Podcasts about barclays bank

Tracy Moore is a seasoned leader in Data and AI and the General Manager of AI & Data at MYOB. With 26 years of experience, she's been instrumental in building and leading AI and data teams to drive real impact. Her career spans major organizations like Skandia Life, Barclays Bank, ANZ, Teradata, Deloitte, KPMG, Xero, and Telstra.We're unpacking some big questions—have businesses truly tapped into the power of Big Data? How can data storytelling bridge the gap? And with AI chatbots dominating the scene, what's next for ethical AI, especially after controversial moments like Elon Musk's Grok-3 in India?

James is joined by IMA Senior Insight Adviser, Roy Hammond, who developed a more strategic approach to managing agency relationships at Barclays.In this week's episode:We can't just rely on the people we manage (1.30)Don't forget internal departments (3.06)Roy Hammond's approach to the strategic management of agencies (8.46)We're never trained in how to manage partnerships (11.27)How do we measure agency performance? (14.17)The attributes of great partnerships (18.12) Please listen to find out more! This is episode 70 of the Transforming Insight podcast. If you have the ambition to transform your Insight team and the role it plays in your organisation, please tune in to future episodes. Not only will we explore the secrets of successful corporate Insight teams and their leaders, as outlined in James Wycherley's books, Transforming Insight and The Insight Leader's Playbook, we will also talk to senior corporate Insight leaders, delve into books that have inspired us, and discuss new best practice research carried out with the IMA's corporate members.You won't want to miss this! So please subscribe - and thank you for listening.  About James Wycherley, the author of Transforming InsightJames Wycherley was Director of Customer Insight and Analytics at Barclays Bank from 2005 to 2015 when he became Chief Executive of the Insight Management Academy (IMA). He published his first book, Transforming Insight, in 2020, and his second, The Insight Leader's Playbook, in 2025, and he hosts the Insight forums and the Transforming Insight podcast.An entertaining keynote speaker, he has presented over 50 times at Quirk's events, a global record, and has provided thought leadership in the UK, USA, Europe, Canada, Australia, India and the Middle East.The Insight Management Academy is the world's leading authority on transforming corporate Insight teams, and its vision is to inspire and support every Insight leader to transform the impact of Insight in their organisation. Resources:If you would like more information on any of the ideas discussed in this episode of the Transforming Insight podcast, please visit www.insight-management.org DisclaimerThe Transforming Insight podcast is published by the Insight Management Academy and produced by Zorbiant.All rights reserved.   

This week Nick talks to Chris Gillespie.Chris's career in financial services spans over 40 years. He brings extensive experience from senior leadership roles within consumer finance businesses. Prior to joining H&T, Chris served as Managing Director of the consumer credit division at Provident Financial PLC. Chris maintains a strong interest in matters affecting the wider industry and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Nick and Chris discuss his extensive career in financial services, beginning at Barclays Bank and spanning several leadership roles including at Provident Financial. He shares insights into the unique hybrid model of H&T, which blends financial services and retail, operating across 285 stores nationwide. Chris highlights the evolving perception and customer base of pawnbroking in the UK, the simplicity and accessibility of its loan model, and its growing role in small business financing. He also discusses H&T's broader services—including foreign exchange, retail of pre-owned jewellery and watches, and cheque cashing—all aimed at increasing store footfall. Emphasising the business's community roots, counter-cyclical nature, and expansion potential, Chris notes the importance of trusted staff and store locations. The company remains focused on UK growth through store expansion and technology investment, with a strong commitment to customer service and transparency. Chris' book choice was:Lord of the Rings by J R R TolkienThis content is issued by Zeus Capital Limited (“Zeus”) (Incorporated in England & Wales No. 4417845), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) for designated investment business, (Reg No. 224621) and is a member firm of the London Stock Exchange. This content is for information purposes only and neither the information contained, nor the opinions expressed within, constitute or are to be construed as an offer or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell the securities or other instruments mentioned in it. Zeus shall not be liable for any direct or indirect damages, including lost profits arising in any way from the information contained in this material. This material is for the use of intended recipients only.

