, portmanteaus, and so much more. Featuring the phenomenal music quiz known as JIMMY READS.
One type of investment property is experiencing severe undersupply with a 20-year demographic tailwind on the way. Demand is growing, new supply isn't even hitting a quarter of the need, and investors are writing off much of this industry as already past its peak. Is this a strategic opportunity to invest in an asset so obvious it's been overlooked? Of course, we're talking about senior living investments. Jerry Vinci, founder of CCR Growth, growth partners in senior housing, saw firsthand why investing in senior living is so crucial. Jerry watched all four of his grandparents move into senior living and witnessed the chaos, stress, and struggle of navigating such a crucial time in their lives. Now, Jerry works to help underwrite and optimize senior living facilities, and as an industry insider, he's seeing a change. Demand is growing…fast. Even the youngest boomers are turning 65 in 2030, and the pipeline of 80+ year olds needing housing is starting to reach a bottleneck. Today, we're talking about the wave of demand coming (and expected to sustain for two more decades), how investors can get started if they have no experience, the questions to ask before investing in a senior living facility, and why in senior living your market is more crucial than traditional real estate investing. In This Episode We Cover The “20-year cycle” that could funnel millions more Baby Boomers into senior housing Who should be investing in small senior housing properties (5-10 residents) The different types of senior living investments (from independent living to memory care and more) Ask these questions to any operator you may be investing with The massive supply bottleneck that cannot keep pace with senior living demand And So Much More! Links from the Show Join the Future of Real Estate Investing with Fundrise Join BiggerPockets for FREE Join us at the BiggerPockets Conference October 2-4 in Orlando. Buy tickets Sign Up for the On the Market Newsletter Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area Investing in Senior Housing Can Be Extremely Profitable—But You Need To Know What You're Doing Dave's BiggerPockets Profile CCR Growth Nordon Advisory Real Estate by the Numbers Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/on-the-market-424. Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Subscribe for ad-free episodes + bonus content: https://realestatemarketminute.supercast.com/ Instagram: @thesalibgroup Email: mark@thesalibgroup.com A new NAR 2026 Generational Trends Report reveals major shifts happening across the U.S. housing market. In this episode, we break down which generations are gaining power, which groups are struggling, and why demographic changes could have a major impact on home prices, inventory, condos, townhomes, and the future of real estate across America. We also discuss first-time buyers, downsizing trends, and what these changes could mean for buyers, sellers, investors, and real estate agents going forward.
By Warren Cole Smith Megachurches are not going away, of course. But data in recent years suggest their growth and numbers are leveling out, and possibly even declining. In 1970, the United States had less than 20 protestant megachurches, churches with more than 2,000 in weekly attendance. Today, that number is close to 2,000, a 100-fold increase. However, this number has been mostly unchanged for the past 10 years. In other words, after a period of explosive growth from 1970 to about 2010, the growth in the number of megachurches, and the number of people who attend them, seems to have stagnated. Outreach Magazine publishes an annual list of the fastest growing churches in America, and the largest churches in America. I recently compared the most recent list to the list from 2006 — 20 years ago. My analysis was not comprehensive, but it was fascinating. For example, the largest church on the 2006 list was Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, pastored by Joel Osteen. In 2006 and 2026, the attendance listed was 45,000. No growth whatsoever over a 20-year period. The No. 2 church on the 2006 list was Florida's Without Walls International Church, led by Randy White, the former husband of Prosperity Gospel preacher and Trump advisor Paula White. Without Walls had 23,900 attendees in 2006. Today, that church is not on the list. It sold its facility in 2011 following the divorce of Randy and Paula White, not to mention other public scandals. Today, the church still exists, but attendance figures are hard to come by. Attendance is likely in the hundreds or — at most —low thousands. Not the tens of thousands of its heyday. The No. 3 church on the 2006 church is the Second Baptist Church of Houston, which listed attendance of 22,266 in 2006 and still has attendance of 19,564 today. That is a slight decline over the past two decades, but Second Baptist is still a substantial church and a force in the Houston area. Rounding out the Top Five on the 2006 list are New Birth Missionary Baptist Church (22,000) and Willow Creek Church (21,500). Both churches have been wracked by scandal and are now much smaller today than then. In short, not one of the Top Five churches of 2006 grew in the intervening decades, and three of the five had very public scandals that precipitated dramatic declines. I do not want to overstate my case. As William Bennett famously said, “The plural of anecdote is not data.” I am sharing anecdotes, not data — or at least, not all the data. I will be the first to admit that. And I can think of a couple of good counterarguments to my thesis that the Age of the Megachurch is over. First, while these churches have declined, others have emerged, and some of them are very large indeed. For