Author and liver of life absolutely describes our guest this episode, Pat Backley. As Pat says, she was an English woman until the age of 59 when she decided to become a Kiwi and moved full time to New Zealand. Pat grew up in a poor household, but she will tell you that she never regrets not having as much money as many of the people around her. However it happened, Pat grew up with a various curious oriented mind and a desire to explore the world.   During her life which today spans 73 years, Pat has held a number of jobs. She also has been married twice, but clearly really is not bitter over being divorced from both husbands, although the 2nd one simply wasn't ready to be as adventurous as Pat and live in New Zealand.   Pat wrote her first book at the age of 70. Over the past three years she has written eight books and has a number of future books inside her. As with other authors I have met over the years, Pat's characters essentially write their stories. Pat has plans and ideas, but the characters take over and create the stories.   I find Pat to be extremely articulate and personable to converse with. I think you too will enjoy her and what she has to say. So, sit back, or walk or do whatever you are doing, but get ready to hear a most enjoyable and thought-provoking conversation.       About the Guest:   Pat Backley is an English woman who, at the age of 59 , decided to become a Kiwi and she now lives in Auckland, New Zealand. Passionate about people and travelling the world, she has spent the last 73 years living a colourful and interesting life and her books reflect these passions.   She published her first book DAISY in late 2020, just before her 70th birthday, and now says that she intends to write till she dies!   She has published eight books and contributed to several anthologies, as well as writing articles and short stories for various magazines and has several more books in the pipeline.   Ways to connect Pat:   www.patbackley.com I am on Facebook and Instagram @patbackleyauthor. Also on X (Twitter) @Pat Backley Books. And LinkedIn @Pat Backley   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:   ichael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:20 Well, hi everyone, and I want to welcome you to another edition of unstoppable mindset. And today we are going to chat with Pat Backley. Pat is a British woman, as she will tell you, but at the age of 59 which has now been some what, 1314, years ago, 13 years ago, she decided to become a kiwi and moved to New Zealand. We'll have to find out what brought that about. I've been to New Zealand. It's a fun place. I'd love to go back. But anyway, and of late, certainly much later in her life, Pat decided to become an author. She wrote her first book at the age of 70, and that is another fascinating story, I am sure. So we will delve into all of that, and we're going to grill Pat until she's tired of us. Pat, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Pat Backley ** 02:20 Thank you so much, Michael, I can assure you, I won't be tired of being grilled by you. I'm I'm thrilled to be here. Thank you. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 02:29 we're really glad that you're here. What time is it in New Zealand right now? It's 10 o'clock   02:33 in the morning. Yeah, it's about what I thought.   Michael Hingson ** 02:38 So you're 21 hours ahead of us. Yeah, yes.   Pat Backley ** 02:42 And I have to say, I have to say that tomorrow is looking very good. You'll be glad to know, Oh, good.   Michael Hingson ** 02:49 Should be good. It Well, I'm glad to hear that it's going to look good, and it's actually going to warm up a little bit. Here. We're only getting up to about 65 Fahrenheit, so that's what about 17 Celsius or so. But tomorrow it's supposed to start getting a little bit warmer. We're approaching our winter as you approach your summer, which is kind of interesting.   Pat Backley ** 03:14 Yes, very interesting. When I first moved to New Zealand, that was one of the things I found very strange to have Christmas in the sunshine, because obviously I was, I was born with Christmas in the cook.   Michael Hingson ** 03:29 Yeah. Well, and you could have moved to Australia, where they use kangaroos to pull Santa slay.   Pat Backley ** 03:38 I could have done. I could have done. But Australia didn't have the same appeal for me as No, I   Michael Hingson ** 03:43 like New Zealand. I haven't been to Australia. I'd like to go, but I really enjoyed being in New Zealand. I've been to both the North and the South Island. I spent almost three weeks there, back in 2003 and gave something like 17 or 18 speaking opportunities in 15 days. And I only had one day that I had mostly off and that we spent. What is the the town on the South Island, the the tourist town, oh, Queenstown. Queenstown. Yeah, and so but that only lasted until about six that evening, and then I had to go off and speak again. But it was a lot of fun.   Pat Backley ** 04:28 You must have been exhausted because it's quite a lot of distance. I was I'm what I'm about to say is going to sound ridiculous now, because I've just been to America, and I know about your distances I was going to say, because you have a lot of driving distance between the towns you would have had to speak at. But then, as I was about to verbalize it, I thought, Pat, that's stupid. In America, the distances are far greater   Michael Hingson ** 04:51 well, and also a number of airplane flights between the North and the South Island to make it go faster as well.   Pat Backley ** 04:57 Yes, absolutely, yes. So. It was fun. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 05:01 why don't we start by you telling us a little bit kind of about the early Pat growing up and all that. We'll start with that. Okay,   Pat Backley ** 05:08 well, I, I was born in 1951 so it was just after the war, and England was still suffering from the effects of the war. You know, there was a lot of it was a bit of a gray place, so my parents couldn't afford to buy their own home, so I lived with my parent, my paternal grandparents, for the first three and a half years of my life. And of course, I had a lovely time because I had four adults doting on me. Then we moved out to the country. We were given a council house, which is like a state house. I'm not sure what they called in in the in America, you know, where the government provides them, right? Which, at that time was very acceptable, because there wasn't much housing, because it had all been bombed out, because we lived in London. So, so I grew up in the country. I didn't realize we were poor until I was 11, and went to secondary school, and suddenly I was the because I was quite bright, I was put in a grammar stream class, so I was suddenly with all these rich kids. One girl was driven to school in a chauffeur driven rolls, Royce and I lived in the little government house opposite the school, so everyone knew I was poor. So yeah, it was, it was tough. I would say it was tough my teenage years, but I   Michael Hingson ** 06:26 did, they teach you a lot about that. Oh, yeah,   Pat Backley ** 06:28 I got, I got, I mean, these days they would call it bullying, bullying. I just, I just, it was just, what my luck you know that I remember one time, and I actually did write about this in my memoirs, because it's still in my head after 60 odd years, one time I was the only kid in the class that went home for school lunches, and one because mum couldn't afford to pay for school lunches, so I used to go home because we lived just opposite. And I remember one day I came back to school and it was raining, so all the kids were back in the classroom early, and the teacher wasn't there yet. And there was this one girl whose name will live in my memory forever. She's etched on my soul, Angela Barrett. And she was standing at the front of the class, pretending to be the teacher, writing on the blackboard, and then wiping it off with this black cloth. And then she said, this is all this rag is fit for. And it was actually my school raincoat, which until then I'd been very proud of, but it was second hand, it'd be my cousins. And I can remember that afternoon thinking, I don't want to be here anymore. I hate it here. Everyone hates me. And I went home and I told mom, and I cried, and she said, Look, love, just because they've got more money than you doesn't make them any better people. And at 11, I could not see that at all like that. I just thought, why don't you just get more money? Why don't you buy me a nicer and go blah, blah, blah. But now in hindsight, I just think she that was the wisest thing she could say, because the time I rebelled, it made me realize that actually it's not an equal playing field in the world. You know, you're going to have people that are on this side and down at the bottom and up at the top, and you just have to grit your teeth and fight your way through it,   Michael Hingson ** 08:13 yeah, and, and the reality is, there are only so many things that you can truly control, and what you what you can control is how you dealt with that situation and situations like that. Yes, that's   Pat Backley ** 08:25 right. Um, and then I think I was a, I was definitely a product of the 60s. You know, we had all the lovely pop music and the short skirts and burning out bras and all that sort of stuff. But when I was just two weeks after my 20th birthday, I got married for the first time, which was ridiculous in hindsight, but at the time, you think you know everything when you're that age, don't you? My parents begged me not to marry him, but of course, I knew best, so that marriage lasted 14 years, and he wasn't always very kind. So then I left, then I was on my own for a beer. Then I had a living boyfriend, and I was desperate to have a child, Michael, but I'm not. I'm I'm old fashioned. I only would have a child if I had a husband. And so I didn't. I got married again when I was 41 and we had a child. I had a child when I was 43 my daughter, and that was that I thought life was going to be great. And then 26 years later, he decided he didn't love me anymore, didn't want to live in New Zealand anymore, and that was that so. So I kind of found myself living in New Zealand on my own, having we emigrated here together just before my 59th birthday. But anyway, I've picked up the pieces. It's been six years now, and because of COVID and because of him leaving me, that's how my life changed, really. And your daughter, my and my beloved daughter, my only child, yes, she's 30 now, and she is the love of my life. Yes, and I'm sorry. I've just realized I probably. Probably haven't answered your question very well. You must always pull me back, because I tend to get very excited and passionate and you know, don't necessarily toe the line with question answering. So forgive me, not   Michael Hingson ** 10:11 a problem. That's why this is a conversation and not a big deal. So is your daughter in New Zealand? She   Pat Backley ** 10:20 is now. When her dad she she was 16 when we came to New Zealand, so she did her last bit of school here, then she went to university in Auckland, and then she decided she wanted to do her master's degree back in London. So she went back to London, and then she got a job there, and she was away for five and a half years, which nearly broke my heart, but she's home now. She's been back four years, and she's got a lovely Kiwi boyfriend, and she's here to stay, so I'm   Michael Hingson ** 10:49 thrilled. What did she get? Her degree in art history. Ah, now, do you? Did you go to college? No, sadly,   Pat Backley ** 10:57 I because we were poor, I just had to leave school at 16, and so now I never went to college. I would have loved to, I would have liked to have been a teacher, but, you know, it wasn't to be and and I've had a great life, regardless of that.   Michael Hingson ** 11:13 So did you during all your married life and then the time in between and so on. What kind of work did you   Pat Backley ** 11:20 do? Well, I started work. I started work in the bank when I was 16. Barclays Bank was a really good place to work, so I spent 10 years working there. Then I lived for two years in the Fiji Islands and just did voluntary work back to the UK. My first husband and I started a furniture business, and then when I left him. Obviously I needed a job, because I didn't claim anything in the divorce. And so I got a job with bernardo's, the children's charity, as a general fundraiser. And that was great, because I just traveled all around the south of England supporting all the fundraising groups and things which I loved. And then I moved on to after a few years, I moved on to cancer research, um, again, as a fundraiser, but this time, setting up all their charity shops in the south, and that was a wonderful thing as well, because during the course of both those jobs, I met so many interesting people. You know, now that I'm an old gray haired lady, well, not actually Gray, because I color it, but now that I'm an old gray head lady. I feel very bad that the 35 year old me went to my new job with with Barnardos and sat there looking at these hundreds of gray head old ladies. And I thought, Oh, I'm too young to deal with all these old people. What on earth am I going to talk to them about? And of course, within a couple of days, I've realized that all these gray head old people were fabulous, that most of them had had really interesting, fascinating lives, and that I could learn an awful lot from them. So now the old gray head me looks back and feels very guilty at how I was at that age. But I guess that's what happens when you're young. You just think anyone over the age of 50 is is past it, don't you really well, but   Michael Hingson ** 13:03 you did learn a lot, I bet, from them, which is, oh, wow,   Pat Backley ** 13:07 oh, I learned so much, and I had so much fun, so much fun. Yeah, in fact, when I got married for the second time, a whole bunch of those ladies and a few of the men came to my, like, hen party the night before I got married, we went to the local, very smart hotel and had cocktails, and I just smiled to myself, thinking, oh, and I thought you were all so boring at the beginning, and actually, you're fabulous. So, yeah. So then, then my then I, then I stopped working, had my daughter, and I desperately didn't want to go back to my well paid job with cancer research. I wanted to be home with my baby because I was 43 I'd lost two children in the year before, with miscarriages, and so I stayed at home for four months, and then my husband said, oh, we need more money. You need to get a job. So I ended up doing having other people's children at my house, looking after them so doing like child minding. And that was when I look back. I don't know how I managed, because sometimes I had five under four year olds running around the house, which was quite a challenge. But we survived. I did that, I think, for seven years altogether, and oh, and in between that time, we came and lived in New Zealand for a year because my husband was a teacher, and he got a year's teaching exchange. So we basically swapped lives with a New Zealand teacher. He and his family moved into our house in England, and we moved into their house here in New Zealand. So for a whole year, we lived like a proper Kiwi family, which was wonderful. Lucy was only two, so it was the ideal time to do it. And I just, I just fell in love with New Zealand and desperately wanted to emigrate there. And then it took me 14 years to persuade him to get back here eventually. And in hindsight, I've probably pushed it too much, because. After he left, he said, I didn't like living in New Zealand. I didn't ever really settle there. So I have to hold up my hand and say, probably I persuaded him to do something that he really didn't want to do. But anyway, it's easy to be wise in hindsight, isn't it, as always, yeah. And then so we went back after our year here, we went back to the UK and we set up a business training and assessing construction workers, because the government realized, the UK government realized that, because they'd stopped formal apprenticeships some 20 odd years earlier, that there were now hundreds of 1000s of men working on construction sites who had all the necessary skills, but no paper qualifications. And so they wanted to redress that, but they realized that these men would not be willing to go back to college for three years to learn, learn their trade that they could already do. So they started this fast track program, and we used to go onto sites. We obviously, I had to get lots of qualifications and things to do it, trainers and assessors, qualifications. But then we used to go on two sites and watch the men working ask them loads of questions. We obviously had trade specific instructor assessors, and they could get that qualification that they would have taken three years to get going to college, they could then get in in a matter of six months or so, just by being observed doing their job. So it was a really, really good system, and it was very rewarding for me personally, because I used to go onto the sites and do the initial talks and whatever. And I've always liked men. I've always enjoyed their company, so I could cope with all the banter, you know, all the right, darling, what you're going to do after work, that kind of thing. I enjoyed all that. The bit I hated was wearing a hard hat, because they're very unflattering and they squash your hair do. But the most rewarding thing for me, we did that, that business for 20 years. The most rewarding thing was when a guy who I'd met on site who didn't even want to do it because he felt inadequate, which I later discovered was because he couldn't read or write, but he'd hidden it from all his colleagues. The most satisfying thing was once he'd passed, which obviously he sailed through. I sent him his certificate in the post, and the next day he phoned me, and he said, Pat. Thank you so much for that certificate. He said, it's the only thing I've ever had in my whole life that says I'm good at anything. He said, My wife is framing it and putting it on the living room wall. And that just made me cry, because I thought, this is, this is a man who's 45 who's gone through his whole life thinking he's stupid, and suddenly, just that one action can give him something to be proud of. So that was, I loved doing that, and we made that's how we made our money. For a few years, it was incredibly successful, and then it tailed off, and that's when we immigrated to New Zealand, and since I've been here, I've just basically been having a lovely time, doing a bit of voluntary work, lots of socializing and becoming an author. So   Michael Hingson ** 18:10 what, what attracted you to New Zealand? Why did you fall in love so much with New Zealand? Do you think   Pat Backley ** 18:19 it's a it's a hard question to answer. Michael, it was something deep inside me after I'd been here for a year, or when I'd been here probably only for a few weeks, I got this real feeling deep inside, inside me that I needed to be here. I just think sometimes places in the world draw you in for whatever reason. Who knows? You don't know if it's because perhaps you've got some association with it through an ancestor or I don't know, but I felt very, very drawn to New Zealand, and once we went back to the UK, we were back there for 14 years. Whenever I spoke to friends from New Zealand, whenever they'd phone me, I would end up in tears for hours. I want to go back to New Zealand. So it was a need rather than a desire, almost. And it's not something I've ever regretted. Even after he even after he abandoned me, we were back in England when he announced he didn't want to be married anymore, and he never came back to New Zealand. I just had to come back alone. Even then my friends in England were saying to me, oh, Pat, just stay in England. You know, we're all here. We'll, you know, we'll all be here for you. And I said, No, no, home is just New Zealand, even though I knew I was coming back all alone because Lucy was still living in London, I had, I've got no family here, so, but there was something that pulled me back.   Michael Hingson ** 19:45 I understand that I really enjoyed New Zealand a lot. And if there's when people ask me a place in the world that I regard as my favorite place to visit, New Zealand always comes out first, but I enjoy. Way wherever I go. I actually took my first trip to London in late October of this year. I was only there for a couple of days, but it was to do a speech. And, you know, it was pretty similar to being here. It just wasn't the same feeling as as being in New Zealand, which I had the opportunity to do, as I said before, for a little over three weeks. So it was really a lot of fun and and the the environment is just so different.   Pat Backley ** 20:28 Yes, I think New Zealand, I think one of the, I mean, obviously it's an incredibly beautiful country, but I think one of the main differences is that we, we've got a land mass pretty similar to the UK, but we we've only got like 5 million people, and the UK has got more than 70 million. And I think that's the thing. You know, the more people you try to cram into a small space, the more the social problems are, are enlarged, don't they? You know, we have exactly the same social problems here that are anywhere else in the world, but because our population is relatively small, it's not such a such such a huge feature of life, I think, yeah. Mm,   Michael Hingson ** 21:10 well, I haven't explained to everyone listening that Pat and I met through the RV Book Festival, virtual book festival, which both of us being authors, we spoke at and participated in, gosh, a little over a month ago now. Mm,   Pat Backley ** 21:28 yes, time flies, doesn't it does. It does.   Michael Hingson ** 21:32 And one of the things that I said, as I usually do when I get a chance to meet with people, is we'd love to have you all come on the podcast. And Pat is the second of the three people who were there. And so I'm glad that that that we got to do this. But let's talk about you being an author. So you started being an author. What, just three years ago or four years ago? Yes, yes. What? Yeah. Go ahead. Oh,   22:01 no, sorry, you carry on. Well, so   Michael Hingson ** 22:03 what just caused you to decide that you're going to try to write a book?   Pat Backley ** 22:09 Okay? Well, when I was a little girl, I had a massive list of things I wanted to be when I was growing up, I wanted to be a nurse, a missionary, a writer, a teacher, a ballerina. They were all my that was my list. So when I was about eight, I edited my first magazine. Is I have one limited copy of it. It was a limited, very limited edition. It only lasted one, one time. But so I guess probably I've always had that desire deep inside me, but because of circumstances, and not coming from, you know, a very privileged background, it meant that I didn't have the opportunity. But in the days when we used to write letters, I always love to write long, long letters to all my friends, my family. And when I lived in Fiji for two years, I wrote, there was no other way of communicating with my parents. They had no telephone. So for two years, I wrote them letters and when my when, when they died, and I had to clear out their house, I found this enormous pile of blue Air Mail, letters that I'd written to my parents over a two year period. They'd kept every single one. So I think I'd always loved writing, but it never occurred to me that I would ever have the chance to write a book. And then we get to COVID, and we, here in New Zealand, went into lockdown on the day of my 69th birthday. It was a beautifully sunny day, and I was all alone because Lucy was in England, and I made myself chocolate brownies, stuck a candle in it, sat in the garden and cried because my marriage was over. My daughter was gone. We had COVID. There were, you know, there were lots of things to cry about. And I then spent the next three weeks lying on my sofa watching rubbish on Netflix, eating too much chocolate, drinking too much red wine. And then I thought to myself, Pat, this is ridiculous. This could go on for a few more weeks, because at the time, we thought COVID was going to be quite short lived, didn't we, and I thought, why don't you do something practical? Why don't you write a book? So I just got out some paper and pen and started writing, and stayed up, probably mostly day and night, for two weeks, and then within two weeks, my first book, Daisy was done, and that was that really the rest is history. Since then I have so I published it self. Published it just before my 70th birthday, and in the three years since then, I've written and published eight more. Contributed to five anthologies, written a little Yes, so yeah, written articles for magazines and been interviewed by lovely people like you, and the rest is history. Are you alright? Have I sent you to sleep? Talking?   Michael Hingson ** 24:58 No, I. Well, I'm just listening. I didn't know whether you were done. You know, it's, it's fascinating to to listen to the story and to hear you talk about what, what brought you to it, what made you decide what kind of books to write. I   Pat Backley ** 25:18 don't think I really did decide, um, my daughter for my birth, for the previous Christmas, had sent me a very dry little textbook, which she knew I love, called, I can't think exactly what it's called, something like the history of architecture, of council houses in the UK, something very boring like that. And it was, it was basically a textbook, because I love architecture as well. It was basically a textbook with just a few pictures in so I'd kind of put it on my coffee table, but not but ignored it. You know how you do when there's books? You know, you should, you kind of don't get around to it. So at the beginning of COVID, I picked it up one day, or a couple of days before I started writing, I picked it up, and within five minutes, I was enthralled. I got out post it notes. I'd stuck those all over little bits and written quotes, and I think that was kind of an inspiration. So I expected the book to be more about, have more of a theme of architecture. And in fact, the book doesn't. There is one guy who becomes an architect in it towards the end. But I think that kind of just just pushed something in my head into gear, because I firmly believe Michael. I mean, they always say that everyone has a book inside them, and I, when I do my talks now, I'm often photographed at a very funny stage where I'm going like this, because I'm just saying how somebody's it feels as though somebody's taken off the top of my head, and 70 years worth of words are just flying out. Because I find writing incredibly easy. The first book Daisy wrote itself pretty much, you know, I just kind of had an idea and and I wrote down a few things about possible people, and then they just wrote their own story, really, which I'm, you know, I know, as an author, you will understand that. And I would say, for all my other books, I've had an idea, but they've kind of, they've kind of written themselves, themselves   Michael Hingson ** 27:17 as well. Yeah. Well, you know, you talk about textbooks. I've been an advocate for some time about the concept that people should rewrite textbooks or make textbooks different than they are, and technical manuals, the same way, as you said, they're very boring and and they don't need to be in textbooks could draw people in a lot more than they than they do. For example, my master's degree is in physics, and when you're looking at a physics textbook, there are lots of mathematical equations and so on, and that's fine, but think of how much more interesting the book might be, and think of how much more you might draw the interest of people to the science by including in the book some stories about the the author. Their their, I don't want to necessarily say adventures, but their experience is why they became a physicist, why they do what they do, and bringing some humanity to the textbook, I think would make a significant difference to textbooks in general, but we don't see that, because people just want to get the facts out there.   Pat Backley ** 28:32 I couldn't agree more. I absolutely, totally agree. When I was at school, I hated doing research because it was boring. You had to learn the names of all the kings of England, and King, you know, Henry, the eighth wives, and when their heads got chopped off and all that stuff. And apart from the really scandalous bits, I wasn't really interested. But now I absolutely adore research. I discovered that my first book, Daisy is is a historical fiction, and so I had to do lots of research to make sure it was accurate, because you you know, if you write something in a book and it's not right, people are going to pick holes in it. I mean, they're going to pick holes in your work anyway, so you don't want to give them extra ammunition, right? But I discovered that I absolutely loved doing research. And of course, these days it's so easy because you just click a button on your computer and you can find out what cold scuttles were used in 1871 whereas in my youth, we had to trudge to the library get out all the encyclopedias. And so because of I've discovered that love of research, all my all my novels, are now historical because it's almost it gives me an excuse to go researching and finding out stuff. So it's opened up a whole new world to me, Michael and I just realized now that that expression education is wasted on the young is so true, because now in my seven. Is I am so open to learning new things, whereas in my teens, I was bored to death and just wanted to go home and play.   Michael Hingson ** 30:09 So what was Daisy about? Oh, well,   Pat Backley ** 30:11 Daisy, I'll just, I'll just read you a little bit on the back to give you an idea. Um, Daisy is a gentle family saga spanning almost 100 years, from 1887 to 1974 It is set in Alabama, Harlem and London, and incorporate some of the evils of society, poverty, racism and snobbery, as well as some of the greatest that life has to offer, family, friendship and love and a couple of quotes, being born poor was a scar that never faded, and she had never experienced racial hatred first hand, so had no real idea of how it could erode a person's whole life. So basically, it's just a story of a young woman born in the slums of London and a young man born into an affluent lifestyle on an Alabama plantation in 1871 and how their lives interwove, they never got together, but, you know, or all their extended people did, so it's right, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 31:14 right. Well, the thing about about that kind of a story is, again, it draws you in. I I would would say something slightly different. Being poor is a scar that that never fades. On the other hand, being poor also gave you, or would give Daisy the life that she had, which was, was so I would suspect so very invaluable to her overall life experiences.   Pat Backley ** 31:50 Yes, absolutely yes. And her life changes quite dramatically midway because of the people she meets. Yeah, it's I, it was in, it's interesting, because sometimes I reread it and I just think, Wow, this is quite a good story. And I then I feel bad for thinking that about my own writing, but I've written the second Daisy, which is obviously the follow up. And then I thought, actually I and then I wrote a little travel book and my life story and whatever. And then I thought, Oh, I really miss doing research. Perhaps I could write about my own family, my own ancestors. So I then wrote the ancestors series. I've done three in it, and wrote about my paternal grandparents, my maternal grandparents and my own parents. I've just published that book about them that was glorious, but very emotive, because obviously I knew certain bits about them. But delving back further and further into the family histories, you discover lots of things and very emotional to write, yeah, particularly one about my parents, because your parents are just your mom and dad, aren't they? You kind of don't think of them really, as people in their own right, but when you start writing their life story, you're living life through their shoes and and it, yeah, it made me very emotional. I cried every day writing my parents story, but now I'm really glad I did it, because it's kind of honored, honored their lives, and also it means they'll never die their even their photographs are on the cover. And my daughter said that she cried all the way reading it, and she said, Mom, it was wonderful, because I hardly knew them. You know, they died when she was quite young. Yeah, she's but now I understand, yeah, so because she's had, you know, she's had a reasonably nice upbringing. She hasn't had the upbringing that they had, or even I had. So, yeah, I think I try. I've become a bit I've become a bit of a pain now, because everyone I meet, I say, like last week, I did a talk at the local genealogy society, and I said to them, please write your story down or record it some way. Because once you die, your story dies with you, no one knows your life as well as you do. So, yeah, yeah. But I just love research. So now I'm thinking, oh, what else can I write about and do some research? I write about people. Michael, people are my passion. I love people and and ordinary people. I don't need to write about, you know, worthy things people, right?   Michael Hingson ** 34:24 But the other part about it is that you got, as you write about your parents, I'll bet you got to know them better, too, and it helps you understand the kind of life you had and they had. And I still bet overall, you could talk about wealth and all that, but you wouldn't trade your life for anything because it made you who you are today. Abs,   Pat Backley ** 34:49 you're absolutely right, and yes, you're right. Writing about their stories and all that they went through, it was Yeah. Just made me really, really realize that they were even. Special people than I knew they were. But no, I wouldn't trade anything. I mean, I had a wonderfully happy childhood, if you put aside that silly bit of bully in that, you know, I tend to know for the years. But, yeah, we I, I because I didn't know, really, that I got snippets of there being other kind of lives like, you know, I had rich friends who had lots of clothes, traveling all the time and stuff, but basically, my life was just my little nuclear family. In our little we had a little two bedroom house for six of us, and that was my life. We were very happy. There were very rarely raised voices, and that's why I didn't cope very well in my first marriage, when my husband, my first husband, suddenly showed me that he had a rather violent temper because I didn't know how to handle it, because I had never experienced that before in my whole life. So I in that way, I wasn't prepared. But yeah, I will always be grateful to my parents, because with very little, they gave us all a very happy childhood.   Michael Hingson ** 36:05 Well, so you started writing at the age of 70. Do you wish that you had started writing earlier? Or did you think about that? I   Pat Backley ** 36:17 think about it. I don't really, because I think I had to live through everything I've lived through get to the point now of being able to write in the way I do. And also, yeah, no, I don't really. I mean, the only thing I think is, oh, I hope I don't die before I before I get everything written, I want to write. That's my only thing. But no, I I've learned, Michael, not to regret anything in life, because if you do, the only person it hurts is yourself. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 36:47 because you are who you are, because of your life   Pat Backley ** 36:51 exactly, and you would understand that better than most. I mean, you cope so well with with being blind, which is absolutely remarkable, because most of us, if we suddenly can't see and need to wear a stronger pair of glasses, we just go down, you know, go down into a depressive state. So you're a wonderful beacon of hope. I think for an awful lot of people, of course,   Michael Hingson ** 37:15 the issue, and using that as an example, the issue is that you don't know anything about being blind or blindness, and people generally don't, and they make a lot of assumptions that are not necessarily true, but it is again, the lives that they live, and the reality is there's nothing wrong with being blind. We live in a world where most people are light dependent, that is, they can see. But the reality is, of course, in the perspective I try to oftentimes nowadays, to convey to people, is light dependence is just as much a disability as being light independent or blind, because as soon as the lights go out, you lose power, and if you don't have an immediate light source. You're in a world of hurt. And we really should think of disability as a characteristic that everyone has, except it manifests itself differently for different people. But unfortunately, people aren't ready to do that. And the reasons for bringing up the concept in that way is that I think that because disability is really a characteristic everyone has, it is also a way to help level the playing field. And that's something that is so hard to get people to do, because they really think, well, you're blind, you're not as good as I   Pat Backley ** 38:37 Oh, wow. Very profound. I love talking to you. Michael, this is fascinating stuff. Fascinating. I had, I had a little niece. Sadly, she died when she was 14. She had a dreadful genetic disease called battens, but she went blind for the last couple of years. It broke my heart. It broke my heart, but she seemed to just deal with it somehow. You know, it's, I guess we all get the strengths we need at the times we need them. Do you think   Michael Hingson ** 39:04 I think, I think that's true, or we can if, long as we accept it. But the reality is that, of course, she lost her her eyesight, but if she developed an attitude that I have other things that are available to me, so I'm going to be fine, then she would be fine. Yes,   Pat Backley ** 39:23 yeah, yeah. I mean, sadly, she lost all her faculties. She couldn't talk. She so everything went but, but it was when her eyes went and she was still able to understand, that was the hardest thing. So I remember years ago when I worked in Barclays Bank, when I was quite in my 20s, and we were, I worked in a big branch at the time, and we had a blind telephonist, because in those days, back in the 60s, I think it was kind of what they did. It was when there were all those great big telephonic boards, you know, press all the buttons. And we had a guy called Peter, and he had. His dog was called penny, and our branch was on the corner of this huge, wide road in a place called Kingston, just outside London. And to cross the road, there were like six lanes of traffic, and it was really, really dangerous. And we would come out of work in the afternoon, and we'd all be standing there hesitant to cross the road, and Peter would suddenly just march across the road with Penny, and we'd all be standing there in awe. And one day I crossed with I've got brave, and I crossed over with him, and we got to the other side, and I said, Peter, how can you do that? He said, Oh, well. He said, It's always useful being blind, because traffic feels sorry for you, so they all kind of slow down anyway. He said, But, but. He said, But Penny leads me. He said, she just, she just, she just knows it's fine, so she just the dog just, just takes me over. I was fascinated, but he had just recently married about two years earlier he'd been, he'd been fully sighted till he was 11, and then he and some friends were messing about on the railway lines, and he fell over and bashed his head, and he went blind. So he had been sighted and but now he he was married, he had a little baby, and I said, Oh, Peter, can you actually see your baby, or do you just kind of have to feel the outline? He said, Oh no. He said, I got a tiny, tiny bit of vision. He said, so I can see the shape of the baby. And I just always remember thinking you're so brave. That was, that was what I thought. I just felt he was so brave. Well, just remember   Michael Hingson ** 41:27 the dictionary, you know? Well, just remember the dictionary defines to see is to perceive. It doesn't necessarily need to be with the eyes and and there's so many other senses that give us this a lot of information as well. For me, I don't want my dog to decide when we cross the street in general, unless the dog refuses to go because there's a hybrid car or something coming that I don't hear. But it's my job to know when to go and and I know how to do that, and so I can listen for the traffic flow and and, and go accordingly. And at the same time, if I then tell the dog to go forward and the dog won't go my immediate assumption is there's a reason for that, and and, and usually there is because the dog and I have developed that kind of a relationship where the dog knows it's my job to tell the dog where to go, and it's the dog's job to make sure that we get there safely. It's a very close knit team. It's as close knit of a team as you can imagine, and it's what it's really all about. So the dog and I each do our jobs, and when we do them correctly together, what a wonderful world. It becomes   Pat Backley ** 42:47 fabulous. And it obviously works because you're still standing, you're still here,   Michael Hingson ** 42:54 and my and my dog is over here, breathing very deeply, asleep. Oh, so you you stick with historical fiction. Have you ever thought of writing other kinds of books, like adventures or novels or that are not historic in nature, fantasy or any of those? I   Pat Backley ** 43:17 don't think I've got the right brain set to do fantasy or horror or crime. I, I I'm writing historical because I've discovered a great love for it, but I've also, I also have a great love for travel. So I wrote a little travel book, and I've just done a big trip, so I'm going to write another travel book, because that's another great love I wrote. I wrote my memoirs, which was very satisfying, you know, to write my own story down so it's there forever, if you like. And I also wrote a little book called The abandoned wives handbook, which I didn't want to write. I just kept putting it off. And then one day, I woke up at three in the morning and this voice saying to me, Pat, you have to write this book to help other people. So I just wrote this. I cried all the time. Writing it, as you've probably deduced, I'm a great crier. I think crying is is the best way of getting stress out of your system, out of my system. So I wrote this book. It's just a tiny little book that you can pop into a handbag called the abandoned wives handbook. And I've just made it like a little dictionary. I call it a dictionary of distress, and it's just to I'll just just briefly read you the backseat and understand the pain of abandonment is huge. The partner you loved and cherished for so many years has decided you are no longer required past your sell by date of no use to them anymore, so tossed out like a piece of garbage, abandoned with barely a backward glance, in an attempt to keep this a gentle, light hearted read, each chapter is divided into letters of the alphabet, rather like a dictionary of distress, something you can dip into at any time. I am not an expert, merely someone who has survived one of life's great traumas and has come through. Is a stronger, more resilient person, so I didn't want to write it. I hated doing it. I've, I published it, and it's, ironically, one of my best selling books people buy   Michael Hingson ** 45:13 all the time. Do you publish your own books, or do you have a publisher? I   Pat Backley ** 45:17 have, I have done till this point, Michael, but simply because I'm feeling I'm too old to hang around waiting to get noticed. But I have just written, I have just finished another book, which I I just feel might be slightly more commercial, so I may try seeing if I can get an agent for that. But I will probably only try one or two, and then if they say no, I'll just give up and self publish. The only thing against self publishing for me now is that it because I want to do it properly. You know, I pay an editor, I pay a cover designer, I pay a formatter. It becomes quite expensive to pay people. So that's my that's my only downside. But I do like to be totally in control. You know, I can choose my own covers. I can choose when it's published. I can choose what the content is. And if you go with a traditional publisher, you often lose the ability to have the same control   Michael Hingson ** 46:11 well, or you you negotiate, but, but, yeah, I understand what you're saying. I also have to say I understand fully this whole concept of abandonment. When my seventh guide dog Africa retired, and she retired because she wasn't seeing well and she was slowing down, so I knew it was time to get a new guide dog. So it was February 9 of 2018, and we lived here, and her puppy raiser, the people who raised her, they call them, I think, in New Zealand, puppy walkers, but they live about 140 miles south, or about 120 miles in a town called Carlsbad. And they came and I, and I said that they could have Africa, and the only reason I gave her up was because we already had my wife's service dog and a cat, and I was going to get another dog, and Karen wasn't really going to be able to handle taking care of two dogs and a cat when I traveled to speak, so we agreed that Africa could go live with the bill And Peggy, and they came and picked her up, and she walked out the door without a backward glance. I was abandoned.   47:26 Oh, that's awful,   Michael Hingson ** 47:28 yeah. Well, we actually, we went. We went down and visited her several times. She was just excited. No, she's, she was a great dog. And, yes, yeah, you know. And they got to have her for two years before she passed. But she was, she was a good dog and and she had a good life. And I can't complain a bit, but it's fun to tease about how obviously we have abandoning issues here. Yes, yeah.   Pat Backley ** 47:53 And I think that's the secret in life, Michael, to always find something to be happy about and smile about, because life can be very tough, can't it? I mean, you know, it's, yeah, life is tough. And so I think if we don't find, try and seek a little joy, we might as well all give up, you know, yeah, yeah. And   Michael Hingson ** 48:14 there's no need to do that. I mean, God put us on this earth to live an adventure. And life is an adventure,   48:21 absolutely,   Michael Hingson ** 48:22 no matter what we do. Yes,   48:25 absolutely. Well, how do you   Michael Hingson ** 48:26 develop your characters? I mean, you're writing historical fiction, so you're you're using history and and periods of time as the the setting for your books, but you're creating your own characters primarily, I gather,   Pat Backley ** 48:39 yes, yes. To be honest, in my head, when I start writing, I almost have an exact picture of my characters. I know exactly what they look like. I mean, if I was to, if I was to suddenly get a film offer, I could easily say how these people should look, because I they're real for for example, a few months after I oh no, maybe a year or so after I published Daisy, I was talking to my daughter one day, and I just said, Oh, do you remember when Theo did whatever? And she looked me straight in the eye, and she said, Mum, I don't know your characters as well as you do. And I just, we both burst out laughing, because to me, they're real people. You know, I I can picture them. I know exactly what they look like. And I think even when I start a new book in my head, I already know what my characters look like. They may not as the plot goes on, behave in the way I want them to, but I know how I know who they are. I know how they how they look. Yeah, they're going   Michael Hingson ** 49:43 to write the book and they're going to tell you what you need to do. Yeah, totally. But you use, but you use, I assume, real places in your books. I always   Pat Backley ** 49:51 use real places, always Yeah, and always places I know, because I think you can write more authentically then, like in days. I wrote about Harlem and Alabama and New York and London, or not New York in that one, but London and because I know all those places, I've been there and you know, they're, they're familiar to me, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 50:13 yeah. So you, you, you let them do what they do, and out comes the book.   Pat Backley ** 50:21 Absolutely, that's right, yes, yeah, have you   Michael Hingson ** 50:25 written any yet in New Zealand?   Pat Backley ** 50:29 You mean, based in New Zealand? The funny thing is, Michael, being an immigrant is and I have spoken to lots of other immigrants about this. In fact, I co authored a book in lockdown called the warrior women project, a sisterhood of immigrant women, which is based in the States. And all the other women are are living in the States, except me, and I caught up with them when I came over to the states. Couple of months ago, we had a reunion, met for the first time, which was wonderful, but we all said, once you are an immigrant, you never truly belong anywhere. You know, when I go, I always feel a little bit of an outsider here. I've been here 14 years now, and that's nobody's that's nothing anybody does. That's just my feeling deep inside. I go back to England, and I feel like an outsider. I used to live in Fiji when I was in my 20s, and then I had a house there. Until my divorce, I go back there, and I've got a lot of extended friend family there, I go back there, and I always feel like an a bit of an outsider. So I think that's the price you pay for wanting a life less ordinary. You know, you somehow become like a little bit of a floating person. And I don't to answer your question, I don't really feel qualified to write about New Zealand. Obviously, I talk about it in my travel book and I talk about different places, but to base the whole story here, I don't feel qualified. There are enough fabulous New Zealand authors who are doing that already, who've been born here, who understand the country, who, you know, who, yeah, they're   Michael Hingson ** 52:07 just at the same time you wrote Daisy, which took place in part in Alabama. How much time did you spend, you know? So it may be, it may be something in the future where a character will pop out and say, I want to be in New Zealand, but that's something to look at.   Pat Backley ** 52:23 Yes, I love it when somebody like you calls me out on my own, my own things, because you're absolutely right. I That's That was a silly argument to say. I don't know it enough. So thank you for that. You've made me rethink. That's good.   Michael Hingson ** 52:37 Well, so I gather that when you're writing, you think you have the plot planned out, or you you try to have the plot planned out, but it doesn't necessarily go the way you plan it. Does it?   Pat Backley ** 52:49 No, not at all. I mean, I know roughly what I want to say. I think what I'm definitely, definitely know what I want to do is get certain little messages across. And that doesn't matter what my characters do, because I can weave that in, like in Daisy. I wanted to get across that slavery was dreadful, and racism is dreadful, and the way black people were treated when they went to England in the 1950s was dreadful. So I managed to we, and that's and that's snobbishness and stuff is dreadful. So I managed to always weave those kind of themes into my books. And apparently, it has been said by reviewers that I do it so well that people it just makes people think about what that how they think how Yeah, so, so those main themes, if you like, I managed to weave into my stories, regardless of how badly my characters behave.   Michael Hingson ** 53:45 So when you're writing, are you pretty disciplined? Do you have certain times that you write, or do you just sit down and write till you're ready to stop for the day? Or what I   Pat Backley ** 53:56 am very non disciplined, undisciplined, whatever the term is supposed to be. I have great intentions. I think, right, I'm going to spend tomorrow writing. I'll be at my desk by eight o'clock, and I'll sit little five. And then at nine o'clock, I get up to go make a cup of coffee. And at 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock, 12 o'clock, I'm out weeding the garden, and then I might come back in and do a little bit, and then I go off and do something else. So I am dreadfully undisciplined, but I work really well to deadlines. Just before I went away on my big trip in September, I was part way through a book, probably a third way through writing a new book, and I woke up one day and I thought, right, I'm going to get that book finished before I go. I had three weeks left. In that three weeks, I had masses of appointments. I had to sort out my wardrobe, which, as a woman, is a huge problem, one that you've probably never had, but you know, you have to decide what goes with what and how many dresses you should take, and it's a huge issue for a lot of women. So I had a lot of jobs to do in that three. Weeks instead of which, I decided to set myself as self imposed time to get the book finished. Crazy. Just, I mean, why? Why? Why crazy?   Michael Hingson ** 55:09 And did you the day   Pat Backley ** 55:11 before? There you are. I was so proud of myself because I just that was it. I decided I and what I did to make myself accountable, I actually put a post on Facebook and Instagram saying, why, and all these little yellow post it notes, and I'd written on their pack suitcase, Do this, do this, do this. And so I just said to everyone that I'd given myself this self pointed deadline so I had made myself publicly accountable. If I hadn't done that, I probably wouldn't have finished it, but I find, for me, that's the best way of disciplining myself is to have a deadline with everything in life, really, yeah. But the   Michael Hingson ** 55:49 other part about it is, even when you're as you would put it, being undisciplined, your brain is still working on the book, and the characters are are mulling things over, so it does pop out. Oh, totally,   Pat Backley ** 56:00 totally. And I end up with lots of little scrappy notes all over the house, you know, where I've just grabbed a piece of paper and written down something. And then, of course, I have to gather them all together. And when I was in the States recently, I spent two months, and I've got scrap I was doing a lot of research, and I've got scrappy notes everywhere. So I've now got to try and pull those all together while my brain still remembers what they were meant to be, you know, like lady in red dress in New Orleans. Well, what does that really mean? So, right? I'm, I'm my own worst enemy in many ways, but,   Michael Hingson ** 56:37 but she thought, and so you went through it exactly, exactly, yeah, that's okay. Where did you travel in September?   Pat Backley ** 56:45 I went to Atlanta first to meet up with these warrior women, which was truly fabulous. Then I went to New Orleans, and my friend who lives in Alabama, picked me up, and we went to New Orleans, and then we drove back to Alabama. She lives in Huntsville. So I was there for a week and was doing lots of research, because Daisy is partly based right and then we then she drove me back to Nashville, and I flew to New York, where I was meeting some friends from New Zealand who lived there six months of the year. So I spent six days there and went to Harlem for more research and stuff like that, and then flew to Canada, to Toronto, where two friends, a lady I'd met when we had our daughters together, and her daughter, they now live in France. They flew from France, met me in Toronto, we hired the biggest SUV I've ever seen in my life, and we drove across Canada for three weeks, which was such fun, such fun. And then I came home. So I've got millions of scrappy notes that I need to pull together to write a travel book and to use as inspiration for my novels.   Michael Hingson ** 58:01 So you so you're going to write another travel book? I   58:05 am going to write another travel book. Yeah, yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 58:09 And the the abandoned wives handbook, that's kind of a self help book. That's a self help book, yes, yeah. Just you think you'll write another one of   Pat Backley ** 58:17 those? No, no, I'm done with that one's enough of those, huh? Yeah, that's right. I'm not an expert, Michael and the I just, I just, but the funny thing is, when I do talks, I always talk about all my books. And a few weeks ago, I was talking at this very smart meeting of ex business people, both ladies and gentlemen, and they were all over 60. Um, so quite a conservative audience. And at the end, or towards the end, I just mentioned this abandoned Wise Book, I tend to skim over it. I don't really, I don't really talk about it too much unless the audience is particularly relevant. But I just said to them, oh, and this is my little book. And someone said, Oh, could you read us an excerpt from it? So I said, Okay, I'll just open the book at random. And I opened the book and the title, what you won't be able to see here, the title of that chapter was K for kill. And I thought, no, no, I don't want to read about kill front of this audience. So I just made a joke of it and and I'll just read it to you, because it will make you laugh, as I have said previously under Section indecisive. You may, in your darkest moments, think about hurting him. This is not really a great idea, as you would undoubtedly be caught and end up in prison. Yeah, you so, you know, I and then I went on a bit more, but, you know, it's some yeah and no, I'm done with that book. I've, I've done my bit for humanity with that. It seems to be helping a lot of people. So that's that's enough.   Michael Hingson ** 59:45 Yeah, I would never make a good criminal, because I know I'd be caught and and I don't know how to keep from getting caught, and frankly, don't care about trying to get worry about getting caught or not getting caught. It's easier just not to be a criminal. So it works out fine. So. Yes,   1:00:00 exactly. Yeah, me too. Me too. So much   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:02 easier. So much easier. Absolutely, absolutely yes. Well, if people want to reach out to you and maybe learn a little bit more about you or meet you, how do they do that? Okay,   Pat Backley ** 1:00:12 well, my website is just patch back league com, so it's very easy. Um, I'm Can you spell that please? Yes, yes, of course, P, A, T, B, A, C, K, L, E, y.com.com, yeah, and I'm on all the channels, as you know, Facebook and Instagram and x and LinkedIn and stuff as Pat Backley author or pat Backley books. And my books are all available from Amazon, all the online retailers, Barnes and Noble stuff like that, as ebooks or paperbacks, or if someone desperately wanted a signed copy, I'm very happy to send them a signed copy, and you can get them from you can request them from libraries.   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:59 Have you? Have you thought about making any of them an audio format?   Pat Backley ** 1:01:05 I have someone's. A few people have suggested that this year, when I've been doing talks, they've come up to me afterwards, and yes, I think I'm going to, as long as it's not too costly, because at the moment, my budget is extremely limited, but I'm going to do them myself, because everyone feels that my books will be come come across better in my own voice so well,   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:25 and you read well. So I think that makes a lot of sense to consider.   Pat Backley ** 1:01:29 Thank you, Michael, that's very kind of you. Well, Pat,   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:33 this has been fun, and I've enjoyed it. I've learned a lot of things as well, and I'm and I'm glad that we've had this chance. We need to do it again. When are you going to start a podcast?   Pat Backley ** 1:01:47 Well, funny, you should say that I've decided I'm going to I'm going to just dip my toes in very gently. I'm going to start it in the new year, and I'm going to call it and this makes everyone who knows me laugh. I'm going to call it just 10 minutes with Pat Backley. And everyone has said, Oh, don't be ridiculous. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:05 I agree, 10   Pat Backley ** 1:02:06 minutes, but I thought it's a way of just gently edging in. And then if people enjoy listening to me, they might want to listen for longer after a while. But I thought initially, just 10 minutes, little snippets, if they like what they hear, they might come back.   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:21 They'll come back. Oh, I don't think there would be a problem. Well, if you, if you ever need a guest to come and spend at least 10 minutes, just let me know. I   Pat Backley ** 1:02:30 certainly shall. I have absolutely loved talking to you. Michael, thank you so much for inviting me as well. This is a very joyful morning. I've really loved it. Thank you. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:39 this has been fun, and I want to thank all of you for listening. I hope you've enjoyed it and reach out to Pat. I'm sure she would love to communicate with you, and maybe in some way, you'll end up in a book, which is always a nice, good thing to think about as well. I'd love to hear what you think about our podcast today. So please feel free to email me. Michael, h, i, m, I, C H, A, E, L, H i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, I b, e.com, or go to our podcast page, which is at w, w, w, dot Michael hingson.com/podcast, and Michael hingson is spelled M, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, S O n.com/podcast, wherever You're listening. We would really appreciate it if you would give us a five star rating. And we we value that. We value your thoughts and input. Pat for you and all of you listening. If you know an