example, Life.Church of Edmond, Okla., led by Craig Groeschel, now claims 85,000 attendees. That makes it the largest church in the nation. Church of the Highlands of Birmingham, Ala., is led by Chris Hodges. That church claims 60,000 attendees. And Christ's Church of the Valley in Peoria, Ariz., is both the No. 3 church on this year's list and it remains one of the fastest growing churches in the country, with 54,142 in weekly attendance. However, it is worth noting that all three of these churches are multi-site churches. Life.Church has more than 45 physical locations. Church of the Highlands has at least 27 locations. Christ's Church of the Valley has more than 18 physical locations. The multisite phenomenon was rare in 2006 and nonexistent in 1970. It is obvious that if these multisite churches were not aggregating numbers from dozens of sites, their numbers would be much less eye-popping. The growth in multi-site churches, and the anemic growth in the number of megachurches also make obvious that American infatuation with megachurches seems to be in decline. Ryan Burge, my “go to guy” when it comes to church data, notes that the median size of a church in America is about 70 people. Put plainly, the nation's megachurches attract about five to seven million people each week. But non-megachurches attract 10 times that many — 50 to 70 million people. In other words, the megachurch is not now, nor has it ever been, representative of the church experience in the United States. Megachurches feel dominant because they receive media attention, and they can invest in radio, television, and other mass media. But that is an illusion. Will these trends continue? The answer to that question is, likely, “yes.” First, lots of church leaders, even those in the church growth movement, are growing tired of the megachurch and multisite model. Here at MinistryWatch, we have written about Watermark Church, which abandoned its multisite model in 2021. Most of those sites became independent churches, and they are now thriving. Some of these independent churches have themselves planted churches. Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., is someone who has never embraced either the megachurch or the multisite model. His church has intentionally stayed relatively small, less than 1,000 in weekly attendance, and it has been equally intentional about planting churches in the D.C. area. So far, CHBC has helped plant or revitalize more than a dozen churches in the surrounding area. Secondly, it is important to note that the megachurch is at least as much a cultural phenomenon as it is a spiritual phenomenon. Megachurches are the brainchild of Baby Boomers and the post-World War II industrialization of America and the world. That is why I often refer to the “Evangelical Industrial Complex” to describe what has happened to religious life since the 1970s. The industrial model, with its features of scale and mass production, has proven damaging to the mission of the church, and it has lost its appeal to subsequent generations, who value community and relationships. We can now see that evangelicalism's industrial model is good at empire building, but not as good at kingdom building. So, to return to the question that started this conversation: Is the Age of the Megachurch over? The answer to that question may be that it really never was. The sturm und drang of the megachurch movement has turned out to be just what Goethe's famous expression suggests: overwrought, full of passion, but fleeting. Megachurches will not disappear, but after a half-century of observation, we can say that the legacy of the megachurch is mixed, and includes scandal, spiritual deconstruction, and cynicism. In short, becoming a megachurch is no longer the goal to which even church growth advocates aspire. Many faithful Christians are discovering the wisdom found along the Old Paths, and they can say with conviction E.F Schumacher might admire: “small is beautiful.” The producer for today's program is Jeff McIntosh. I'm your host Warren Smith. Until next time, may God bless you.
The political establishment and the media are lying to you about the housing crisis. It's not a supply problem — it's a government affordability problem fueled by asset bubbles, and the GOP is completely focused on the wrong things. In this Free-for-All Friday episode, I explain how the fake, establishment Con Inc. has conditioned voters to care about the wrong issues. While Republican leaders rush to reauthorize FISA Section 702 and pass bloated farm bills, they completely ignore the border crisis and the sanctuary judges releasing criminal aliens back into our streets. They also forget about the primaries, which we will be covering. In the second half, I sit down with real estate expert and financial analyst Jon Brooks to dismantle the biggest economic lie of the decade: the "housing shortage." Discover why the current housing bubble is a direct result of federal intervention, zero-interest rate policies, and subsidized demand and why simply "building more houses" won't save the middle class. If we want to fix America, we need to let the free market correct itself, instead of inflating the bubble on behalf of the Baby Boomer craving for fake assets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Baby boomers are now the largest force in the U.S. housing market, while first-time buyers have fallen to a record low. Kathy Fettke breaks down new National Association of Realtors data showing how high mortgage rates, rising costs, and home equity are creating a major divide between today's buyers. In this episode, learn why boomers now make up 42% of home buyers, why younger households are struggling to enter the market, and what this means for home prices, rental demand, and real estate investors in 2026.