James is joined by Emma Jones, the IMA's Head of Content, and Lisa Dutton, Head of Customer, to look back at the term just gone, and forward to the summer term to come.In this week's episode:The need to embrace ‘uncomfortable influencing'Tactical tips for managing difficult conversationsThe bunch of fives… what's the worst that can happen? What do CEO's think about Insight?The need to understand stakeholders and their communication preferencesWhat's on James's mind for Quirk's Chicago, London and New York?The next Insight forums we've organised for our members Please listen to find out more! This is episode 69 of the Transforming Insight podcast. If you have the ambition to transform your Insight team and the role it plays in your organisation, please tune in to future episodes. Not only will we explore the secrets of successful corporate Insight teams and their leaders, as outlined in James Wycherley's books, Transforming Insight and The Insight Leader's Playbook, we will also talk to senior corporate Insight leaders, delve into books that have inspired us, and discuss new best practice research carried out with the IMA's corporate members.You won't want to miss this! So please subscribe - and thank you for listening.  About James Wycherley, the author of Transforming Insight James Wycherley was Director of Customer Insight and Analytics at Barclays Bank from 2005 to 2015 when he became Chief Executive of the Insight Management Academy (IMA). He published his first book, Transforming Insight, in 2020, and his second, The Insight Leader's Playbook, in 2025, and he hosts the Insight forums and the Transforming Insight podcast.An entertaining keynote speaker, he has presented over 50 times at Quirk's events, a global record, and has provided thought leadership in the UK, USA, Europe, Canada, Australia, India and the Middle East.The Insight Management Academy is the world's leading authority on transforming corporate Insight teams, and its vision is to inspire and support every Insight leader to transform the impact of Insight in their organisation. Resources:If you would like more information on any of the ideas discussed in this episode of the Transforming Insight podcast, please visit www.insight-management.org DisclaimerThe Transforming Insight podcast is published by the Insight Management Academy and produced by Zorbiant.All rights reserved.   

Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people. Today's episode features an interview with Carla Barnard, the CEO of Likewise Commercial Real Estate. After graduating from the University of Oxford, Carla worked as a commercial real estate attorney for Hogan Lovells LLP in London, specializing in real estate finance, investment and complex development work for institutional clients including Prudential, Ford Motor Company, Barclays Bank, HSBC and a number of REITs.  She has advised extensively on solar farm and renewable energy producing property transactions and hotel and care home M & A. Carla currently serves as Broker In Charge at Likewise Commercial Real Estate,  playing an integral role in elevating Commercial Real Estate in Western North Carolina.

Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people. Today's episode features an interview with Carla Barnard, the CEO of Likewise Commercial Real Estate. After graduating from the University of Oxford, Carla worked as a commercial real estate attorney for Hogan Lovells LLP in London, specializing in real estate finance, investment and complex development work for institutional clients including Prudential, Ford Motor Company, Barclays Bank, HSBC and a number of REITs.  She has advised extensively on solar farm and renewable energy producing property transactions and hotel and care home M & A. Carla currently serves as Broker In Charge at Likewise Commercial Real Estate,  playing an integral role in elevating Commercial Real Estate in Western North Carolina.

Lord Gerry Grimstone gives a masterclass in securing funding, drawing on vast experience in both government and business; as the UK's Minister for Investment, launching the UK's first Global Investment Summit, and leading boards at the world's most respected financial institutions – from Barclays Bank to Gemcorp Capital Management. Hear Lord Grimstone's perspectives on how British businesses are faring against global counterparts for foreign investment, what investors are really looking for, and why ‘flair' can make all the difference. This episode, recorded in Jan 2025, is part of Pull up a Chair's 'Insights' series, featuring bite-sized perspectives and advice from the podcast's guests.

Join Danny, Molly, Zakk and Dave for industry-led opinions on important Bitcoin stories from the week.Britcoiners is a Bitcoin podcast by CoinCorner (https://www.coincorner.com) - a global leader in Bitcoin and Lightning services.Join our Telegram:https://t.me/britcoinersFollow Britcoiners on X:https://x.com/britcoinersFollow CoinCorner on X:https://x.com/coincorner#coincorner#britcoiners#bitcoin#bitcoinpodcast#bitcoinnews

A good honest conversation never hurt anyone!! Fols Forever, Mr Vans & Chrissy are back for another week of podding!! On the agenda……

In this episode of The Quantum Business Queen, we dive deep into the fascinating world of cryptocurrency and Bitcoin's meteoric rise. Host Sarah Tynan and her guest Joe Shew explore why Bitcoin remains a groundbreaking investment opportunity, even as it hits all-time highs. They also discuss the role of ETFs in opening the crypto market to institutional investors, the power of market cycles, and how strategic investing can lead to significant returns. Whether you're a seasoned crypto enthusiast or a curious beginner, this episode is your guide to navigating the crypto space with confidence and clarity. Key Takeaways: Why Bitcoin is Still a Great Investment: Learn how ETFs have unlocked institutional investment and why Bitcoin's market cap signals its potential to skyrocket. Understanding Supply and Demand in Crypto: Discover the power of halving cycles and how Bitcoin's limited supply drives its value higher. How to Balance Risk and Reward in Crypto Investments: Strategies for diversifying your portfolio between stable assets like Bitcoin and high-risk, high-reward altcoins. The Role of Mindset in Crypto Success: Why your financial psychology and strategy are key to long-term gains. Crypto Consulting Institute Joe is the CEO and Founder of Crypto Consulting Institute, Australia and New Zealand's No. 1 rated crypto education company on TrustPilot. Joe started his investing journey out at the age of 12, when he invested in his first stock on the London Stock Exchange. From there he followed his passion in finance and received a First Class with Honours Finance degree from a London University, whilst the Global Financial Crisis was happening. This was his first glimpse into how broken the traditional banking system is. From there Joe went on to work for multi-billion dollar New York Stock Exchange listed firm, Robert Half International (NYSE: RSI), where he accelerated through the ranks to become a Division Manager of the Finance team and one of the companies Top 10 Global Performers within just 3 years.With Joe's years of stock market experience and alternative thinking, he had quietly been getting educated in cryptocurrencies since early 2014 and was able to quit his day job, transitioning into his passion of investing and helping others grow and achieve financial freedom too… CCI is born.Over the past 8+ years, Joe and the CCI team, with a combined 64 years crypto experience, have helped thousands of day to day people transition from being ‘hope' to sophisticated investors with his proven 5 Pillar Investment System. In the process CCI has become the No. 1 rated crypto education business on TrustPilot and helped investors create over $56 million in profits to date and counting! To complement CCI, Joe founded CCI Capital at the start of 2023, a privately run multi-million dollar crypto investment fund.Joe has been featured on NASDAQ, Channel Ten, Channel Nine, Dollars With Sense TV, as well as speaking at a number of global events from Barclays Bank in London, Bitcoin and Blockchain Fair, alongside some of the biggest names in the space. He's been featured on a number of crypto documentaries, most notably The Bitcoin Field Guide alongside Bitboy.

In this powerful episode of Quantum Business Queen, Sarah Tynan dives deep with crypto expert Joe from the Crypto Consulting Institute. Joe has guided clients to record-breaking profits in the crypto space and is here to demystify the world of cryptocurrency for beginners and skeptics alike. From its origins to its future potential, Joe explains why crypto isn't just about financial gains—it's about reclaiming power and creating wealth aligned with purpose. Joe shares his personal journey into crypto, key insights into its evolution, and why he calls it “spiritual money.” He also explains how governments, major corporations, and even global leaders are leveraging Bitcoin as a strategic asset—and why it's not too late to start your journey. If you've ever felt overwhelmed or unsure about crypto, this episode will inspire you to take that first step with clarity and confidence. Key Takeaways: How Bitcoin Was Born Out of Crisis: Learn how the 2008 financial crash set the stage for the creation of Bitcoin as a decentralised, secure currency. What Makes Crypto “Spiritual Money”: Discover how cryptocurrency aligns with values of sovereignty, transparency, and empowerment. Why It's Not Too Late to Start Investing: Understand how countries and corporations are racing to accumulate Bitcoin—and why the opportunity is still massive. The Key to Crypto Success: Learn why mindset, emotional alignment, and understanding your relationship with money are essential for thriving in the crypto space. Crypto Consulting Institute Joe is the CEO and Founder of Crypto Consulting Institute, Australia and New Zealand's No. 1 rated crypto education company on TrustPilot. Joe started his investing journey out at the age of 12, when he invested in his first stock on the London Stock Exchange. From there he followed his passion in finance and received a First Class with Honours Finance degree from a London University, whilst the Global Financial Crisis was happening. This was his first glimpse into how broken the traditional banking system is. From there Joe went on to work for multi-billion dollar New York Stock Exchange listed firm, Robert Half International (NYSE: RSI), where he accelerated through the ranks to become a Division Manager of the Finance team and one of the companies Top 10 Global Performers within just 3 years.With Joe's years of stock market experience and alternative thinking, he had quietly been getting educated in cryptocurrencies since early 2014 and was able to quit his day job, transitioning into his passion of investing and helping others grow and achieve financial freedom too… CCI is born.Over the past 8+ years, Joe and the CCI team, with a combined 64 years crypto experience, have helped thousands of day to day people transition from being ‘hope' to sophisticated investors with his proven 5 Pillar Investment System. In the process CCI has become the No. 1 rated crypto education business on TrustPilot and helped investors create over $56 million in profits to date and counting! To complement CCI, Joe founded CCI Capital at the start of 2023, a privately run multi-million dollar crypto investment fund.Joe has been featured on NASDAQ, Channel Ten, Channel Nine, Dollars With Sense TV, as well as speaking at a number of global events from Barclays Bank in London, Bitcoin and Blockchain Fair, alongside some of the biggest names in the space. He's been featured on a number of crypto documentaries, most notably The Bitcoin Field Guide alongside Bitboy.

Federal Workforce Faces Extensive Remote Work Monitoring Under New Trump Administration Plan How will the 94% of federal employees who currently work remotely respond when they discover their every keystroke and login could soon be tracked? The answer may arrive sooner than expected, as Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy advance their proposal for comprehensive federal worker surveillance. The Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, stepped into the spotlight this week as its newly appointed leaders, Musk and Ramaswamy, presented their strategy to Republican lawmakers during multiple closed-door sessions on Capitol Hill. Their primary objective centers on achieving $2 trillion in federal budget reductions through what they term the elimination of government waste. Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa emerges as a central figure in this developing story, having released a detailed 60-page report examining the current state of government remote work. The report presents striking statistics, claiming that merely 6% of federal employees work full-time in physical office locations. Ernst, who chairs the Senate DOGE caucus, draws from her agricultural background to criticize the current remote work situation, stating, "Growing up on a farm, I know what working from home really means. But in Washington, working from home apparently means having a field day." The proposed REMOTE Act, sponsored by Ernst, introduces comprehensive monitoring software designed to track federal employees' computer activities. This technology would maintain detailed records of network traffic, login frequencies, online duration, and overall digital engagement patterns for remote workers. The legislation represents a direct response to concerns about remote worker productivity and accountability. Musk has amplified these concerns through his social media platform X, where he shared particularly stark assessments of the situation. "If you exclude security guards & maintenance personnel, the number of government workers who show up in person and do 40 hours of work a week is closer to 1%! Almost no one," Musk declared, responding to coverage of Ernst's report in the New York Post. The implementation of employee monitoring software mirrors existing practices in the private sector. Major corporations including J.P. Morgan, Barclays Bank, and UnitedHealth Group already employ similar technologies to monitor their remote workforce, tracking metrics down to individual keystrokes and email composition times. Musk brings substantial personal experience regarding remote work policies to his new advisory role. As CEO of Tesla, he previously mandated a minimum 40-hour in-office work week, informing employees that failure to comply would be interpreted as resignation. This hardline stance continued at X (formerly Twitter) after his acquisition, where he required personal approval for any flexible work arrangements. The Federal Office of Management and Budget presents contrasting data in their August 2024 report spanning nearly 3,000 pages. Their analysis indicates that approximately half of federal workers occupy fully in-person positions, such as healthcare providers and food safety inspectors. Among employees eligible for telework, 60% of their work occurs at assigned office locations. House Speaker Mike Johnson has voiced strong support for the DOGE initiatives, despite these conflicting statistics. Johnson continues to cite the disputed figure that only 1% of federal workers maintain daily in-person attendance, demonstrating alignment with Musk and Ramaswamy's perspective on federal workforce reform.

Today we take a deep dive into the Amsterdam Jew Hunt that went down last Thursday night and into the early morning hours of Friday. That it happened in Amsterdam should surprise no one. That there will almost certainly be copycat Jew hunts in Europe and elsewhere should also surprise no one. That young Muslim men and perhaps slightly older taxi drivers planned and coordinated this pogrom on various chat platforms should also not surprise anyone. Although it did seem to catch the Amsterdam police off guard—in spite of several advance warnings from Israeli securityservices. In this special podcast State of Tel Aviv speaks in depth with three very different people, each bringing profound insight and knowledge to this critical historical moment. Pieter Dorsman is a Dutch-Canadian businessman and blogger who has lived in Vancouver for decades now but grew up in the Netherlands. He happened to be visiting family near Rotterdam when this attack occurred. We start with him and then speak with David De Bruijn, Professor of Philosophy at Auburn University in Alabama. A native son of The Hague, De Bruijn pulls no punches when discussing the “polite” antisemitism among the more traditional Dutch—and the very explicit, vulgar form of Jew hatred that prevails among Muslims in the country, many of whom are second, third, or fourth generation. These violent antisemites are not “new immigrants” as much of the media has erroneously portrayed them. Lastly, we speak with Eitam Zach, a young Israeli man who has lived in the Netherlands for almost six years now and is very spooked by how life has changed since October 7. And by this latest madness. Throughout this podcast we get into European sport culture, how the Holocaust is ever-present in the minds of Dutch Jews, and how the restrained, “tolerant” Dutch people have managed and mismanaged the integration of so many Muslim immigrants over the decades. Amsterdam today. And tomorrow?State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Timestamps:Intro: 00:00 to 13:21 Interview with Pieter Dorsman: 13:21 to 1:01:00 Interview with Prof. David De Bruijn: 1:01:00 to 1:37:00Interview with Eitam Zach: 1:37:00 to 1:55:32Podcast Notes:* Pieter Dorsman is a Vancouver-based venture capital advisor and investor. Prior to relocating to Vancouver, he held a number of senior positions in the project and corporate finance divisions of UBS in Hong Kong. Pieter started his career at Barclays Bank in London. Born and raised in the Netherlands, Pieter graduated from the Erasmus Universiteit. Pieter writes about international politics and markets on his Substack.* In March, 2024, Pieter wrote about how pro-Hamas/Islamist culture was taking root in the Netherlands.* Last January he published a piece with the prescient title: “Antisemitism, Football and History.”* His most recent – “Amsterdam Cries” – is from Nov. 10.X: @PieterDorsmanLinkedIn: pdorsmanBlog: pieterdorsman.substack.com* Dr. David De Bruijn is a professor teaching philosophy at the University of Auburn, Alabama, in the United States of America. He tweets at @dmdebruijn.De Bruijn's article about the Amsterdam pogrom, published on Sunday, November 13, 2024 in The Free PressX: @dmdebruijn* Eitam Zach is a Tel Avivian living in Amsterdam. He has a BA in International Studies and an MSc in Political Communication. Passionate about people, politics, and whatever comes in between.X: @eitamzach Insta: @eitamzach* An interview with a Dutch Palestinian community leader, Wathek Alsadeh and an Egyptian television station is published here, with English subtitles. In this interview, Mr. Alsadeh alleges that the Jew Hunt was orchestrated by the Mossad in order to generate sympathy for Israel among Europeans.* Holocaust survivor gets Dutch train company to pay damages. This article reports on the lawsuit brought by Ajax Amsterdam's physiotherapist,. Salo Muller, against the Dutch rail company. Muller's parents were transported to concentration camps during WWII by the Nederlandse Spoorwegen train company, which both charged Dutch Jews for the journey and got paid by the Nazis; Muller decided to take on the company and force it to pay compensation to family of the victims it sent to their deaths. The case setttled in 2018. Muller passed away in 2023.* Just over a year ago I found myself writing a post reflecting on the explosion of antisemitic violence in the immediate aftermath of October 7. You can read it here.Remember the plane that landed in Dagestan (having arrived from Israel) and was met on the tarmac by local Muslim fanatics? They searched every crevice of the aircraft and inside the airport terminal. They were hunting Jews. That was several weeks after October 7, 2023.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

Jes Staley is under the microscope due to the lawsuit that is making its way through the courts that alleges he enabled Jeffrey Epstein while he was working at JP Morgan and even, according to one allegation, was present while Jeffrey Epstein abused girls.Now, Barclays, the financial institution that hired him after his work at JP morgan is coming under fire once again for their blase attitude when it comes to Jes Staley and his deep, long and strong friendship with Jeffrey Epstein as they once again put profits over people.(commercial at 7:49)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Barclays ‘should face questions over former chief and Epstein' (msn.com)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Send us a textIn this episode of Financial Planner Life, Chris Ball (CEO of Hoxton Wealth) steps in as host while Terry Smith, CEO of Fundsmith (and often referred to as the UK's answer to Warren Buffet), shares his fascinating journey from a career at Barclays Bank to becoming a widely known financial services disruptor! Starting in banking, he worked his way through various finance roles, gaining life-long insights into investments and markets. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to leave the banking sector, jumping into the world of brokerage despite the shock of his colleagues.Terry discusses his pivotal decision to publish the controversial paper "Accounting for Growth," which ultimately cost him his job and made him "unemployable" but opened the door to entrepreneurship. He reflects on the importance of integrity, emphasising the need for honesty in business, but also makes it clear that he is a capitalist who believes in creating both value and profit.Living in Mauritius and experiencing life as an expat, Terry shares personal stories from managing businesses, including the importance and  challenges of building trust with employees. He compares the leadership styles of running a business and managing investment portfolios, pointing out that most people in finance don't excel in both. Does Terry? Throughout the conversation, Terry offers valuable advice to aspiring fund managers, stressing the importance of patience, proper training, and sticking to a disciplined investment approach. He also shares his thoughts on top investment sectors, while reflecting on the moments that shaped his career and how starting Fundsmith brought him the most fulfilment.Begin your financial planning career journey todayWhether you are looking to become a paraplanner, administrator, mortgage and protection adviser or financial planner, the Financial Planner Life Academy is for you. With limited entry-level job roles, giving yourself the best financial planning career education, will not only kick start your financial planning journey with relevant qualifications and skills, but it'll also help you achieve success much faster.&nbsBe sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within Financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! If you're looking to start your career in Financial Planning, check out the Financial Planner Life Academy hereReach out to Sam@financialplannerlife.com in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or career development.