Scoot's BACK, baby! You, too, can have open heart surgery and come back hot; The Baby Boomers need to get over their fear of nudity; The one thing Rod Stewart did that Scoot can't stand;
Is the housing market about to crash? I asked Nic DeAngelo - President of Saint Investment Group and the guy managing over $200M in real estate assets - and his answer might blow your mind. In this episode, Nic breaks down why the S&P 500 is really the S&P 7... why the Federal Reserve is failing its own dual mandate... and why 54% of Americans refuse to sell their homes right now. We dig into the numbers the mainstream media won't touch. 80% of every US dollar ever printed in just the last 5 years. $1 from 1913 now worth about a penny. A 4 to 6 million home supply shortage. And the coming $80 TRILLION wealth transfer from Baby Boomers to Millennials. Nic's take? He's terrified of the stock market... but he's buying mortgages behind single family homes. Here's why he thinks US real estate is the most investable asset class for the next decade - and why he'd bet on America 1,000 times out of 1,000. If you've been wondering whether to buy, sell, or sit tight... this is the episode you need. CHAPTERS 00:00 - Why Jim Cramer Gets It Wrong (And Who You Should Listen To Instead) 00:55 - Meet Nic DeAngelo & The Saint Investment Group Approach 02:30 - Why Microeconomics Makes Sense (And Macro Doesn't) 04:10 - Nic's North Star: Wage Growth vs. Inflation 06:50 - The S&P 500 is Actually the S&P 7 08:25 - The CAPE Ratio Warning Sign 18:50 - Tim Pool, Manufacturing & the Ecosystem Problem 21:10 - The Fed is Failing Its Own Dual Mandate 23:30 - How Immigration Inflated Housing Demand 25:40 - Why 54% of Americans Won't Sell Their Home 26:40 - The Baby Boomer Generational Shift 29:25 - $80 Trillion, Austerity & AI Anxiety 31:35 - Why America Still Wins (Nic's Bullish Case) 34:25 - Get Nic's Book & Where to Connect STUDIO SPONSOR - CARDIO MIRACLE Unlock the secret to a healthier heart, increased energy levels, and transform your cardiovascular fitness like never before. Get 15% off with code TBNS: https://CardioMiracle.com/TBNS ABOUT THE GUEST Nic DeAngelo is the President of Saint Investment Group, a real estate fund managing over $200M in assets across 30+ states with 500+ loans. Known in the industry as the "Fixed Income GOAT," Nic leads with two foundational beliefs: Wall Street is broken, and economics tells the future. His new book Economics Over Politics strips the emotional noise out of the news cycle and delivers the cold, hard math of today's economy.
Is the housing market about to crash? I asked Nic DeAngelo - President of Saint Investment Group and the guy managing over $200M in real estate assets - and his answer might blow your mind.In this episode, Nic breaks down why the S&P 500 is really the S&P 7... why the Federal Reserve is failing its own dual mandate... and why 54% of Americans refuse to sell their homes right now.We dig into the numbers the mainstream media won't touch. 80% of every US dollar ever printed in just the last 5 years. $1 from 1913 now worth about a penny. A 4 to 6 million home supply shortage. And the coming $80 TRILLION wealth transfer from Baby Boomers to Millennials.Nic's take? He's terrified of the stock market... but he's buying mortgages behind single family homes. Here's why he thinks US real estate is the most investable asset class for the next decade - and why he'd bet on America 1,000 times out of 1,000.If you've been wondering whether to buy, sell, or sit tight... this is the episode you need. CHAPTERS00:00 - Why Jim Cramer Gets It Wrong (And Who You Should Listen To Instead)00:55 - Meet Nic DeAngelo & The Saint Investment Group Approach02:30 - Why Microeconomics Makes Sense (And Macro Doesn't)04:10 - Nic's North Star: Wage Growth vs. Inflation06:50 - The S&P 500 is Actually the S&P 708:25 - The CAPE Ratio Warning Sign18:50 - Tim Pool, Manufacturing & the Ecosystem Problem21:10 - The Fed is Failing Its Own Dual Mandate23:30 - How Immigration Inflated Housing Demand25:40 - Why 54% of Americans Won't Sell Their Home26:40 - The Baby Boomer Generational Shift29:25 - $80 Trillion, Austerity & AI Anxiety31:35 - Why America Still Wins (Nic's Bullish Case)34:25 - Get Nic's Book & Where to Connect STUDIO SPONSOR - CARDIO MIRACLEUnlock the secret to a healthier heart, increased energy levels, and transform your cardiovascular fitness like never before. Get 15% off with code TBNS: https://CardioMiracle.com/TBNS ABOUT THE GUESTNic DeAngelo is the President of Saint Investment Group, a real estate fund managing over $200M in assets across 30+ states with 500+ loans. Known in the industry as the "Fixed Income GOAT," Nic leads with two foundational beliefs: Wall Street is broken, and economics tells the future. His new book Economics Over Politics strips the emotional noise out of the news cycle and delivers the cold, hard math of today's economy. Saint Investment Group: https://saintinvestment.com/ Get the book: https://saintinvestment.com/book Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Economics-Over-Politics-Offending-Solutions-ebook/dp/B0GX2QJMTS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-deangelo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nicdeangelo THE BRIAN NICHOLS SHOWPart of the Lions of Liberty Network. Real conversations about sales, liberty, business, and culture - no fluff, no theory-for-theory's-sake.Website: https://www.briannicholsshow.com/ X/Twitter: https://www.briannicholsshow.com/twitter Facebook: https://www.briannicholsshow.com/facebook Listener Questions: brian@briannicholsshow.com Subscribe for a new episode every Thursday at 9PM ET. Available on YouTube, Rumble, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For years, we've been promised that a “tsunami” of homes would hit the market as Baby Boomers age, move into senior housing, and pass away. We've been waiting…and waiting, but we're still millions of housing units short. Yet, even without a “silver tsunami,” another trend could push us toward a housing supply glut in the future—new builds. Builder sentiment has dropped to a seven-month low. Homes are sitting empty, huge concessions are being offered, but the buyers are few and far between. Longer absorption periods mean higher holding costs for builders, prompting larger incentives to sell these homes. But, with mortgage rates bouncing back up to the mid-six percent range, who wants to buy? Very few Americans, and that's the problem. Between Baby Boomers slowly trickling inventory into the housing market and builders creating more supply than (financeable) demand, is this the tipping point where we go from an undersupplied to an oversupplied housing market? In this headline episode, we're getting into it, plus a “ban” on one of America's hottest real estate assets. In This Episode We Cover Is the silver tsunami ever going to hit? Why Baby Boomer homes aren't reaching the market Where home prices have the highest chance of falling if the Baby Boomer supply hits the market The major opportunity for real estate investors to pick up seriously discounted new-build homes A new real estate asset “ban” that's affecting over 15 states in the country Will we flip from a housing deficit to oversupply? And So Much More! Links from the Show Join the Future of Real Estate Investing with Fundrise Join BiggerPockets for FREE Join us at the BiggerPockets Conference October 2-4 in Orlando. Buy tickets Sign Up for the On the Market Newsletter Find Investor-Friendly Lenders On the Market 403 - You Have Until 2031: What Happens When Population Starts to Decline? Calculated Risk Reuters: US home builder sentiment drops to seven-month low in April, NAHB survey says WSJ: America's Self-Storage Craze Has Reached a Tipping Point Associated Press: The US is short 10 million houses. A new White House report lays out a blueprint to fix that Dave's BiggerPockets Profile James' BiggerPockets Profile Kathy's BiggerPockets Profile Grab The Book on Negotiating Real Estate Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/on-the-market-418. Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Don and Tom tackle the idea that retirement isn't what it used to be—and maybe shouldn't be at all. From historical retirement ages (when most people never made it) to today's longer, healthier lives, they explore why many people aren't eager to stop working. The conversation shifts to purpose, identity, and the growing trend of “phased retirement,” where people scale back instead of quitting outright. They also answer listener questions on using the TSP's G Fund as a stable anchor in a portfolio and the smartest way to time withdrawals from 529 plans for future medical school costs. Along the way, there's the usual banter, skepticism of industry nonsense, and a firm reminder: retirement is no longer a finish line—it's a design problem.0:05 Don's “retirement strategy”: Don't1:13 Should anyone actually retire anymore?2:06 Financial vs. psychological reasons people keep working3:15 History of retirement ages and why they were set4:39 Longevity trends and aging populations5:04 Why modern retirees want purpose and engagement6:14 Companies encouraging phased retirement (Microsoft example)7:48 Planning the “what will I do?” side of retirement8:28 Why experience makes you better (especially in media)10:12 Retirement identity and self-awareness11:01 Real-world example: professionals scaling back instead of quitting12:34 Don's evolving “never retire” plan14:55 The importance of knowing yourself before retiring16:22 Retirement today vs. historical necessity17:14 Rethinking retirement as continued contribution17:58 Listener question: Using TSP G Fund in retirement allocation20:19 Risks and logistics of split-account rebalancing21:26 Listener question: When to use 529 funds for med school23:17 Why delaying 529 withdrawals maximizes tax advantages24:52 How to submit listener questions26:19 Free advisor meetings and fiduciary pitch (without the noogie)Questions? Comments? Click!