This week on the SNL Hall of Fame podcast we're joined by Mike Murray from the SNN to discuss the career and Hall of Fame candidacy of 4-time host Sir Charles Barkley. Transcript:Track 2:[0:40] Thank you so much, Doug DeNance. It is a thrill to be back here at the SNL Hall of Fame on the SNL Hall of Fame podcast. My name is JD and it is a absolute wreck outside. Let me fold up this umbrella. My feet are dirty. Follow my lead. I'm going to wipe them. You know what I'm saying? Let's go inside. But before we do, the SNL Hall of Fame podcast is a weekly affair where each Each episode, we take a deep dive into the career of a former cast member, host, musical guest, or writer, and add them to the ballot for your consideration. Once the nominees have been announced, we turn to you, the listener, to vote for the most deserving and help determine who will be enshrined for perpetuity in the hall. And that's how we play the game. It's just that simple. We have a Barnburner of a show this week, Thomas is going to be joined by stat guru from the SNN, Mike Murray, to discuss the career of four-time host Charles Barkley. This should be a good one, folks. But before we get into that conversation, why don't we visit our friend Matt Ardill in his trivia corner?Track 4:[2:02] Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I give you the Trivia Meister, Matt Ardell. Matt, how are you doing? I'm good, thanks, JD. And yourself? You know what? Any day that I get to sit here and listen to you tell me some of my favorite actor, actresses, or pop culture figures' height, then I am in a good place. Hey, it's the facts that everybody wants to know. That's right.Track 4:[2:27] Well, I've got a very tall tale for you today. Um charles sparkly uh six six uh february 20th 1963 is his birth date um he was born in leeds alabama and nicknamed sir charles the bread truck and round mound off of rebound uh he is was the first african-american born in a segregated hospital in his all-white town and one of the the first group of black kids to attend his elementary school um in high school he actually didn't make the varsity basketball team at first yeah out of here no yeah it's true he was named uh as a reserve um but he grew from five foot ten to six foot four over the summer And then he was put in a starting position the next year And he averaged 19 points and 17 rebounds per game in high school.Track 4:[3:33] He then went on to play for the Auburn Tigers in college, where he would become known for his talent of blocking shots and then dunking, often getting possession of the ball and running the full length of the court to dunk instead of pass.Track 4:[3:50] Drafted to the NBA during his final year of college, he dropped out of school to join the 76ers and was best friends with Michael Jordan. They were born three days apart with and he is also friends with Magic Johnson, who, when Magic had to retire due to his HIV diagnosis, Charles changed his number from his college number of 34 to Johnson's 32 to pay tribute to him during his last year in the NBA. He is actually the shortest player in nba history to lead the league rebounding from 86 to 87 as well as being a basketball player and tnt sports commentator he is an actor with 30 film credits produced three and was one of the writers for inside the nba he has been on shows including including the Goldberg, Modern Family, and The Simpsons, and even the Clerks TV show appearing in an animated form as himself.Track 4:[4:56] Huh. Very cool. You know, I never watched the Clerks cartoon. It's very Clerks-y. Yeah, yes. It's definitely got that Kevin Smith vibe. Well, this is very Barkley of you. So, nicely done. let's go downstairs with thomas and mike murray as they discuss more about our nominee this week charles barkley, All right.Track 3:[5:52] Matt and JD, thank you so much and welcome to another discussion about a great nominee here at the SNL Hall of Fame. A fun one, an interesting one, I would say an unorthodox nominee for the SNL Hall of Fame. Of course, we were talking about the one and only Sir Charles, Charles Barkley, today for the host category. And with me, a repeat guest, I had to bring him back, Mike Murray from the Saturday Night Network, a stats guru for Saturday Night Live. Not just a stats guru, like, I don't wanna pigeonhole Mike as just a stats guy, Because, Mike, your knowledge of SNL goes beyond stats. I think you need to get more credit. You have insights that a lot of people don't have. So it's not just in the lab and the numbers, that's a lot of it. But you have genuine, awesome knowledge and insights about the show. So I'm so happy to have you back here on the SNL Hall of Fame. Thanks, Thomas. I mean, great intro right there. What do I say?Track 3:[6:54] I'm happy to be on this show with you. I think you're one of the best SNL podcast hosts out there. So for me to be with you talking shop about basketball about snl what could be better than this so thanks for having me back yeah absolutely i hope brad and gary from the not ready for prime primetime podcast heard you just say that so we need to cut them down the pegs no they're great too my first appearance on snl hall of fame was with uh brad yeah they're no they're they're fun guys i actually got to meet them uh in person this past weekend in philadelphia oh so yeah so But I appreciate that, man. It's so good to have you back. Before we get started, we like to do the plugs up top. Why don't you tell people what you're up to this season on the Saturday Night Network? Well, big one coming up, Season 5-0. So, late September, we're going to have a new season of the show. So, that means the SNN, the Saturday Night Network, will be back in full force. So, we do three shows a week. We do a hot take show at 1 a.m. Following the broadcast. We do a Monday roundtable, and on Wednesday nights, that's my show. It's the stat show. It's called By the Numbers.Track 3:[8:06] And if you've ever been interested in the analytics side of SNL, which is a hard pitch at times, but people gravitate towards it, and it was just something that I started doing, just kind of making my own sports world about my favorite show, because my number one love in life is sports and I'm always on the reference sites and like to do comparisons and I figured why not do that for the institution that is SNL so I started doing appearances and then I started doing screen time I made an algorithm to get an output number for each person who appears on the show called the power ranking and so we covered those three numbers every week on the show and And just kind of get into like a sports radio talk show about SNL every week. So following a new episode every Wednesday, 8 p.m. Eastern, you can hear that show on the SNN. That's awesome. And the thing with analytics on your show is it leads to discussions. So it leads to insights about that week's episode or the season as a whole. So you get really just neat discussions like sports radio and I'm the same way like I always watched SNL like it was sports I'm really into like the stats part of it I was perusing like.Track 3:[9:30] Pro football reference basketball reference and baseball reference just today for one reason or another so i'm always on those sites yeah that's a normal day for me as well yeah absolutely i subscribe monthly to basketball reference so i don't get the ads so i do the football yeah.Track 3:[9:45] That's awesome so those are great sites i've been working on a uh entire history of nfl game log yeah last year i have excel spreadsheets that people would just that would blow their mind about how much of a sports nerd that i am so so we're on the we're on the same wavelength mike yeah that's why we get along so well and for sure i'm glad you mentioned that because i do even as a kid thought snl was like a sport because it's live so you know i've said before that yeah it is cool to know how much screen time like chewbacca got and star wars but like it's edited like this is live things are being cut at dress things are being cut for time live during the the show so if you don't make it on that night like that's a zero but like if you you know what if all three of your showcases make it like wouldn't you want to look back i mean this is the snl hall of fame and say those are your hall of fame episodes just like games or seasons yeah precisely and we didn't do this on purpose by the way but this is the most seamless uh.Track 3:[10:46] Segue i think that i've had in a long time uh comparing snl to sports because today's nominee charles barkley of course uh former nba player uh current well i guess that's maybe a little up in the air but he was on inside the nba for uh 24 years um but i guess now that's that's we'll see what happens heading into next season um but charles barkley known as one of the great characters in nba history even while he was still playing he was known as kind of an off the wall character um he's pretty Pretty short for his position.Track 3:[11:21] They called him the round mound of rebound. Played an aggressive style, outspoken guy.Track 3:[11:27] So people knew all about Charles Barkley. So I'm wondering, Mike, when did you take notice of Charles Barkley? And what's your basketball fandom like? Well, for me, I'm a big basketball fan, huge Celtics fan. So just got banner 18. So I have to shout that out. I think this team is going to be good for a while. But I am a Boston sports fan. so I know that things come and thank you very much and I know that these things come and they don't always work out. I have had a lot of heartbreak and a lot of triumph so very happy with the team right now but as far as Mr. Chuck there, I would say late 96 Space Jam, that was when I knew those players on the team I had all the Space Jam figurines as a kid including Charles Barkley. And so I was a little young to watch him play for the Sixers, but knew who he was. And then...Track 3:[12:27] Seeing his like post post playing career persona i wanted to start this episode with you right now by saying like is charles brockley like the funniest athlete because i was thinking about this right right before the show so i'll give you a minute to think about it but a lot of athletes have a lot of charisma like they're big they're they're like larger than life people and they have a lot of bravado and so like they have funny personalities or they say things post game that are quotable but i think charles barkley is like naturally a funny dude yeah he is do you have any nominees who would who would be at his level or or funnier than him i think ricky henderson is is one was one of the funnier athletes maybe a little before some of our listeners times but But Ricky played from like 1979 to like 2003 or something. So he's been, but he was funny with the Red Sox cup of coffee with like almost every team. It seemed like, um, but Ricky was very funny. He would speak, he would call himself Ricky. So he would say, Ricky did this or Ricky did that or whatever. Like, so, but I don't know. I think Chuck's is more intentional. John Sally. If you remember John Sally, he was an actual standup comedian. Um, one other recent person I'll throw into the mix, honestly, is Blake Griffin.Track 3:[13:46] Blake Griffin's one of the funnier athletes. Chuck and Blake Griffin are probably the two funniest athletes that I've seen in my opinion. And Blake Griffin's appearance on SNL two seasons ago in the Kim K show. Yeah, exactly. I'm halfway surprised he never hosted, but I don't know. He took classes at the Groundlings and stuff, so Blake was real serious about it. Yeah, but Chuck's just naturally funny. It seems like he doesn't even have to try. like you think like that's part of what draws people to him as an snl host is just sort of like some sort of natural humor like what is it that's made him such like a beloved figure in our community well i think it's kind of what i said is that there there might be a divide sometimes between the sports world and the theater slash comedy world and so when you see somebody who's willing to play for the other team which is maybe the team that we're on on this podcast of being comedy commentators slash analysts, and to see somebody come over to that side, and the fact that he's come back. I mean, we're going to talk about his shows, but he's hosted four times now.Track 3:[14:51] Which is i i would consider a record for an athlete unless you count the rock as an athlete which i feel like he already is more of an actor coming from wwf first appearance like i count as an athlete appearance yeah but he was promoting his wrestling it was like he was like almost there as the rock and gimmick so i can maybe count that yeah so i mean he the rock is a five-timer but uh chuck is right behind at four and so to answer your question i feel like people are so you can say this about sports politics comedy anything like that people are always embracing somebody who's embracing them so i think that charles barkley the willingness to come back i mean he was coming off an n uh nba mvp season right so he was the reigning mvp i mean michael Jordan hosted in I think 91 and then he went on to be MVP but Charles Barkley reigning MVP we saw like uh Tom Brady and Eli Manning like they came off a Super Bowl win um Travis Kelsey more recently but so Barkley was the reigning MVP came in you know it's we're gonna talk about the show do that that show so we'll get into in a second but coming back three more times and just you He's not a trained comedian, but having a blast. I feel like the cast always liked working with him. We'll talk about some of the sketches that he appeared in that they wrote for him.Track 3:[16:17] He was just so game. I think people in the SNL community and comedy just are down for somebody to hop over the fence.Track 3:[16:25] That's such a good point. Somebody from another world really embracing our world of SNL. That's a really good point. That's a really quick way to endear yourself to our community as a quote-unquote outsider.Track 3:[16:39] So yeah, no, I think that's such a good point. I always get stuck too on just the concept of athletes in general as hosts and how people feel about that. So you as a huge SNL fan, what do you think about athletes in general as hosts of the show? Honestly, I love it. Not because I'm a sports fan. And that does help because usually I know the person before they host, whereas maybe people were watching one night and JJ Watt was on the screen and they were saying, who the hell is this guy? So that helps that I know the people, but...Track 3:[17:11] I think one of the best things about SNL, and you can quote me on this, is having not just comedians host the show. I think that it would be a great show if every week it was a hot stand-up or someone promoting a comedy movie that's coming out. But having other areas of entertainment come in is the beauty of the show. So we don't get it every season. We don't, of course, get it multiple times a year but when we see somebody like that come in it just brings us a certain energy it might not make for the funniest show or the most memorable sketch that's okay with me though it's a fun ride and it's something new and different and that's all i want from snl no matter what yeah i think i tend to get surprised in some ways i'm always skeptical going in they announced an athlete and i think in my mind i'm going to watch the episode and.Track 3:[18:08] And suffer from like i'll be embarrassed for them and i hate feeling that way i hate seeing somebody on screen and i'm like feeling embarrassed for them so i in my mind i'm automatically like gloom and doom like oh no how is this gonna go travis kelsey's hosting how's this gonna go but i always tend to be pleasantly surprised i think like remember there's a low bar but it's always like some sort of a different energy i think when athletes host totally and i love low bar snl i won't lie like a lot of times i go in to a titan of the show and i get let down a little bit so when someone comes in that i've literally like an actor or actress i've never heard of and they impress me like that's great and same with athletes yeah so we've had athletes from all major sports that that i can remember even hockey we've had one hockey player that i I remember. Only one, right? Yeah. Only one hockey player. The great one, yeah. Yeah, the great one hosted, Wayne Gretzky. So yeah, so we've been, I think it's pretty cool, the times that we do see a pro athlete host. We're in for a wild ride. And we just had an Olympics on NBC.Track 3:[19:17] So, Simone Biles. Maybe Simone, exactly. Come on down. Victory lap. Following Michael Phelps' footsteps as an Olympian. Nancy Kerrigan. Nancy Kerrigan, yeah. Yeah, so do I do remember maybe both of those episodes were a little rough? Michael Phelps, I think, is pretty good. Was it good? Okay, I haven't watched him in a long time. Michael Phelps, Space Olympics alone can get that up to a C. Okay, I think I need to go back and re-watch. Maybe I'll re-watch Phelps' episode if Simone Biles ends up hosting.Track 3:[19:50] Yeah, good call. I'll be proved wrong. So, as far as Charles Barkley, a little bit of sports nerd background before he hosted his first episode. Um he hosted in september of 93 it was the season premiere so if you're a basketball player you're gonna host probably in the first two or three episodes because the way the season works if you're not hosting one of those first three episodes you're just not hosting that season so every basketball player that we've seen they'll get like the season premiere early on unless they're retired or something like that so he hosted in september of 93 by that point as you you mentioned like charles was probably considered the second best player in the league behind michael jordan won that mvp in 93 led the suns to the nba finals the summer prior the leading scorer on the dream team it wasn't michael jordan it's charles barkley that was the leading score and arguably the the dominant personality on that dream team so like couple all.Track 3:[20:48] Of that with his personality i think it did make sense for him to host snl in 93 so again uh season 19 episode one notable because of musical guest nirvana uh appeared then that was their second time on the show um right away mike like really memorable monologue and a really memorable in my opinion snl moment from a lot of people's childhoods uh in that monologue with a certain like children's character yeah i mean first of all i watched the show last night the 93 is first show and how young he sounds because keenan thompson has now done an impression of charles brockley 22 times.Track 3:[21:31] On snl and so you know you're used to that cadence of the impression from keenan and of course if you watch inside the nba and you know charles brockley well you can do an impression yourself kind of like a christopher walken type of person everybody can do with charles brockley and say you know that's terrible whatever um he sounds so young and he doesn't really get too much live screen time because the monologue is dedicated to a pre-taped segment of him playing one-on-one with barney the.Track 3:[22:00] Purple dinosaur yeah yeah and he's like elbowing barney uh in the face and dunking on him and uh doing all that stuff and i think it was a play so i think around this time barkley had some ads where he said i am not a role model so that was a being he's like i'm not a role model parents are role models so he had this whole thing of like you need to be role models to your kids because i'm not so maybe it was kind of a play off of that like another i guess barney's considered like maybe with kids role model i'm gonna push barney around and elbow him in the head and all of that so that was yeah really memorable you're right though chuck um didn't really get a they didn't give him a lot to do in the monologue which is probably smart they don't know they you know i think jordan was a little rough maybe like he had a good episode but then jordan as a host was a little stiff so maybe that the expectations they don't want to give the athlete a ton in the monologue i'm guessing yeah for sure and overall that night he appeared in seven out of the 14 segments not including the musical performance intros um and i will say i think the best part of the show was nirvana so i was gonna shout out the first time i listened to snl hall of fame thomas senna the man himself was the guest talking about nirvana so had to shout that out. So yeah, Nirvana was really memorable in this episode. Is there something, a sketch or anything?Track 3:[23:28] Sticks out as far as charles barkley and his first time here on the show goes, definitely the one that seemed like they could use him and you know we'll talk about his later shows where they put him front and center but the first episode which like i mentioned there are like a handful of segments you know have to show of course including cold open and we can update that he did not appear and was the steward smalley daily affirmations because they just kind of let him be himself, even though they did call him Charles B., who plays for the Phoenix S's. So that got a laugh out of me. And Muggsy Bogues comes on, and he joins the sketch. And it's a classic Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley sketch, but it seemed like he was comfortable with that. So I guess since you're the best basketball player in the world, then I guess I guess you've won a lot of championships. Well, actually I never won the championship.Track 3:[24:36] And Charles, how do you feel about not having won, you know, a championship? Fine, it's no big deal.Track 3:[24:48] But they did right after that or a couple sketches later do the uh big and tall black store, and you know charles brockley was like you know front to you know straight to camera mugsy also appears in that one so i'll shout those ones out as like a a soft launch of charles brockley's comedic career yeah i definitely think that daily affirmation stood out to me as well i jordan had done a daily affirmation with store smallie and his hosting gig two years prior. So it was really funny. It was almost a callback to Jordan without saying his name because Charles said that he referred to himself as the best basketball player in the world. And then I love Stewart's response. He's like, well, if you're the best basketball player in the world, then I guess you've won a lot of championships. And so that's like Charles laughing at himself. As we saw post-career, him and Shaq, they're always kind of giving Charles grief for never winning a title. So I think that showed that Charles can laugh at himself when Muggsy was sharing his feelings to Charles. You could tell Charles was having fun with it and it's kind of starting to break a little bit. So I definitely dug that daily affirmation with Stuart Smalley. Charles Barkley's big, tall, and black men's stores. I like that they just gave Charles something to do like straight to camera, like something solo, just to like give him his kind of showcase like it's just Charles. When you're Charles Barkley, shopping for clothes is never easy. Too small?Track 3:[26:15] Too short? Not black enough. That's why I started my chain, Charles Barkley Big, Tall, and Black Men Stories. You see, ordinary black men have been able to always dress in style. Now big and tall and black men can too. Kind of a fun concept. He's not taking himself too seriously. So those are really two good pulls as far as showcasing his personality goes. Yeah, for sure. Those are the two that stood out for me. He did do the donkey basketball camp at the end of the show, which was funny if for no other reason that we have Charles Barkley, 6'6", on a donkey. I think they didn't make the donkey hold the entire weight of the round amount of rebound. I was sitting there wondering, too. I'm like, is that donkey okay?Track 3:[27:11] But the donkey does lose it a little bit. It's a classic SNL live animal moment where everyone in the house and on set is laughing. That was a good way to end that show. Is it Tim Meadows' donkey that just starts walking away? Way yeah i think yeah there's like i think four donkeys on set yeah yeah and i think uh it's probably an old comedy rule that just like a group of people sitting on donkeys is just a funny visual they recreated it there was the political sitting on my donkey political talk show that they did uh in the late 90s that that was really funny and i think just that visual of people sitting on donkeys like time-tested classic and i'm a huge fan of donkeys i think that they're very underrated, underrated animal in general yeah that's a hot take here donkeys are underrated i like it yeah i would love to have a pet donkey i mean he'd probably live in the house yeah they don't name enough sports teams after donkeys as well also true maybe hot take as well uh yeah so i think that this this first one was just kind of testing charles's comfort level um like i said giving they They gave him like one straight to camera. He was in a gap sketch. So he's in like a recurring along with Stuart Smalley, another recurring character.Track 3:[28:30] So like a decent, like kind of endearing for a current NBA player to be doing something like that. And very similar to what you mentioned about The Rock's first show. Just kind of testing the waters. And also because like, yeah, the gap sketch. And we also got to keep in mind, this is season 19. So this is that fourth season with the Farley, Spade, Sandler, Meadows, Schneider, that group. So the viewers at home are kind of expecting these sketches, and they're fitting in Charles Broccoli to them. So with the Gap sketch, he comes in at the very end, it's fantastic.Track 3:[29:09] He comes in and drag and it's like a punchline. And then Rob Schneider, out of Africa, you can put your weed in this. He comes in at the end as the police officer. So it's kind of just like, okay, the sketch could have been for anybody. Let's put Chuck in at the end. And that's okay with me because much like the Rock show, it was like a WWF promo show. So this was kind of just, let's have some fun with Charles Broccoli on set. It's always funny to see somebody who's much taller or much different than the cast so that's fine with me yeah he was around he was 30 years old he was still in the league for seven more years yeah good shape he was in good shape by the way like you know i think that that was his most slim as an nba player too because he was maybe a little chubby in philadelphia sometimes but like 93 charles barkley like in skinny guy in good shape so it was back in the time too like the The conventional thinking, it seemed, especially on SNL, was if you're a big macho guy, you're going to win people over if you dress in drag. That was the whole thing. If we got an action star, an athlete, we put them in a dress or something like that, and it's going to get laughed. So I think they leaned into that a lot around that time period, especially. Yeah, and that was for sure popular at that era.Track 3:[30:31] Look at the Gap sketch. It's Sandler, it's Spade. They did that a few times. That was the fourth time they did that. So they had already been doing those characters. So to have, you know, okay, let's bring in the big NBA player to join them. It's, you know, low-hanging fruit for the show at that point. September of 93, first hosting gig. Pretty fun. It took a while for them to bring him back. He retired from basketball in the year 2000, but it took another 10 years almost for Chuck to come back. So it was season 35 episode 11 january of 2010 and again like some some more nba themed stuff he's involved in uh recurring sketches of the time so he's playing with this cast of 2010 and kind of getting involved in in their sketches and their nonsense and this this one might have like maybe in my opinion maybe his best performance in a sketch out of his four times um just a little teaser, but is anything in his second hosting appearance that kind of sticks out to you? Well, this one, notable now, you know, he's 46 years old, the episode was delayed, 35 minutes because of the Cowboys-Eagles.Track 3:[31:50] NFC wildcard game, Cowboys won, and they referenced that in the monologue because they're delayed. Now it's not Saturday Night Live, it's early Sunday morning live at this point.Track 3:[32:02] And it was funny, he did, I will point out, I have to point this out, he did cite some SNL stats in the monologue. He made fun of the show because they had had almost no black hosts for a long stretch.Track 3:[32:15] And he does call out Dwayne Johnson as being partially black to count him in those stats. So whenever I hear a host do some stats, I have to mention that. But for that, he gets to be in a whole new playground. Ground and now we're in 2010 so we're in this maybe third golden age um of snl with sudeikis wig sandberg you know it's near the end of that era probably because you know they came in 0506 but he gets to be in a mcgruber so he gets a three-part run pre-tape and i'll just start with that because or durell yeah durell it's daryl so i'll start with that because it's it's fun to have um you know we had betty white come after this show and she did a mcgruber as well and another sketch we'll talk about i'm sure but that was uh i'll start with that one i mean the mcgruber is racist as a concept was just funny anyway but to have charles barkley there made it way funnier in my opinion okay don't worry gang and when i say gang i'm not insinuating that anyone here is a crip or a blood or in any other black gang or white gang whites could have gangs too right durell it's daryl shown up but look if there's one thing i've learned from the sensitivity training classes that i was forced to go to is that regardless of the color of our skin we can all work together 10 seconds mcgruber okay uh biggie hammer that screw you got it mcgruber Okay, Durrell, respectfully.Track 3:[33:45] Hand me that pen. Which pen? That one, right there.Track 3:[33:48] I can't tell which one you're pointing at. Be more specific. That one, the African-American pen. What? Sorry, the Negro pen? The Negro-American pen? Just call it a black pen. Oh, so now... Just seeing the steps by the end, MacGruber had gone to some sort of counseling or racial sensitivity training.Track 3:[34:07] And he's just, like, he pretends to be Zen, But then at the end, the racist nature of MacGruber just comes out again. But Charles is just like, you could tell. I think this is a good reason why he's so endearing is because watching him in this sketch, it seems like he gets the humor. He gets why this is funny. He gets the show. Part of him understands what's happening in the MacGruber sketch and why it's funny. So I can kind of get the sense that Charles has a good sense of humor and knows why this is funny. Totally. and to go off a point you mentioned earlier about why he's a funny athlete is the self-deprecation because mm-hmm.Track 3:[34:46] I can remember back then when the first video came out of his golf swing. And if you've never seen that video, it's basically, you know, like a lot of ex-athletes who get into golf and he was one of them. And his golf swing is basically him doing a backswing, coming up, pausing, and then hitting the ball. And that was shared all over the internet. You know, we're going back, this is even pre-2010, but he did do a sketch with doing that. And i think this is maybe thomas you're going to mention the sketch but his his like physical comedy that he does it the concept of the sketch is him doing other activities in the same manner of going like going in pausing and then going way too hard so i i have in my notes him putting the magnet on the fridge was my favorite moment of the show no that you know that was outstanding and he's just so good. He's really good at knowing his brand or knowing why people like him and why people think he's funny. And part of it is he knows he has a jacked up golf swing. So he leans into it.Track 3:[35:53] Might as well, right? Let's lean into it, make fun of myself. And yeah, the Haney Project, that's what that sketch was called. Like, yeah, yeah, it's just total self-deprecation. But he's like, you know, we're all laughing together. Like, we're not laughing at Charles. And like, he's laughing with us. And he really did that. He really got the swing coach. Yeah, he really did. Yeah, I've seen him swing a golf club in person right before my eyes. And it was jarring. I knew I had seen video of it, but we went to a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe every summer. So we went in 2010, maybe a few months after this episode, and we saw Charles at one of the holes. And I took video of it, and it was just a sight to behold. So it is even more jarring in person to see that swing, man. That's a great two truths and a lie or icebreaker is that I saw Charles Broccoli's golf swing in the flesh. And it scarred me for life. But yeah, Charles makes fun of it. He made fun of himself too in a sketch, the very last one, Barclays Bank. So he kind of made fun of his gambling proclivities in that one, which is a really great premise, Mike. Barclays Bank. For over 300 years, Barclays has offered products and services tailored to meet the specific needs of its customers worldwide with investment strategies that span the financial spectrum.Track 3:[37:21] Boring. Hi, I'm Charles Barkley. If you're looking for a new way to manage your money, perhaps you should try Barkley's Bank. At Barkley's Bank, it's simple. You give me your money, I promise you two things. I'm either going to double it or I'll lose it all. And that's a promise. Yep, that was the other one I wanted to mention because of this quote alone. Give me your money, I promise you two things. I'm either going to double it or lose it all. that's a promise and then he only asked what two questions to them.Track 3:[37:54] Yeah uh what's your favorite color right and then okay i think they said you know blue or something and then they said uh what what about between red and black just between red and black yeah so yeah he he did take outside things that if if you've never heard of charles barkley they're funny but if you if you're familiar with what makes him funny even at his own expense he leaned into it so i think the second show is what makes him a returning host for three and four but also just solidifies him as like this guy can do this he would have been just a one-time host that we would remember like oh yeah i remember when charles barkley hosted in 93 but but his run on tnt and just him building up.Track 3:[38:40] His brand and everything and i think yeah you're right the second hosting gig was like okay i think we have a mainstay because this guy just kind of like gets it he's like down to clown and and that's what a lot of this show is about but my honestly like low-key my favorite barkley sketch i think he's the best in in the first sketch of the night it's an old it's a game show sketch called real quotes the next famous line is from the film a few good men it's famously delivered by jack nicholson and the line is you can't handle my privates incorrect be that as it may you cannot handle them so keep your hand to yourself no one was asking you can never be too safe reg it's an old snl trope of a game show with bad contestants they're asking them to like finish movie quotes and they're giving the the wrong quotes of course and they're frustrating bill haters the as the game show host but Charles has like, Pretty good comedic delivery in this one probably his best delivery out of the four episodes that he's hosted like this was a, Kind of impressive by Chuck. I liked his sketch and I liked his performance.Track 3:[39:52] I literally had that, Thomas, in my notes. Chuck's line delivery kills, I think, the best timing he's shown on the show. Yeah. No, it's really great. Who was the other contestant? I forget. Was it Kristen? It was Wig, yeah. Yeah, yeah. It was just the two of them. Just the two of them and then Bill as, of course, the game show. Yeah, Bill Hader, Kristen Wig, and Chuck. Yeah, Chuck played really well off of Bill and Kristen. That was impressive. When I doubted Chuck's like performances and sketches, his sketch comedy ability, which I mean, let's be honest, he's not as far as hosts go and like hosts that we especially we've talked about on this show. He's not the classic going to knock it out of the park with my performance in a sketch. But this one really impressed me. So I'm glad you highlighted it, too. Yeah, for sure. Sure. I mean, I have one more, and I just feel like it's worth mentioning because of this sketch's area in the SNL universe, which is Scared Straight. And I just wanted to show the list of people that he's come after and before, which are the prisoners that play alongside Kenan's character. We all know the sketch. We have the three youths there being scared straight by Jason Sudeikis' police officer. They bring Kenan in to scare them and make the raunchiest jokes of the night.Track 3:[41:14] And it was Tracy Morgan, Taylor Swift, Betty White, Zach Galifianakis, and Lindsay Lohan. So I mentioned Betty White did a MacGruber this season as well. So Charles Barkley, and this is maybe not a highlight for Chuck, but he's having a blast. and it's a sketch notorious for breaking, so you can't blame the guy, but I have to highlight that one. All right, now, my name is Lorenzo McIntosh. And I'm his dad, Marvin. But you can call us the Ken Griffiths because whether you get junior or senior, we gonna knock your ass out the park. That's right. Now, what are they in here for? You know what? Let me guess. Cannibalism. Good guess, son. What are you kidding? That's a horrible guess. No, we caught these kids hanging around the abandoned rail yard. Trespassing, huh?Track 3:[42:03] That's where it starts next thing you know it's rabies show me a pop rabies he's following taylor swift and cornrows that legacy you know that's that's a hell of a legacy to live up to yeah charles is up for the challenge uh so probably a very loose episode a very fun loose episode um again theme nobody's gonna accuse chuck of being like this amazing sketch performer this amazing app, but he has this like charisma about him. People want him back, and they got him back two seasons later. It didn't take 16 years. It only took two years to bring him back. Season 37, episode 11, January of 2012. As soon as he appeared on screen, I was like, has he lost weight? He looks a little more slim, but then that's what his monologue was about. So it wasn't just in my imagination. Yeah, he said he lost 38 pounds.Track 3:[43:01] Yeah, he was glued to the cue cards, though. That was one of my big observations. Like, oh man, Chuck, this is your third time and you're like really glued to those cue cards still. And the button on the monologue didn't hit with the audience. Yeah. He makes a joke to the audience that they all look like turkey legs to him. Like he wants to eat the audience because he's been so hungry on his weight loss journey. The point is Weight Watchers work for me. I feel great. except for one thing. I am so hungry. I am starving.Track 3:[43:36] So please forgive me if I eat one of you tonight. Y'all all look like turkey legs to me, especially you. But we have a great show for you tonight. A turkey leg named Kelly Clarkson is here. I'm going to cover her in butter and gobble her up. So stick around. We'll be right back.Track 3:[43:56] But yeah, he's lovable. That's part of his charm is he could just make a make a totally dead joke and and we'll hear crickets but uh so the first sketch kind of funny like i always kind of like when uh when the host is being impersonated in a sketch that they're doing so charles playing shack keenan playing charles barkley how many times did you say keenan impersonates 22 22 times wow and once in front of chuck maybe it was yeah or no twice did he because in one of his monologues i think he asked keenan to do his impersonation yeah he does as as himself as keenan pops out in that show okay or the other show yeah so so do you think like um starting with the sports sketch because i always wonder like non-sports fans like what they think are they going to get some of these references or anything so inside they do an inside the nba sketch like him like again truck playing shack and keenan playing charles like how do you think something like that goes over with kind of the general snl crowd I always think that's risk-reward, and you can't please everybody. They'll have younger actors, actresses, parody their own shows come in that I haven't seen the show, but...Track 3:[45:09] Jokes per page. If it works, it works. But it also would be an entirely missed opportunity if you didn't try to exploit that audience because you're hoping that they joined the audience just for tonight and hopefully they'll stay for next week. So he did it inside the NBA in the second episode we didn't mention but with Andy Sandberg playing a make-a-wish kid as a commentator. So this third one is an actual true inside the NBA because it's the panel. Now, Elyse, get your predictions for the late game. I have a prediction. I'm the great Chakradummas. Who's giving them all these props? I will predict that Charles Barkley's going to be fat again. He'll be so fat, he'll star in Fat Free Willy 2.Track 3:[45:58] First of all, dummy, there was already a Free Willy 2. But I'd rather be in Free Willy 2 than Kazam 1. What you know yeah we have keenan playing charles brockley and him being shack which.Track 3:[46:14] His like hair and makeup were just hilarious yeah it kind of didn't look like shack it didn't look like shack at all he was totally game to make go on and make fun of shack yeah on snl yeah i bet i bet they they showed the clip on inside the nba after that and they all had a laugh but uh yeah Yeah, I like seeing them start with something like that.Track 3:[46:36] Definitely, yeah. I mean, this is when you see somebody who's known to the audience for one thing, you want to give them that one thing. So no problems with me and as somebody who watches inside the NBA and knows that panel, that show itself is funny. So you just watch it, you'll get laughs. Of course, it's funnier if you're an NBA follower, but like those guys on that stage are funny so it's not like taking a political sketch that's not funny and trying to punch it up like those people are funny so if you haven't seen it then they are referencing comedy outside the show uh is there another segment or sketch that really like was a highlight for you in this episode yeah there were there were probably two other ones and i wanted to highlight the joanne's coming out sketch because we mentioned the 90s trope of with men in drag. Then we had a big era with Kate Adi-Cecilie of women in drag, especially in politics, playing Republican politicians and stuff. But this is a case where Charles Broccoli played small and it really worked because the timing with the other cast members was really, really good. And the sketch never really escalated.Track 3:[47:53] Which normally is not a great thing, but the fact that Charles Barkley, who's a big, large man, as a woman, announcing to the friend group that she's a lesbian, you'd think that it would have been more exploited and kind of like, ha-ha about that, but it was played pretty serious, and there was a moment with Vanessa Bayer. But what about that time we took that outdoor shower together? You never once looked down. I'm not attracted to you.Track 3:[48:25] Really? Is there something I need to fix? Yes. And there's no other line after that. They move the scene along. So just, yes. So I think a moment like that, we're going to talk about, is he Hall of Fame worthy?Track 3:[48:41] There are moments in his career at SNL that I like to highlight as this guy can do it. And that's a moment because he could have broke. They could have added a keenan crutch line after that to highlight the humor but they didn't they let charles brockley just go yes very very subtle very low key very good delivery and does uh was it paul britain who who you got the kind of like the the good funny visual of like paul britain's shortened stature standing next to chuck and and so there's like some good visuals yep he was the boyfriend of joanne yeah yeah yeah so yeah joanne's announcement uh i that one stood out to me but i have a feeling you're about to say um my favorite from the night but i don't know we'll see if we're on the same wavelength here well also fred armisen that sketches says you're gonna be a great lesbian very heartfelt yeah it just totally matter of fact not played for or anything else besides just that, you're going to be a great lesbian, is I would say... We're talking about Paul Britton. Are you teeing me up here? Yep. Okay, all right. Lord Windermere, which is one of four Paul Britton recurring sketches...Track 3:[50:00] And this like hit for me more now, especially knowing the history of the cup of coffee that Paul Britton had on the show who left to me, you know, mid season. That's a character that I don't think is, has that been covered on a podcast? No, there would be no reason. We certainly haven't covered Paul Britton here. Like, like Paul Britton, someone who's like just kind of slipped through the cracks of SNL history. Honestly, totally. Totally. You want to tell the folks at home what Lord Windermere is? Who he is? The premise of the sketch is Jason Sudeikis plays this guy who's hosting his friends to watch the football game. And his daughter's boyfriend is coming by. And he's this aristocratic, dainty, dressed in... What would you describe it?Track 3:[50:57] It's all very Baroque. Baroque. you have like uh bill hater as his footman playing a tiny harpsichord yeah yeah like very jaunting around the maypole you know feather in the cap knickers on yes yes yes exactly so he's this just like goofy character uh he he wants everybody to call him lord windermere i think his name's something else uh they call him a different name but he wants to be called lord windermere and he um he demands sweets that's his favorite thing he he's always wanting sweets he likes tickle fights uh so he's just like a little odd character created by paul britain did he only do it twice yeah that was it yeah and i remember both of them clearly like lord windermere is something that like was etched into etched into my mind and this was a really great When I love Charles, because everybody in the room was just kind of put off by Lord Windermere. They didn't know what to think, and I thought it was a little weird. But Charles immediately buys in and was taken with Lord Windermere. So I love that, and I love how Charles played it. I know a riddle, but I shan't tell us all unless you can pinch my bottom. But you'll have to catch me first. I'm on it. Get that button over here. Bring that little... How about you hear that riddle? For the love of God, Garrett, piss that bottle. I'm crying.Track 3:[52:19] Oh, man, this is the best night of my life. I love the little Lord. He's just a regular Joe. A regular Joe? And that's also the nature of that sketch, is Sudeikis is the girlfriend's dad, and he loves him. He loves him, yeah. Already, that's the premise of the sketch, is you think, the trope of meeting your girlfriend's father is going to be tough. It's going to be some machismo and some nervousness. It's that this little guy prancing around and Sudeikis can't get enough of it. And so Barkley plays as the extension of him. You've got to pinch his bottom.Track 3:[53:00] I'll have a riddle for you, but I won't tell you unless you pinch my bottom. And he starts running around. and like Barkley wants in on that so the other two you know Sandberg and like they're just trying to watch the game but yeah Barkley's all in he's all in I love when Barkley says uh I want to hold him just like just as a matter of fact that like gave me a nice like real genuine laugh and Chuck's just like I want to hold him and he's so Paul Britton's so small that he could and Sudeik is just yelling at Andy Sandberg who's his son why don't you go get Lord Windermere some sweets just the whole is this chaos like uh this and what's the other paul britain that i like sex ed is another yeah that was his one that he did the most that i love that one so that that's if anything he's known for it's that but this one is a hidden gem because is it the greatest sketch ever no but it has a joke and it hits you with it and you i like it and most importantly i think chuck is like genuinely good in this sketch too and trying his hardest i think out of all the sketches he's been in to not break yeah that's surprising because it seems like once per episode that that he'll start breaking but it didn't happen in lord windermere that's kind of that's kind of crazy it seemed like he again he knew why this was funny and he's just down to clown.Track 3:[54:20] Because, yeah, at one point he does hold Paul Britton, Lord Windermere. And, of course, you have large NBA star Charles Barkley holding this small man. And Charles Barkley is doing everything he can to not just lose it. That was the highlight of the episode for me in terms of I think it was just the best sketch. And it was Charles' best performance in a sketch. Nice. I'm glad you liked that one. Yeah, I know. It was great.Track 3:[54:45] Absolutely. Love Lord Windermere. um yeah not not much else like they had one where he played a character called the dong father in the 17th annual adult video awards is basically the whole sketch was just the in memoriam at these uh adult video awards but yeah i mean snl uh obviously liked him he had a fun episode again a very loose atmosphere there in 8h that night six years later charles is back for more uh season 43 episode 14 his fourth and most recent appearance so it's been going on seven years now six or seven years since he's been on there is actually you know what especially like the run at the end i thought was really good like uh but what first stood out to you with this episode this one is fresh in my mind for sure i i have to say the previous one we just talked about a friend of mine went to that taping and so I texted him this morning because he was at the after party and I said what did you remember from Chuck at the after party and because he told me a couple months ago I had no idea I'd be talking about Charles with you tonight and he just said that he sat at the bar the whole after party and was surrounded by models.Track 3:[55:59] And they were doing tequila shots all night and Charles Broccoli kept telling them I have to be in New Orleans tomorrow or cover a Pelicans-Mavericks game.Track 3:[56:11] And that just played out the whole after party. So a little inside baseball, but shout out to Dylan for the story. The season 43 one. This one is interesting because they lean a little political in this one, right? A little bit, yeah. There's a couple concepts that charles brockley seems very game with but it's because of the lebron james shut up and dribble controversy when he spoke out about something and you know he got that comment about like just play basketball and that was a big thing going on in the whole sports world you know this is around kaepernick time kneeling for the anthem and so he says and it's a perfect chuck Chuck quote, I've been saying whatever the hell I want for 30 years. I'm hosting SNL for the fourth time for no reason. That was his tee-up was like for that more politically charged episode for the fourth when his previous three were mostly silliness. He does that. They do a Me Too style sketch with the Grabby Awards, where it's all about actors who are handsy on set and giving unwanted massages and stuff. And the male co-host is Beck Bennett, and he gets replaced by Chris Redd, who gets replaced by Luke Knoll.Track 3:[57:33] Charles Broccoli plays Tim Franklin, who's wearing not a Time's Up pin, but a Tim's Up pin. Oh, gosh. And then there's one other one I'll say is the Ned's Roach Away. Do you want to talk about that one? Yeah, yeah. So Charles plays a guy named Ned. He's the pitch man for his product, Ned's Roach Away. And it is very socially kind of aware sketch. So he gives basically, quote unquote, good roaches guns to take care of the bad roaches. So forget about those sprees. Roaches just drink that stuff up like tequila. You might as well put it in a piñata and throw those roaches a party. But with Ned's Roach Away, the party's over.Track 3:[58:16] Now, some people might say, but Ned, when gun-carrying roaches just add to my problem, that's so dumb it makes me mad. My bed and scissors make sure only the best high-character, guard-fearing roaches can carry guns. It's time to go to church. And none of my roaches are gay. And for really bad problems, you need Ned's Roach Away Max with Bubstock. There's like commentary on the discourse after there's a mass shooting like a good guy with a gun could have taken care of it and so that's like the the play on that which i found interesting because charles i mean charles will speak on politics a little bit but i've never really seen him get involved with something so like politically heavy in its message uh like something like that because something like ned's roach way like had did have like a clear perspective and voice i think, and it was a funny sketch it was all like animated little roaches holding AR-15s and the people in the house would be going about their day where they would hear just these gunshots going off as in the good roaches are shooting the bad ones, and they hit you with the button at the end that Ned's Roach Away is NRA.Track 3:[59:30] Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I admit, like, I kicked myself. I was like, I should have picked up on that immediately. Then at the end, I was like, oh, come on. You've got to be more of an astute viewer of SNL than that. So, I was kicking myself, like, after that. Yeah, that one I completely forgot about. So, you know, maybe in the consciousness at the time, you have these, like, three in a row political type of things. Or at least like socially social issues and then he had that pre-tape in the can that they had which was actually funny but the next one was was the homework hotline yeah him playing off mikey day who has a striking resemblance to like jim henson as the puppeteer i think his name is bobo was the puppet and it's all just sexual innuendo that he's hooking up with the puppet which i think has been been done but it was funny with Charles Barkley like literally having to carry that sketch it's really just him and a puppet and like callers coming in and he has to play oblivious at first and then he's like gets wise to it and he's like hang up on them so yeah there was a third one though as far as like like social conscious kind of sketch what was it kind of in a conversation.Track 3:[1:00:46] Probably even still but especially at the time he was in a sketch with Alex Rodriguez and then Keenan playing a former football player and the sketch is basically about how harmful the effects were of playing football yeah so they're asking the CTE conversation yeah exactly so they're talking about like Charles is talking about how hard basketball is how grueling it is and then Alex is saying how grueling baseball is and then Keenan's like obviously affected by CTE so that's like kind of saying something too like these sketches are kind of getting involved in a lot of like the discourse that was happening and yet they found a way for charles barkley to be a good player in all of them we talked about at least i did earlier about him kind of just being shoehorned in for a laugh in the earlier ones where he's leading these sketches and they're hitting so maybe it's a commentary about modern snl and he happened to be the host but he did a good job with it yeah yeah agreed um i said that there was a good run at the end. And the last three sketches of the night were probably like, I think the three best in my opinion. So, so they, like the beginning was like, wow, they're kind of going there with a lot of these topics. But then the last three, which as of now are the last three sketches he's done on SNL, Hump or Dump, which was Charles, it was a dark sketch. Like I was kind of a little surprised by that, Mike. Right. It's like the, the classic dating show sketch, but...Track 3:[1:02:13] All the commentary just comes back to, you know, rule of three, Charles Brockley is the third contestant. And he just keeps doubling, tripling down. If you don't pick me, I'm going to kill myself. That was the joke of the sketch. And they ran with it and made it funny. Nah, girl, you pick me because I'm Twitter verified and I always send you home in an Uber pool. Ooh, color me intrigued. And Doug? Let me put this plainly, Amanda. If you don't pick me, I'm going to kill myself.Track 3:[1:02:45] I'm sorry. I don't think I heard you right. Yeah, you did. I'm going to kill myself. I came to win, and I'm putting all my chips on the table. Hey, come on, man. That's not cool. I mean, you can't put that on her. If you're battling depression right now, we can get you some help. I'm not depressed. This is a game show. I want to win. Is he allowed to do this? No, of course not. Because he was just saying it so matter-of-factly, like, oh, that's just what I'm going to do. And then his justification was like, he's in it to win it or something. So, like, that was his strategy. Yep. That was completely strategic. Maybe they put that in there to soften the blow a little bit. Exactly. Yeah. I think he turned to Chris Redd and Chris Redd says, oh, I'll kill myself. And he goes, well, how are you going to do it? He's like, I don't know. He's like, see? This guy. this guy doesn't know he doesn't know he's never thought about it he's not he's just bluffing yeah.Track 3:[1:03:42] And like charles yeah he was kind of like straight face pretty decent characterization, of somebody like this so uh i think yeah i think that was a fun one by chuck the next one the construction workers one might be my favorite sketch that charles was in though he's part of the ensemble but just as an overall sketch it might have been my favorite one that he was was involved with like across all four it's up there all right i want to hear your commentary on it then, Okay, so the basically like these construction workers get into a conversation about what they would wear if they were women. And so I think Beck's the only one that's kind of resistant. Well, all of them are kind of they're kind of like put dipping their toe in the water of the conversation.Track 3:[1:04:21] And then all of a sudden, like the three of other ones, including Chuck kind of get more into it. And Beck's still trying to fight it. But I just love how they ramp up like the escalation is them kind of saying like, Yeah, I've kind of wondered what you know, if I was to dress elegantly, like what would I wear? Woman what i would wear and then it turns into them like having specific ideas of what they would wear and what would look good on them and everything so i just love the escalation i thought they handled this very delicately and very in a clever way so i was like all bored with this sketch come on guys let's eat roast beef sandwiches and talk about the girls we'd like to date around with huh come on we do that every day today we're exploring new avenues you You know, sometimes when I watch the Oscars on the red carpet, I'm like, how would I wow them if I were a nominated actress? I don't know, right? I think I'd wear a gown that had a large peekaboo hole in the back. I'd put a backwards necklace with a little pendant that comes around and floats in the middle. I don't know. I'm just spitballing.Track 3:[1:05:22] Yeah, this is definitely his ensemble piece because it's hard to make a pro athlete or a former pro athlete fit in the cast.Track 3:[1:05:34] Usually, we've seen it recently with a really hot host and they make fun of, or comment on how hot they are. A really tall host, let's talk about how tall they are. This one was just like Charles, one of the guys.Track 3:[1:05:48] And so, he was able to service the sketch more than comment on, hey, Charles Broccoli's on SNL. Like, isn't that funny? That's true. Yeah, that's a really great point. And he added to it. And again, it was good timing. And Chuck didn't always have that, you know. But I think in this sketch, it was just like he added to the tone, I guess. He struck the right tone for what the sketch was asking for. Whether it was by accident or not. but like he he totally like fit in it was like his true again yeah it's just his ensemble piece that he pulled his own weight in this ensemble piece yeah and this might be a thread that we're getting to tonight but it's the idea that charles barkley is not a comedically talented individual he is a funny individual for sure but gets comedy and we've seen trained actors famous people on the show who are in funny sketches and i don't know if they get it so the fact that he is involved and like i said servicing that idea we want to talk hall of fame in the night here like that's something that would you know edge him over to your to your ballot if you want to vote for him is that he is bolstering this, not a passenger.Track 3:[1:07:12] As many hosts are in good sketches. Yeah, yeah, agreed. And then the night ends in a totally fun way. Maybe his most fun sketch that he's been in in SNL, Last Call, one of those great Kate and Kenan sketches. Sheila Sauvage. Sheila Sauvage, yeah. Just Charles has the right amount of awkward energy for this to work, I think yeah and that's something that I don't know if we've we've hit on hard enough tonight is his charisma is so good like he's such a likable person, If you dig into his backstory, he had a tough childhood. He really was, like Thomas said, top of the night. He was short for his position. He was a rebound king. He didn't make his team. All these different aspects of him, but he's a super likable guy. So when you put him, this could ultimately be, if he never hosts again, his final SNL sketch, and you have him paired with Kate McKinnon, last call of course 10 to 1 sketch and it's everything you could want it to be, i gotta be honest when i first saw you tonight i thought hell no but now i'm not thinking because i'm drunk and of all the men in here you're the only man in here.Track 3:[1:08:34] Let's go back to my place and do missionary huh that's where you try to teach me english until you get frustrated and leave the country.Track 3:[1:08:43] I'd rather do the reverse cowgirl. That's why I put your cowboy hat over your face and walk you out back until you fall out the window. You're bad, man. You're bad. My favorite part, like the showstoppers, and they put those things from the dentist that they put in your mouth to keep your mouth open. Because their lips are in the way. Yeah. He and Kate just start kissing, and of course you always get the fu

Work on the old Barclays Bank building has now commenced. It will take some time for it to look like a police station, but the plan is for the opening to be by late spring next year. Donna Jones, the Police and Crime Commissioner has confirmed the front counter will be open to start with for three days a week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Design and Development Principles for LLMOps // MLOps Podcast #254 with Andy McMahon, Director - Principal AI Engineer at Barclays Bank. A huge thank you to SAS for their generous support! // Abstract As we move from MLOps to LLMOps we need to double down on some fundamental software engineering practices, as well as augment and add to these with some new techniques. In this case, let's talk about this! // Bio Andy is a Principal AI Engineer, working in the new AI Center of Excellence at Barclays Bank. Previously he was Head of MLOps for NatWest Group, where he led their MLOps Centre of Excellence and helped build out their MLOps platform and processes across the bank. Andy is also the author of Machine Learning Engineering with Python, a hands-on technical book published by Packt. // MLOps Jobs board https://mlops.pallet.xyz/jobs // MLOps Swag/Merch https://mlops-community.myshopify.com/ // Related Links Andy's book - https://packt.link/w3JKL Andy's Medium - https://medium.com/@andrewpmcmahon629 SAS: https://www.sas.com/en_us/home.html SAS® Decision Builder: https://www.sas.com/en_us/offers/23q4/microsoft-fabric.html Data Engineering for AI/ML Conference: https://home.mlops.community/home/events/dataengforai Harnessing MLOps in Finance // Michelle Marie Conway // MLOps Podcast Coffee #174: https://youtu.be/nIEld_Q6L-0The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses book by Eric Ries: https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Eric-Ries/dp/0307887898 --------------- ✌️Connect With Us ✌️ ------------- Join our slack community: https://go.mlops.community/slack Follow us on Twitter: @mlopscommunity Sign up for the next meetup: https://go.mlops.community/register Catch all episodes, blogs, newsletters, and more: https://mlops.community/ Connect with Demetrios on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dpbrinkm/ Connect with Andy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-p-mcmahon/ Timestamps: [00:00] Andy's preferred coffee [00:09] Takeaways [02:04] Andy's book as an Oxford curriculum [06:13] Register for the Data Engineering for AI/ML Conference now! [07:04] The Life Cycle of AI Executives Course [09:55] MLOps as a term [11:53] Tooling vs Process Culture [15:01] Open source benefits [17:15] End goal flexibility [20:06] Hybrid Cloud Strategy Overview [21:11] ROI for tool upgrades [25:41] Long-term projects comparison [29:02 - 30:48] SAS Ad [30:49] AI and ML Integration [35:40] Hybrid AI Integration Insights [42:18] Tech trends vs Practicality [44:39] Gen AI Tooling Debate [51:57] Vanity metrics overview [55:22] Tech business alignment strategy [58:45] Aligning teams for ROI [1:01:35] Communication mission effectively [1:03:45] Enablement metrics [1:06:38] Prioritizing use cases [1:09:47] Wrap up