Part Two is here What does it mean to grandparent on purpose? For Richard and Linda Eyre, the answer has been decades in the making. The bestselling authors of Teaching Your Children Values have evolved with their family, from nine children to 34 grandchildren, and along the way have developed a philosophy of proactive grandparenting that mirrors what good leadership looks like at any stage of life. In this 1st of 2 conversations about Richard Eyre’s new book, The Grandparenting Blueprint:How to Teach Your Grandchildren Life’s Most Important Lessons, we discuss: Why grandparenting is where parenting was 50 years ago — a new frontier for intentional engagement The crucial mindset shift: from manager (the parent’s role) to consultant (the grandparent’s opportunity) Their TEAM framework — Trunk, Ear, Assembler, and Matcher — four roles every grandparent can play regardless of geography or circumstance Grammy Camp, one-on-one grandfather dates, and other practices that create genuine connection across generations The Five-Facet Review: a structured conversation with adult children that turns grandparents into informed, effective supporters How knowing your family roots builds resilience in children — and what research from 9/11 survivors revealed about the power of family stories The four types of grandparents — from disengaged to all-in, and why the all-in approach treats grandparenting like a second career Linda brings warmth, insights and creativity to the grandmothering side of the equation, such as music, art, storytelling, and the precious one-on-one moments that reveal what grandchildren are really thinking. Richard brings his Harvard MBA mindset (and toolkit) to the legacy-building and structured side of grandparenting, including how to give financial help without creating entitlement. This episode is a masterclass on how to cultivate meaningful relationships with intention. It's a powerful reminder that grandparenting, like retirement itself, is far too important to leave to chance. Linda and Richard Eyre join us from Utah. _________________________ For More on Linda & Richard Eyre The Grandparenting Blueprint:How to Teach Your Grandchildren Life’s Most Important Lessons (Amazon) Also available from the publisher at the author’s price (40% off) https://familius.com/book/the-grandparenting-blueprint/ Use the coupon code EYREFRIEND at checkout Website Grandmothering: The Secrets to Making a Difference While Having the Time of Your Life – by Linda Eyre Online Grandparenting 101 Course _________________________ Bio Richard and Linda Eyre are among the most popular speakers in the world on parenting and families. Their clients and audiences range from The Young President's Organization (YPO) and major corporations and associations to a wide array of school, civic, church and community groups. They find it remarkable and gratifying that in every one of the 50+ countries where they have presented, parents have similar hopes, dreams and worries about their children regardless of economic, religious, geographic, and cultural differences. The Eyres are authors of more than 50 books, most of which deal with work/family balance and parenting, and one of which, Teaching Your Children Values, became the only parenting book in more than fifty years to reach #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In addition to their ongoing work with parents, their latest books are about grandparenting and “Life in Full” for Baby Boomers. Richard and Linda have been frequent guests on national network shows including Oprah, The Today Show, Prime Time Live, 60 Minutes, and Good Morning America; and they once did regular segments on the CBS Early Show. Their parenting website, ValuesParenting.com, provides ideas, guidance and creative programs for families throughout the world. But their most important production is their nine children (“one of every kind”) who, through the years, have helped formulate their ideas for books and speeches. The second generation Eyres and their spouses are an impressive bunch, all with university degrees from the likes of Wellesley, Harvard, Columbia, M.I.T., Stanford, and BYU and all having interrupted their university education to spend up to two years living abroad, studying, doing missionary work and providing humanitarian service. They are also doing their part to expand the importance of family through their own speaking, books, blogs, and websites, and they have presented Richard and Linda with 34 grandchildren. Beyond their speaking engagements, the Eyre's favorite travel projects are humanitarian expeditions to places like Ethiopia, Kenya, Bolivia, India, Romania and Mexico, and the family's Eyrealm Foundation focuses on assisting and strengthening third world families. Richard is a Harvard MBA, president of his own management consulting company (which worked with national political candidates and locally ran campaigns to build Symphony Hall, restore the Capitol Theater, expand the Salt Palace, extend the Central Utah Project and save the Hogle Zoo) and a nationally ranked senior tennis player. He was a mission president for his church in London and a former director of the White House Conference on Parents and Children as well as a candidate for Utah Governor. Linda is a teacher, musician, and co-founder of International JoySchools.com, an in-home, do-it-yourself co-op and program for teaching preschoolers the joys of life. Both Richard and Linda have served on numerous arts, university, and non-profit boards and do a radio show/podcast at BYUradio called Eyres on the Road that is now in its 14th annual season. _____________________________ Retirement Podcast Conversations You May Love Grandparents' Day – Kerry Byrne & Ted Page The Mindful Grandparent – Dr. Shirley