Susan spent 16 years gaining extensive corporate and management experience at a senior level in Equity Sales, Research and Corporate Marketing in investment banks DLJ, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup. Passionate about helping people reach their full potential, she has developed training courses, facilitated development workshops and mentored high potential individuals throughout her career. Between jobs, she travelled to France to learn French and fell in love with Carcassonne where she spent the money that she had saved to buy a studio flat in London on a house.Today, she is an experienced and professionally qualified corporate and executive coach, award-winning speaker, best-selling author and transformational trainer.She is passionate about creating sustainable peak performance and success for clients by helping them increase their confidence, energy and impact.In addition to one-to-one executive coaching and VIP strategy days, she runs a High Performing Woman program for women in business, bespoke workshops/speeches, an annual De-Stress and Assess retreat, and a series of corporate career masterclasses for clients such as Barclays Bank, Expedia, Jefferies, JP Morgan, Man Grp, Deutsche Bank and InvescoPerpetual.https://www.tedlondon.com/about.html

Jim is celebrating the 300th episode of The CMO Podcast with a bang! He welcomes back three of his very first guests on the show from 2019: Kristin Lemkau, the Chief Executive Officer of J.P. Morgan Wealth Management at JPMorgan Chase, Lilian Tomovich, the Chief Marketing & Experience Officer at Barclays, and Dean Aragón, Group Brand Officer and CEO & Vice-Chairman of Shell Brands International AG. In a way, they co-created this podcast, helping Jim find those initial footsteps and directing the show to what it has become today. First up is Lili Tomovich, the CMO & Experience Officer at Barclays Bank. Jim had Lili as his third guest on the show in 2019, when she worked as the Chief Experience & Marketing Officer at MGM Resorts International, a $15 billion global hospitality and entertainment company. Her career path has included ten years at Mastercard as head of Marketing for Canada and Senior Vice President of Consumer Marketing for the US market. After time within the hospitality space, she returned to financial services and joined Barclays in 2021. She created and accelerated transformational growth for the bank, while reimagining the customer experience. Jim's next returning guest, Dean Aragón has come on the podcast a few times over the years; he was the 10th guest back in 2019, and later joined Jim for a roundtable discussion at Cannes in 2022. Dean is also celebrating an anniversary. He has worked at Shell for a decade, serving as the Group Brand Officer and CEO & Vice-Chairman of Shell Brands International–or, as he puts it, Shell's "Chief Brand Guy." Prior to Shell, Dean spent 15 years in Senior Brand Marketing roles at Unilever, across a range of categories and markets. For this episode's final conversation, Jim comes full circle to welcome back his very first guest, Kristin Lemkau. Kristin is The Chief Executive Officer of J.P. Morgan Wealth Management at JPMorgan Chase, where her team oversees the U.S. wealth management division. When they spoke back in 2019, Kristin was the Chief Marketing Officer of JPMorgan Chase, where she led a global marketing team of 2,000 people with a $5B+ marketing budget. Tune in for an episode filled to the brim with stories that have carried this show throughout the last five years. Here's to 300, and many more to come!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Warum setzen Unternehmen wie Samsung, Barclays Bank und Microsoft auf eine Mischung aus Concierge-Services, kuratierter Kunst und Coworking-Atmosphäre, um ihre Mitarbeitenden zu motivieren? Oliver Lehmann, Deutschlandchef von Mindspace, erklärt in der neuen Folge „Wirtschaft Düsseldorf unplugged“ den boomenden Flex Office-Trend und Düsseldorfs Rolle als Coworking-Kapitale Deutschlands. Flex Offices bieten mehr als nur Arbeitsplätze – sie schaffen Gemeinschaft und Erlebnis, engagierten Service vor Ort und inspirierendes Interior Design, um eine Umgebung zu kreieren, in der Mitarbeitende aufblühen. Eine spannende neue Folge von „Wirtschaft Düsseldorf unplugged“, die man auf keinen Fall verpassen sollte.

Our guest this episode, Gina Din- Kariuki, is a powerful voice in the world of brand storytelling. Raised in an environment that championed reaching for dreams amidst a backdrop of a changing Africa, Gina witnessed firsthand the continent's resilience during a pivotal time where political, cultural, and technological shifts were shaping the world. This dynamic upbringing ignited a lifelong passion within Gina: telling the stories of different brands and businesses. Her career began at an impressive 21-years-old, when she led the corporate affairs at Barclays Bank in Kenya- entrusted with redefining the company's narrative for a more Africa-centric future. This marked the beginning of a remarkable journey that has seen Gina become a master storyteller for various brands. In our conversation, Gina dives deep into the art of storytelling: how to craft compelling narratives for brands, the trends that are shaping how consumers perceive the different brands that they interact with every day and the importance of Africans sharing their authentic stories. From navigating the corporate communications landscape to leveraging modern-day digital technology to amplify impact, this discussion offers invaluable insights for aspiring storytellers and entrepreneurs alike. Gina's story, chronicled in her book "Daughter of Africa," is a testament to the power of resilience and the importance of sharing our narratives. Join us as she equips us with the tools to tell our story and the stories of the brands we represent! To learn more about Gina and the incredible work that she does, check out her LinkedIn here. --- Join us in creating social impact through a cup of tea by visiting www.nepalteacollective.com Support our podcast further by pledging your support through our Substack Channel: https://boardroombanterpodcast.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web&r=2myauy

Robert Hope, Jr '79 and Robert Hope, III '15 joined Mr. Barber on The Wright Way podcast in March. Mr. Hope currently serves on the Board of Trustees. He is a past Board Chairman, Alumnus of the Year recipient, and also an Athletic Hall of Fame inductee. Mr. Hope is married to Mary Shannon Torbert Hope '82, and they have two children, Robert, III '15, and Jeanie, '17. Robert III was a decorated runner during his time at UMS-Wright and continued his athletic career at Harvard University, where he ran track and cross country. After college, Robert worked for Barclays Bank in New York City. Recently, he relocated back to Mobile and is working for Leavell Investments.The Hopes have been an integral part of the UMS-Wright family and we sincerely thank them for their continued dedication to our school!  Visit your favorite podcast platform, search "The Wright Way," and click subscribe so you don't miss out on any upcoming episodes! Have someone you would like to hear on the podcast, or want to be a guest yourself? Drop a line in the comments or email asmith@ums-wright.org. 

In this episode of Time For a Reset: The Marketing Podcast with Global Leaders, Paul Frampton, Global President at CvE Consultancy, connects with Caroline Harrison, Director and Head of Digital Marketing at HSBC UK.  You can also get an excellent overview of the main highlights and discussion points by reading our blog piece of the episode.Join them as they discuss:Caroline's marketing reset: Simplify marketing jargon for more effective communicationPivoting marketing from a cost centre to a revenue enginePrioritising tasks for greater efficiency and effectivenessThe relationship between performance and brand marketingThe role of measurement and attribution in driving informed decisionsRight housing: The fine balance between in-house and outsourced marketing activitiesPeople who know Caroline professionally use brave, disruptive, dedicated, and passionate to describe her. She is fearless in asking the right questions and challenging the status quo. As a consummate digital marketer, she ensures that digital performance is underpinned by tangible and measurable results. Caroline provides authentic leadership and creates an environment of openness and trust. Her knowledge of digital marketing enables her to support both the vision and the day-to-day details. However, her passion for innovation and driving change is particularly inspiring. Caroline's 20+ year career in digital marketing cuts across global brands like American Express, Barclays Bank, and HSBC UK. The full transcript is available here.Support the show

Young Voices for Palestine II We hear from two voices from the Sydney 4th Feb rally provided by Vivien Langford (Climate Action Show):Rita Emad, 17 year old Palestinian/ Australian here  Jasmin Johnson Students for Palestine hereFollowed by Stella Swain from Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) from the UK about the Boycotting of Barclays Bank. here 350.org Events here II the environmental group 350-org has a local chapter which is hosting a storytelling tour of Traditional Owners from the Torres Strait and the Northen Territory as part of a national tour raising conversation about fossil fuel and climate impacts. The event March 6th called Weaving Our Stories will be a night of storytelling, art, performances and conversations. An earlier Feb 13th event at Collingwood Library open for those who want to be involved. We chatted with National Organiser Lavanya Pant.The Unsent Condolences here II Poet, journalist, human rights activist, former refugee Abdul Samad Haidari talks to us about his new book of poetry The Unsent Condolences published by Palaver Books.'Aspiration' LNP Stalking Horse here II Don Sutherland puts the concept of 'aspirational' under the microscope as the LNP tries to pretend they are on our side.

Jim Harris, one of North America's foremost thinkers on disruption and innovation, is back on the podcast sharing his experiences and insights from CES, the world's biggest technology conference, and the World Economic Forum in Davos. Jim has been attending these important events for decades and takes us inside with his informed perspective for retailers. Note that we had some technical glitches towards the end of the interview. I didn't get to thank Jim on the mic for being my guest. It's much appreciated, Jim!!About JimJim Harris is a one of North America's foremost thinkers on disruption and innovation. He is one of the world's leading keynote speakers presenting internationally at more than 70 virtual and in-person conferences a year. Association magazine rankedhim as one of North America's top ten speakers. Jim also leads strategic planning sessions with executiveteams. His clients include American Express, Barclays Bank, Canon, GM, IBM, SAP, Munich Re, the Top 200 CIOs of India, the UK Cabinet Office, Swiss Re, Walmart and Zurich Insurance. Jim's last book, Blindsided!, is published in 80 countries worldwide and is a #1 international bestseller. Soundview Executive Summaries selected Blindsided! as one of the best business books of the year sending a summary to 80,000executives globally. The Miami Herald calls Blindsided! “Brilliant stuff!” About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery. Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Retail Experts list for 2024 for the third year in a row.Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Canada's top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail. He produces and co-hosts Remarkable Retail with best-selling author Steve Dennis, now ranked one of the top retail podcasts in the world. Based in San Francisco, Global eCommerce Leaders podcast explores global cross-border issues and opportunities for eCommerce brands and retailers. Last but not least, Michael is the producer and host of the "Last Request Barbeque" channel on YouTube, where he cooks meals to die for - and collaborates with top brands as a food and product influencer across North America.

Welcome to the Instant Trivia podcast episode 1062, where we ask the best trivia on the Internet. Round 1. Category: Play Faster! 1: Largo is a slow tempo of around 50 bpm, which is short for these. beats per minute. 2: At a setting of 70, you're in this tempo; Samuel Barber wrote one "for Strings". adagio. 3: A metronome setting of 100 is this tempo that includes the author of "Inferno". andante. 4: 140 bpm brings you to this word, the basic musical indication for "fast" or "lively". allegro. 5: This very fast tempo is also a word used by magicians to command the amazing to happen. presto. Round 2. Category: Royal Female Nicknames 1: Prime Minister Tony Blair dubbed her "The People's Princess". Princess Diana. 2: England's "Good Queen Bess". Elizabeth I. 3: She was "The Untamed Heifer" and "The Virgin Queen". Elizabeth I. 4: Mark Antony called her "The Queen of Queens". Cleopatra. 5: France's "The Austrian Wench". Marie Antoinette. Round 3. Category: Literary Houses 1: Harry Angstrom's house burns to the ground in this author's 1971 novel "Rabbit Redux". (John) Updike. 2: Scarlett O'Hara's plantation home. Tara. 3: In this Anne Tyler novel, a travel writer breaks his leg and moves into his siblings' home. The Accidental Tourist. 4: This title gal's Manderley, which had an "iron gate leading to the drive". Rebecca. 5: Title place where Hindley hates Heathcliff. Wuthering Heights. Round 4. Category: British Business 1: John Shepherd-Barron invented it and in 1967 Barclays Bank installed the world's first one. an ATM. 2: This art book publisher took its name from the rivers flowing through London and New York City. Thames and Hudson. 3: In the early 1700s William Fortnum, a footman who sold Queen Anne's used candles, went into retail with this partner. (Hugh) Mason. 4: Lea and Perrins of sauce fame both started their careers as these, meaning druggists or pharmacists. chemists. 5: In 1986 inefficiency and strikes did in this auto brand known as BL. British Leyland. Round 5. Category: Lousy Souvenirs 1: My aunt went to Spain and all I got were these lousy pants worn by heroes of the bullring. Toreador pants. 2: My mother went to Hawaii and all I got was this long, loose dress. Muumuu. 3: My uncle went to England and all I got was this lousy piece of a suit, which Americans call a vest. Waistcoat. 4: My brother went to Venice Beach and all I got was this lousy shirt named for what he showed off. Muscle shirt. 5: My granddad went to Ireland and all I got was this lousy overcoat named for a province there. Ulster. Thanks for listening! Come back tomorrow for more exciting trivia!Special thanks to https://blog.feedspot.com/trivia_podcasts/ AI Voices used

It is one of the most famous locked room deaths in American history.   On July 6, 2019 Jeffrey Epstein was arrested and put into a cell of a downtown Manhattan detention center.   He was the most famous prison inmate in America.  He had hung out with Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, bankers and billionaires.  He was also a serial sexual abuser. Within thirty-five days - he was dead.  Almost all of the world wondered how such a famous prisoner could die in jail.  My students and I have spend the last three-and-a-half months reading thousands of pages of legal documents, government reports, released internal emails, news media stories, books, and, conducting a series of astonishing interviews.This is the story of what actually happened to Jeffrey Epstein.Please rate, review or like this episode: would be hugely appreciated by Declan and the whole team of students. www.crimewavespodcast.comwww.declanhill.comTwitter: declan_hill

In this episode of the Learning While Working Podcast, Pedram Parasmand shares his insights on using AI tools for workshop designs and emphasises the importance of not relying on AI to do the creative work for you, but rather using it as a thought partner and brainstorming tool. He shares his experience with Chat GPT and Copy AI, highlighting how he trains these AI generative tools on his own methodology to support workshop design. He also explores the potential of using AI-powered transcription tools like Otter AI for analysis and evaluation.About  Pedram ParasmandPedram Parasmand is The Co-Founder and CEO of Skills Lab and has over 11 years experience working with executive teams to new entrants in the corporate, public, third and education sectors. Pedram has partnered with clients such as Accenture, Barclays Bank, Mind, Ministry of Justice, Red Bull, The European Union Commission, and The British Council. Previously, Pedram worked in Leadership Development at the education charity Teach First and started his career as a high school Science teacher.Key takeaways:Don't rely on AI to do the creative work for you: Pedram emphasises the importance of trusting your own human instincts and using AI as a support system or brainstorming tool. AI can enhance your workshop design process, but it can never replace your skills as a facilitator.Align AI with your specific challenges: When incorporating AI into your workshops, consider your pain points and processes. Explore how AI can assist you in addressing those challenges and improving your facilitation techniques. AI should complement your objectives, not replace them.Train AI in your methodology: Pedram shares his experience with training AI tools like Copy AI in his own workshop design methodology. By giving detailed prompts and instructions, you can teach AI to analyse transcripts, identify pains and gains, and generate audience-friendly content.Segmented time stamps:(00:00) Introduction(01:53) AI aids in designing workshops for newbies(05:46) Using tools like Otter AI that summarise, analyse, and evaluate conversations(07:01) How evaluation is flexible with various data points(12:57) Generate ideas for workshop objectives and refine later(16:44) Workshop structured like a story for growth(19:22) Finding ways to removes manual tasksLinks from the podcast Connect with Pedram on LinkedInVisit the Skills Lab's Website  Check out Copy AICheck out Otter AI 

In this podcast episode, we explore the world of sovereign wealth funds: who they are, why they exist, and how they operate, as well as understand the fascination of Norway's largest fund with private equity firms.Additionally, we delve into the recent announcement that the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the European private equity heavyweight Ardian are set to purchase a 25% stake in Heathrow Airport for £2.4bn and discuss Barclays Bank's considerations for a strategic overhaul in the UK.**UBS M&A Finance Accelerator simulation https://amplifyme.com/mafa** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest episode of the pod I'm talking about: Talk Money Week Bank of England base rate update Shaking up Secret Santa Barclays Bank switch Andy's Deals of the Week For links and further reading head to becleverwithyourcash.com/cashchats ABOUT CASH CHATS Cash Chats is presented by money blogger and broadcaster Andy Webb. The podcast was "Show of the Week" in the Radio Times, and it has been featured as one of the top money podcasts by publications including Apple, Good Housekeeping and the Independent. In 2021 and 2019 it was awarded Best Money Podcast at the SHOMOS - the UK Money Bloggers community annual awards, and runner-up in 2020. On each Cash Chats episode you can hear Andy share ways to get the most from your money.  Andy also runs the award-winning website Be Clever With Your Cash, presented Channel 5's Shop Smart Save Money and founded the community ukmoneybloggers.com. To contact Andy email Andy@Becleverwithyourcash.com ANDY ON SOCIAL   twitter.com/BeCleverCash instagram.com/becleverwithyourcash   youtube.com/@becleverwithyourcash   GET ANDY'S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER You'll also get a free Quidco bonus for signing up https://becleverwithyourcash.com/newsletter/ MUSIC The music is Easter Island by Lonely Punk and provided on a creative commons licence       

Are you ready for some game-changing tips on running transformational offsite events?

Peter Russell is on the faculty of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, a fellow of The World Business Academy and The Findhorn Foundation, and an Honorary Member of The Club of Budapest, and President of Science and NonDuality.At Cambridge University (UK), he studied mathematics and theoretical physics. Then, as he became increasingly fascinated by the mysteries of the human mind he changed to experimental psychology. Pursuing this interest, he traveled to India to study meditation and eastern philosophy, and on his return took up the first research post ever offered in Britain on the psychology of meditation.He also has a post-graduate degree in computer science, and conducted some of the early work on 3-dimensional displays, presaging by some twenty years the advent of virtual reality. In the 1970s, he was one of the first people to introduce human potential seminars into the corporate field, and for twenty years ran programs for senior management on creativity, stress management, personal development, and sustainable development. Clients have included IBM, Apple, Digital, American Express, Barclays Bank, Swedish Telecom, ICI, Shell Oil and British Petroleum.In 1982 he coined the term "global brain" with his 1980s bestseller of the same name in which he predicted the Internet and the impact it would have. The Global Brain His other books include: The TM Technique, The Upanishads, The Brain Book, The Creative Manager, The Consciousness Revolution, Waking Up in Time, The Global Brain / The Awakening Earth, Seeds of Awakening, From Science to God, and his most recent Letting Go of Nothing.As one of the more revolutionary futurists Peter Russell has been a keynote speaker at many international conferences, in Europe, Japan and the USA. His multi-image shows and videos, The Global Brain and The White Hole in Time have won praise and prizes from around the world. In 1993 the environmental magazine Buzzworm voted Peter Russell "Eco-Philosopher Extraordinaire" of the year.His principal interest is the deeper, spiritual significance of the times we are passing through. His work seeks to distill the essence of the world's spiritual traditions and present it in ways relevant to the current times.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4858435/advertisement

An award-winning global director of cirque, cinema and stage. As a comic act designer he specializes in clowns, characters and story components. Stefan is the author of The Power of HA!Connecting Through the Heart of Humor. He studied theatre in college only to realize that his true passion lay in the cross-over to the circus arts, so he set his sights on Cirque du Soleil. As a result of his intuitive gift for mining actors' true potential, various sit-coms hired him to coach actors, including The Roseanne Show. After self-producing a number of critically acclaimed plays in Hollywood and New York City (Call of the Wild, Midsummer Nite's Text, Your Town Follies, Moon Over Madness, Atomic Holiday Lift-Off) he traveled to Europe to juggle on the streets and study with the premiere master-teacher, Philippe Gaulier. This move resulted in a collaboration with Bill Irwin and David Shiner on the Tony- winning show Fool Moon. Haves was then poached by Cirque du Soleil, collaborating on clown and character performances within six touring and resident productions (Kooza, Iris, Amaluna, Banana Shpeel, Zaya, and Drawn to Life). Prior to that, he wrote and directed the world-class Teatro Zinzanni—a dinner/ cabaret featuring such luminaries as Joan Baez. Today, Stefan Haves is a trusted international thought-leader who was tapped to present a TedX Talk in New Delhi, India, and was invited to conduct personal appearances for blue-chip companies like PepsiCo, Infosys, Mindtree, and Barclays Bank. He gleefully shares his innovative message on the role of humor, creativity, and effective expression gleaned from the stage and applied to the corporate workplace. In 2021 Haves was granted the opportunity to co-direct Katy Perry's Playland-branded New Year's dinner/cirque event at Hilton's Resort World in Las Vegas. Earlier in his career, Haves cut his teeth as an actor and a visual-comedian who appeared on stages and television shows worldwide—even garnering $10,000 on America's Funniest People by performing his signature piece "Back-Man". Stefan's 2016 original conception of the spectacle Festigal, in which Haves was tasked to showcase famous pop celebrities from television's Romania's Got Talent, used a Cirque du Soleil aesthetic in a stadium setting. His cinematic offerings include the award-winning short film Punch Drunk, featuring Academy Award nominee Sally Kellerman (M*A*S*H) and full-length feature Stalled starring Doug Jones (Pan's Labyrinth).