Showalter The Art of Relationships with Adult Children – Francine Toder, PhD ______________________________ About The Retirement Wisdom Podcast There are many podcasts on retirement, often hosted by financial advisors with their own financial motives, that cover the money side of the street. This podcast is different. You'll get smarter about the investment decisions you'll make about the most important asset you'll have in retirement: your time. About Retirement Wisdom I help people who are retiring, but aren't quite done yet, discover what's next and build their custom version of their next life. A meaningful retirement doesn't just happen by accident. Schedule a call today to discuss how the Designing Your Life process created by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans can help you make your life in retirement a great one — on your own terms. About Your Podcast Host Joe Casey is an executive coach who helps people design their next life after their primary career and create their version of The Multipurpose Retirement.™ He created his own next chapter after a 26-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking. Joe has earned Master's degrees from the University of Southern California in Gerontology (at age 60), the University of Pennsylvania, and Middlesex University (UK), a BA in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and his coaching certification from Columbia University. In addition to his work with clients, Joe hosts The Retirement Wisdom Podcast, ranked in the top 1% globally in popularity by Listen Notes, with over 2 million downloads. Business Insider recognized Joe as one of 23 innovative coaches who are making a difference. He's the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy. __________________________ Wise Quotes On The Grandparent’s Blueprint “Linda does it by group. So she’ll have her preschool group and then she’ll have her elementary age group and they all get their turn at the Grammy camp. And I’m sitting there, Joe, like, what am I? I mean, what am I doing? This fabulous Grammy is doing all these things with all these kids and I’m just sort of an observer. And that’s really what led to this new book about these grandfather’s secrets. I thought, well, I want to leave a legacy. There’s certain life lessons I think I’ve learned as a management consultant and all the other things I’ve done in my life. And I want to somehow condense those concepts into something simple enough that children can understand them. That’s my legacy.” – Richard Eyre — On Listening “We just recently met with three of our granddaughters. They’re all in university. And so we went down there to meet with them and for breakfast. And it was so fun. We call them the babes because we have these little separate groups and these are the babes. And it was so fun to be with them. But in one breakfast, we learned more about their life than we could have imagined. And what were the three things you asked? We just said, Look, we just said, while we’re having breakfast, we just want to hear your story. We want to hear your recent story. And they just got going on telling us things. And I thought, if we’d been too specific with our questions, we would have missed part of what they said. We love to tell stories to grad kids, but what’s really great is having them tell you their story. We’ve found that if we, it sounds funny, but if we pull out a pad or a pen and take a few notes on what they’re saying, they realize we really are paying attention. We really want to know. And they tell their story and they know it’s safe with us.we we know more about them than we would have if we just spent a big family reunion and everybody because we had some one-on-one and not only that we had one-on-ones with little kids.” – Linda Eyre — On Lecturing “But the failure is the lecturing and the other failure I want to mention and I’ve made this more than Linda. Linda is way more sensitive. I have failed in the sense that I’ve said to some of my own sons or daughters, I think you need to do a little better with this child on such and such. In other words, giving advice that’s unsolicited on parenting to your own children is almost always a mistake. It is. And we found another interesting thing. At one reunion, we did a survey, we had a survey to our adult kids and ask them, you know, do you feel like we’re too involved and not involved enough? Would you like more? Would you like less and all that. And we just saw everybody would just love everything we’ve done. And then we got a couple of responses like, oops, we have not been very sensitive about this. He comes from a different family with a different mindset. And you really have to be so careful. So we learned so much from that. We backed off, we learned how to ask before we did things and not just blunder into it.” – Richard Eyre __________________________ Watch out for Part Two coming on Thursday on The Secrets section of The Grandparenting Blueprint
Explore the latest Senior Housing Market Trends for 2026 in this episode of America's Commercial Real Estate Show featuring industry expert Ernie Anaya, President of the Senior Housing Group at Bull Realty. Discover key insights into senior living demand, occupancy rates, cap rates, and investment opportunities as the Baby Boomer population drives unprecedented growth. Learn about the different asset classes including active adult, independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing facilities, and how each is performing in today's market. This episode also covers: The impact of rising interest rates and construction costs The massive supply-demand gap in senior housing development Emerging opportunities in behavioral health and adaptive reuse How investors can benefit from REIT structures and operator partnerships If you're a commercial real estate investor, developer, broker, or operator, this episode provides critical insights into one of the fastest-growing sectors in real estate. TCN Worldwide Real Estate Services - A global network of over 1,500 leading commercial real estate professionals delivering integrated, expert sales, leasing, management and consulting services across 200 U.S. and global markets. https://www.tcnworldwide.com/ Buildout - Aconnected software platform built for commercial real estate brokerages—combining CRM, marketing, data, and back-office automation. https://www.buildout.com Bull Realty, TCN Worldwide - Commercial Real Estate Asset & Occupancy Solutions in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast U.S. https://www.bullrealty.com/ Commercial Agent Success Strategies - Twenty-one cloud accessed commercial broker training videos with slide deck action notes. Learn more at https://www.commercialagentsuccess.com/
A new report shows many parts of greater Minnesota are diversifying and growing. However, sustained population growth looks unlikely with an aging Baby Boomer generation and declining birth rates. That's the topline from the 2026 State of Rural report by the Center for Rural Policy and Development. Ben Winchester says there's even more to the story around these trends — and it has a lot to do with housing. As a rural sociologist with the University of Minnesota Extension, he studies housing dynamics across the state. MPR News host Kelly Gordon talked with him on Minnesota Now.
By 2030, every Baby Boomer will be 65 or older. Many of these older adults will live alone and on limited incomes, and many will have mobility and other health challenges. This so-called “silver tsunami” is here to stay, and the math is ominous. The nation already has a housing shortage—and a senior-care shortage. On the plus side, many of these older folks will be healthier and more active, engaged, and tech-savvy than their peers in prior generations. But since their housing needs and preferences will also differ from those of their predecessors, new questions and challenges will arise. On Century Lives: The Home Stretch, we explore signs of hope and inspiration in communities where housing innovations for older adults are already afoot. We open our final episode of the season to housing questions from our listeners. How do I adjust to living in my adult child's home? What are the benefits of living in a senior housing community on a college campus? Do I stay near my friends, or move to where relatives can help with my care? Fielding questions for the hour are host Ken Stern and renowned “place planning” expert Ryan Frederick.
Senior living investments are at a critical inflection point. Demand is sharply rising as the Baby Boomer generation ages, but supply hasn't kept pace. The “silver tsunami” is starting to send waves our way, and skilled operators are already taking advantage. Value-add senior living investments, like the example shared by today's guest, are seeing values multiply—and diligent operators have huge opportunities not only to make sizable returns but also to provide better lives for their residents. Lynn Jerath, founder of Citrine Investment Group, has a battle-tested background in REIT investing, hospitality, multifamily, and real estate private equity. She's pivoted to senior housing investments not only because of the profit potential, but also because of the purpose behind them. And she's not just buying managerially distressed assets, flipping the operator, and walking away. Lynn's team is delivering significant value add and, as a result, increasing the facility's value by 2x–3x on their total investment. She says demand is still growing while supply is constrained—and this trend could accelerate. Between independent living, assisted living, memory care, and active adult investments, Lynn proves (with real numbers) that this space is far from saturated as the silver surge begins to wash ashore. Insights from today's episode: Real return numbers on senior living investments as Lynn operates heavy value-add improvements Why senior living has a long road ahead as demand grows and supply stagnates Thinking of going from multifamily to senior living? Lynn has crucial advice to share The #1 way to get more senior living residents in your community Most popular niches of senior living (and their current cap rates) Lynn's exact buy box for senior living investments—what has to work for her to buy — Connect with Lynn on LinkedIn Citrine Investment Group Recommended Resources: Accredited Investors, you're invited to Join the Cashflow Investor Club to learn how you can partner with Kevin Bupp on current and upcoming opportunities to create passive cash flow and build wealth. Join the Club! If you're a high-net-worth investor with capital to deploy in the next 12 months and you want to build passive income and wealth with a trusted partner, go to InvestWithKB.com for opportunities to invest in real estate projects alongside Kevin and his team. Looking for the ultimate guide to passive investing? Grab a copy of my latest book, The Cash Flow Investor at KevinBupp.com. Tap into a wealth of free information on Commercial Real Estate Investing by listening to past podcast episodes at KevinBupp.com/Podcast. 00:00 Intro 01:54 Senior Living is a Different Ballgame 07:18 Undersupplied with Growing Demand? 13:59 Why Senior Living CAN'T Be Replaced 21:15 Big Players Are Getting In 24:52 Value-Add Senior Living in 2026 28:12 Case Study (2Xing Value) 31:07 How to Value-Add Senior Living 35:27 Getting New Residents 37:44 Most Popular Niches (and Cap Rates) 42:05 Lynn's Buy Box 47:55 It's About More Than Money 49:39 Connect with Lynn!
PREVIEW FOR LATER. GUEST: Gene Marx Gene Marx discusses why consumer confidence surveys may be misleading compared to actual spending trends. He notes that baby boomers and upper-middle-class citizens are spending heavily on travel despite reports of economic struggles observed elsewhere. (2)1920
The Uranium game, a club for women going through menopause, old radio jingles, The Empire Carpet Man strikes back, a combination petting zoo/synagogue, Jenkins visits an island off the coast of Scotland, and a musical tribute to the Baby Boomers are among the minutiae topics of discussion with Rick and Dave. [Ep425]
Bridges, vaccine and public health institutes, and cultural sites are among the latest locations targeted by Israeli and American forces in Iran. Also, the military leader of Burkina Faso has said that its citizens should forget about democracy. And, who is Reza Pahlavi, and how did his name suddenly become so prominent? Plus, Gen-Z is all in for Baby Boomer jazz-rock guitarist Masayoshi Takanaka. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
If you think the biggest growth opportunity in marketing is Gen Z, Millennials, or Gen Alpha, this episode may change your mind. We kick off a special monthly series focused on how marketers approach different generations, starting with Gen X and Baby Boomers.To explore the 50+ audience, Jim welcomes Brent Rivard, CEO and co-founder of Geezer Creative, an agency built around one bold premise: the marketing industry has been ignoring consumers who represent an $8 trillion opportunity.Gen X and Boomers control roughly 70% of disposable income in the U.S., yet most brands remain obsessively focused on youth. Gen X alone outspends Gen Z by multiples in categories like alcohol, while affluent 50+ consumers are driving massive growth in travel, wellness, longevity, and lifestyle spending.Brent studied at the Ivey Business School in Ontario and went on to spend two decades at top agencies, including BBDO, Anomaly, Doner, and Lowe Roche. After a stint as a CMO, he founded Geezer Creative in 2024 to help brands reposition themselves for what he believes is the most overlooked and fastest-growing audience in North America.Tune in for a conversation with an advocate fighting for smarter audience choices in advertising.—Learn more, request a free pass, and register at iab.com/ccs Promo Code for $150 off ticket prices: CMOPODCCS26—This week's episode is brought to you by IAB.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Patrick welcomes listeners to a morning of questions, commentary, and unexpected turns, where emails spark discussions on Catholic identity, interfaith love, and the raw ache of grief. Calls zigzag from classic TV nostalgia to the anatomy of Adam’s rib and on to the persistent mystery of locked church doors. He shares candid thoughts on generational blame, touches on why Jewish communities may not see Jesus as Messiah, and responds to curiosity about the existence of aliens in Catholic thought, all with warmth, wit, and an invite to stay curious. Linda (email) – Thank you for the good advice you gave the young man yesterday about marring a girl of a different religion. Thanks for an insightful show! (01:24) Natalie - This word “rib” is a 'piece of a temple building' (07:11) Todd - Betty Davis was in the 1966 episode of Gun Smoke. She was an A-List actress. (09:48) Ann (email) - I am just wondering, what are the general reasons that our Jewish brothers and sisters don't accept Jesus as the Messiah? Are they waiting for another Savior? (14:37) Jenny - My husband passed away and I have guilt about being kinder to him and better with him. (25:37) Cheryl (email) - Baby Boomers turned everything upside down with the hippie movement (37:03) Andrew - Are aliens really demons? (42:45)
Why are Boomers so frustrated? This week, we explore the top things that annoy Baby Boomers and why they feel that way. Myles also shares stories from the UND Hockey game and a cringe-worthy weekend dinner encounter. Stick around for Company Slogan Trivia with Jerrod and a deep dive into eBay history with a fun fact about the site's very first sale.Get $10 Off at BRUNT with code YBR at https://www.bruntworkwear.com/ybr #Bruntpod #ad