Please support the show so that I can continue to speak up by choosing one or all of the following options - ⁠Buy me a coffee⁠ If you want to make a one off donation. Join my Substack To access free and paid additional content. ⁠Support the show⁠ and have access to exclusive contents and perks.  To sponsor the Doc Malik Podcast contact us at ⁠hello@docmalik.com⁠  About this interview: Mads Palsvig is a former investment banker from Credit Suisse First Boston, Barclays Bank and Morgan Stanley. He specialised in trading all fixed income products, focusing on Government Bonds and derivatives on those. He advised central banks and ministries of Finance on what they could do to finance their bond issuance at the lowest possible yield in order to save taxpayer money. The last ten years Mads has dedicated to studying, politics and activism. He started a political movement/party in June 2016 with the main objective to take back the privilege to issue the monetary base in Denmark to the people. He started the demonstrations against smart meters and the roll out of 5G in 2018. He has been one of the main organizers in the resistance against the corona lock downs and started the “pots and pans” demonstration against the Danish Law on Epidemic. Now Mads is working on economic tax reforms that will remove poverty and ensure everybody a life in dignity with economic security. The goal is to implement these ideas globally. In this conversation we talk about how he lost his job as an investment banker, why he formed a political party, why poverty doesn't have to exist, how money is formed, why income tax doesn't need to exist and how bankers steal wealth from people and countries. And of course so much more. Enjoy and as ever love to you all x ​ Links - Websites Scandinavian Freedom NewsProsperity Party Twitter Mads Palsvig TelegramThe Peoples Party About Doc Malik: Orthopaedic surgeon Ahmad Malik is on a journey of discovery when it comes to health and wellness. Through honest conversations with captivating individuals, Ahmad explores an array of topics that profoundly impact our well-being and health. You can follow us on social media, we are on the following platforms: ⁠Twitter Ahmad⁠ | ⁠Twitter Podcast⁠ | ⁠Instagram Ahmad⁠ | ⁠Instagram Podcast

After a couple were defrauded of £700,000 they claimed that their bank owed them a duty. In this episode we explore this within the context of the so-called Quincecare duty that banks owe to their customers and how the law has developed to deal with cases of fraud. https://uklawweekly.substack.com/subscribe Music from bensound.com

Seasoned former banker Richard Boath talks to us about his longest day preventing a UK government bailout at Barclays Bank in 2008. He explains how he navigated immense pressure and engaged the stakeholders around him, noting that a crisis brings out the best or worst in people. But Richard also talks of accusations levelled against him by the Serious Fraud Office and his subsequent acquittal at the Old Bailey as one of the Barclays Four. As he recounts his darkest times, he reminds us that who you are and where you come from matters. His accounts of confronting injustice and thoughtful reflections on crisis leadership pose great questions for leaders facing the unthinkable. 

It's Thursday, June 29th, A.D. 2023. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Nearly 5 billion people experience severe violations of religious freedom Aid to the Church in Need released their 2023 Religious Freedom in the World report. Nearly 5 billion people worldwide experience severe violations of religious freedom in 61 countries. The worst persecution occurs in just 28 countries, affecting 4 billion people, or about half of the world's population.  The report noted, “During the period under review, intense persecution became more acute and concentrated, and impunity grew.” Countries with the worst religious liberty violations include Afghanistan, China, India, North Korea, and Nigeria. Barclay's bank pays $25,000 fine for Christian persecution A British bank agreed to a settlement with a Christian ministry this week for closing its account. Barclays Bank must pay the equivalent of over $25,000 to Core Issues Trust.  In 2020, the bank caved to homosexual and transgender activists.  Barclay's shut down the Christian ministry's account. Core Issues Trust is the primary Christian ministry in the U.K. that helps people with unwanted homosexual attraction.  Mike Davidson with Core Issues Trust said, “Through this case we have exposed Barclays' pre-emptive political activity in trying to damage and silence our charity and the work we do as part of the Christian church.” The deceptive “Equality Act” Last week, the U.S. Congress reintroduced the deceptively titled “Equality Act.” The act protects sexually perverted lifestyles and threatens the freedom of those who disagree with them. It's been introduced in Congress since 2015 but has generally died in committee.  Alliance Defending Freedom released a statement on the issue. The group said, “Government promotion of radical gender-identity ideology is endangering children, violating parents' and women's rights, and eroding our constitutionally protected freedom to think, speak, and act according to our consciences.” In Psalm 94:20-21, David asks, “Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law, have fellowship with [the Lord]? They gather together against the life of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood.” COVID fraudsters abused $200 billion of tax money At least 17% of America's COVID-19 relief programs went to potentially fraudulent actors. The U.S. Small Business Administration inspector released the estimate on Tuesday.  Fraudsters could have taken as much as $200 billion from the Paycheck Protection and COVID-19 Economic Inquiry Disaster Loan programs.  A recent Associated Press analysis estimates the U.S. wasted or misspent another $123 billion in COVID funds. Kirk Cameron blasts pride Kirk Cameron has had enough of the Left's month-long push of pride. Today, on Generations Radio, as I guest host for Kevin Swanson, I interview the Christian actor about his second children's book entitled Pride Comes Before the Fall. He advocates that children embrace the Biblical virtue of humility instead. CAMERON: “Pride can infect me. In fact, pride almost took me down as a famous actor in Hollywood, as a young kid. I had to be humbled. It was the Gospel that humbled me. “Now, I want to think of others before myself. I think if we really want to love other people, if we really want to not be harmful, and say things that put others in danger, pride is not the answer. Humility is! That's what this book is trying to teach kids.” To hear my entire 26-minute interview with Kirk Cameron, go to Generations.org/radio. Richard Dawkins' right-hand man trusts Christ And finally, evangelist Ray Comfort recently shared how God brought a prominent atheist to faith in Christ. Josh Timonen was a committed atheist and worked closely with Richard Dawkins, one of the world's leading atheist apologists. Josh walked away from working with Dawkins in 2010 following division in Dawkins's group. Josh experienced further disillusion with secular culture during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2020, he started reading the Bible and taking his family to church before putting his faith in Christ. Praise God! Today, Josh had this to say about atheism. TIMONEN: “Atheism is a really useful worldview for weak men.” Colossians 1:21-22 says, “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now [Christ] has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.” Close And that's The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, June 29th in the year of our Lord 2023. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

About my guest:* The Cultural Memory of Georgian Glasgow* Connect with Craig* Rate the showAbout my guest:Craig Lamont is a graduate of the Universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow, with a diverse background in Creative Writing, English Literature, and Scottish Literature. His AHRC-funded PhD, ‘Georgian Glasgow: the city remembered through literature, objects, and cultural memory theory' (2015), was an interdisciplinary body of work central to a collaboration between the University of Glasgow and Glasgow Life, involving the major exhibition How Glasgow Flourished: 1714-1837 at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in 2014. It won the 2016 Ross Roy Medal for the best PhD relating to Scottish Literature. His debut monograph, The Cultural Memory of Georgian Glasgow, was published in 2021 by Edinburgh University Press. Besides writing short fiction, Craig has also been commissioned as a historian by the National Trust for Scotland and Barclays Bank.Craig's postdoctoral work ranges from web development to bibliography in the realms of Allan Ramsay, bawrdy chapbooks, and Robert Burns, beginning in 2014 with the ‘Bawdry & Scottish Chapbooks' project (PI: Dr. Pauline Mackay). The following year Craig joined Prof. Murray Pittock's team in the Royal Society of Edinburgh funded project ‘Allan Ramsay and Edinburgh in the First Age of Enlightenment.' In this project, Craig co-authored an interactive map, ‘Edinburgh's Enlightenment 1680-1750' with the PI. In 2015-16 Craig worked as a Research Assistant at the Centre for Robert Burns Studies, compiling a new bibliography of Robert Burns editions from 1786 to 1802. This is part of the AHRC-funded project Editing Robert Burns for the 21st Century (PI: Prof. Gerard Carruthers), on which Craig worked as a research associate from 2017. From January 2018-August 2022, Craig became the lead research associate in another AHRC-funded project, The Collected Works of Allan Ramsay (PI: Prof. Murray Pittock). From 2017-2022, Craig served as the Secretary of the Association for Scottish Literature.As of 5 September 2022, Craig is Lecturer in Scottish Studies, based in Scottish Literature but working more widely in the Centre for Scottish and Celtic Studies. Get full access to Dispatches from the War Room at dispatchesfromthewarroom.substack.com/subscribe

Check us out on our new LinkedIn Page!  - https://www.linkedin.com/company/security-masterminds-podcast/Are you struggling to raise cybersecurity awareness despite following the same old advice? Discover the power of storytelling and engagement in transforming cybersecurity training and arming your workforce against message fatigue and over-reliance on technology.In this episode, you will be able to:Delve into the connections between storytelling, engagement, and effective cybersecurity training.Gain insight into striking the perfect balance between factual content and captivating storytelling.Find out how relying too much on technology can jeopardize cybersecurity efforts.Master techniques for countering message fatigue in the cybersecurity industry.Explore the power of humor and entertainment in raising security awareness levels.Rob McCollum, a versatile voice actor with a background in sales, marketing, acting, and improv comedy, has lent his talents to over 300 anime roles and a plethora of corporate training videos. Joining forces with Twist & Shout, a KnowBe4 company, Rob ventured into corporate storytelling and cybersecurity training, working on projects for major companies such as Barclays Bank, AT&T, Warner Brothers, and Sony. His unique approach to storytelling and engagement in cybersecurity training has revolutionized the industry, keeping viewers intrigued and eager for more.About Rob McCollumLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-mccollum-23b1a86Rob McCollum Facebook Anime Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/RobertMcCollumFanPageShow Notes:The Inside Man Series: https://info.knowbe4.com/inside-man-gaFavorite Books: After On, Year Zero, by Rob Reid - https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B000AP8X36/allbooks?ingress=0&visitId=3058ab80-2f93-42c9-9be8-a1d49c3fec86&store_ref=ap_rdr&ref_=ap_rdrConnect with us:Website: securitymasterminds.buzzsprout.comKnowBe4 Resources:KnowBe4 Blog: https://blog.knowbe4.comErich Kron - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erichkronJelle Wieringa - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jellewieringaJames McQuiggan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcquigganJavvad Malik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javvadMusic Composed by: Brian Sanyshyn - https://www.briansanyshynmusic.comAnnouncer: Sarah McQuiggan - https://www.sarahmcquiggan.comThis show's sound is edited by ProPodcastSolutions -https://propodcastsolutions.com/Show Notes created with Capsho - www.capsho.com

24 May 2023. As new companies begin to move into their offices at the Expo City Dubai site, 3000 employees will be working by September. Plus will AI replace investment advisors? We ask Investment Strategist Henk Potts from Barclays Bank. Multi-billion dollar company Checkout.com is the first fintech to be granted a Retail Payment Services licence from the Central Bank of the UAE. Why is that important? We'll find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the past 30 years IT has digitally transformed the telecoms sector. One person who knows this more than most is Kevin Paige the, Chief Technology Officer for DigitalWell and Ronan got to talk to him, Kevin talks about his background, what DigitalWell does, his role at DigitalWell, his technology wow moments over the past 30 years and more  More about Kevin Paige: Kevin is responsible for all aspects of DigitalWell 's Product, Technology Strategy and IT, which includes planning, implementation and operations.  A commercially-orientated career technologist with more than 30 years' experience in telecoms and IT industries spent building and leading successful campaigns and sponsoring product and technology services innovation. Kevin has a wealth of experience and capability to support DigitalWell 's clients with their projects and initiatives, having held senior business and technology roles at M247, Manx Telecom, eircom Group, Level 3 Communications, Cable and Wireless, Vodafone UK, Barclays Bank, British Airways and BT.  Kevin has a holistic perspective on technology and how to bring business benefit to the client in a digital transformation era.

Yes, the King's coronation has taken place and we'll hear more about that a bit later. Well, not so much about the coronation itself as about what went on on the sidelines. If you can't stand the heat take it out of the kitchen with new technology which may not be quite as new as some reporters suggest. We hear from Naomi Klein on the hallucinations of artificial intelligence, and from Zoe Cohen, friend of the Sustainable Futures Report, addressing the annual general meeting of Barclays Bank. Nuclear fusion is the immense reaction which powers the sun. Now some Israeli scientists want to replicate it in a shipping container. And there's advance notice of the Net Zero Festival which takes place in London next October.

In this episode, we flip the script on our show and put Brian Hayes, Senior Director, Financial Services Industry Vertical at VMWare in the guest seat. We discuss the digital transformation of the financial services industry. Brian highlights the need for financial institutions to embrace digital transformation, adopt agile methodologies, and cultivate a culture of innovation to stay competitive in the rapidly changing industry.Hayes emphasizes the importance of understanding customers' needs and preferences, using emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain to create personalized, relevant experiences. Brian also acknowledges the challenges of balancing innovation with regulatory compliance and risk management. Ultimately, successful digital transformation requires a collaborative approach, a focus on the customer, and a commitment to experimentation and continuous learning.3 Takeaways:The financial services industry is undergoing a rapid and significant transformation driven by technology and changing customer expectations. Digital disruption is changing the way financial services are delivered and experienced, and financial institutions must adapt quickly to remain competitive. This transformation requires a deep understanding of customers' needs and preferences, as well as the ability to leverage emerging technologies to create new, innovative products and services.To stay competitive, financial services organizations must embrace digital transformation, adopt agile methodologies, and cultivate a culture of innovation. This requires a willingness to experiment and take risks, and the ability to quickly iterate and adapt in response to changing market conditions. Successful digital transformation also requires a collaborative approach, with cross-functional teams working together to develop and implement new solutions.Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain are revolutionizing the way financial services are delivered and creating new opportunities for innovation and growth. These technologies have the potential to transform everything from payments and lending to risk management and regulatory compliance. Financial institutions that can effectively leverage these technologies will be better positioned to create new revenue streams, improve customer experiences, and drive operational efficiencies. However, it's important to remember that technology alone is not enough – a successful digital transformation also requires a deep understanding of the business, the ability to navigate regulatory and compliance requirements, and a commitment to developing a culture of innovation.Key Quotes: "Digital transformation is not just about technology, it's about culture and mindset. Financial institutions must be willing to challenge the status quo, experiment with new ideas, and embrace a culture of innovation. This requires a willingness to take risks and try new things, even if they don't always work out. Success in digital transformation also requires a focus on the customer – understanding their needs and preferences, and delivering personalized, relevant experiences that meet and exceed their expectations.""Innovation requires experimentation, and experimentation requires a culture of tolerance for failure. Financial institutions must be willing to take risks and try new things, even if they don't always work out. This requires a culture that values experimentation and learning, and is willing to accept failure as an inevitable part of the innovation process. By fostering a culture of experimentation, financial institutions can create an environment where new ideas can flourish, and where teams are empowered to take risks and try new things.""The future of financial services is all about customer experience and delivering personalized, relevant services at scale. Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning can play a key role in delivering these experiences, but they must be deployed in a thoughtful and strategic way. Financial institutions must focus on understanding their customers' needs and preferences, and using technology to deliver solutions that meet those needs. By doing so, they can create differentiated experiences that drive customer loyalty and ultimately, business growth."Best Career Advice:The most important thing you can do for your career is to be a lifelong learner. Keep an open mind, be curious, and never stop learning. Seek out new experiences, challenge yourself, and be willing to take risks. And always remember to stay humble and never stop asking questions.Bio:Brian Hayes, Senior Director, Financial Services Industry Solutions Brian is accountable for the ecosystem, solution, and go-to-market strategy, of VMware's offerings to Financial Services customers globally, working with the broader VMware ecosystem and partners including key global product, applications, and consulting organisations.Formerly a Managing Director within the FS Industry, he brings considerable technology and business experience having held Global IT functional and leadership roles in Retail Banking, Capital Markets and Market Exchanges for such companies as HSBC, Barclays Bank, Morgan Stanley, and NYSE. He has also held General Manager and senior executive positions within the consulting services and systems integrator industry, leading global business lines and global programme delivery teams.Operating globally throughout his career, he has lived overseas in the USA and Japan and for extensive periods lead initiatives and teams in locations as diverse as Brazil, Russia, Holland, France and India.With this knowledge, skillset, and experience, he brings to life to client conversations and connection around not just the technology but also the specific business demands and themes, with relevancy to the broader industry challenges. He also sees the future based around open innovation and the co-creation of effective eco-systems, bringing all parties to the table to drive customer solutions and value creation.—For more information:Follow Brian on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-hayes-global-transformation-infrastructure-leadership-innovation-cyber-cloud-digital-delivery/About the HostsMatthew O'Neill is a husband, dad, geek and Industry Managing Director, Advanced Technology Group in the Office of the CTO at VMware.You can find Matthew on LinkedIn and Twitter.Brian Hayes is an audiophile, dad, builder of sheds, maker of mirth, world traveler and EMEA Financial Services Industry Lead at VMware.You can find Brian on LinkedIn.

Jes Staley, the former head of Barclays and a former top executive at JP Morgan and Chase has been under fire for his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein for years. Yet the financial institutions he worked for would have you believe that these allegations and rumors are all brand new. Breaking news: They are not.In this episode, we once again dig into the Jes Staley story and discuss the fallout that has rained down upon the financial sector because of it. (commercial at 6:39)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Barclays says Epstein allegations against ex-boss Jes Staley ‘serious and new' | Barclays | The Guardian

Jes Staley, the former head of Barclays and a former top executive at JP Morgan and Chase has been under fire for his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein for years. Yet the financial institutions he worked for would have you believe that these allegations and rumors are all brand new. Breaking news: They are not.In this episode, we once again dig into the Jes Staley story and discuss the fallout that has rained down upon the financial sector because of it. (commercial at 6:39)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Barclays says Epstein allegations against ex-boss Jes Staley ‘serious and new' | Barclays | The Guardian

Orest Mandzy is managing editor at Commercial Real Estate Direct and tracks the industry through CMBS and other data provided by Trepp and in today's podcast, discusses the state of the US CRE market. The outlook is not bright and Orest asks 'is this 1989 all over again?' by providing a series of charts that show the trends in property values and market liquidity that help predict where we are headed in 2023 and into 2024. Investment sales are down 51%, prices are edging down, Barclays Bank, he reports, predict a 20% overall decline in multifamily values, the yield curve is inverted considerably more than it was in 2022, and lender volumes have collapsed to near zero across the board. Listen in (or watch the video) to hear the latest news so you can plan accordingly as the current market turmoil plays out.

About GeneGene Kim is a multiple award-winning CTO, researcher and author, and has been studying high-performing technology organizations since 1999. He was founder and CTO of Tripwire for 13 years. He has written six books, including The Unicorn Project (2019), The Phoenix Project (2013), The DevOps Handbook (2016), the Shingo Publication Award winning Accelerate (2018), and The Visible Ops Handbook (2004-2006) series. Since 2014, he has been the founder and organizer of DevOps Enterprise Summit, studying the technology transformations of large, complex organizations.Links: The Phoenix Project: https://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Project-DevOps-Helping-Business/dp/1942788290/ The Unicorn Project: https://www.amazon.com/Unicorn-Project-Developers-Disruption-Thriving/dp/B0812C82T9 The DevOps Enterprise Summit: https://events.itrevolution.com/ @RealGeneKim TranscriptAnnouncer: Hello, and welcome to Screaming in the Cloud with your host, Cloud Economist Corey Quinn. This weekly show features conversations with people doing interesting work in the world of cloud, thoughtful commentary on the state of the technical world, and ridiculous titles for which Corey refuses to apologize. This is Screaming in the Cloud.Corey: If you asked me to rank which cloud provider has the best developer experience, I'd be hard-pressed to choose a platform that isn't Google Cloud. Their developer experience is unparalleled and, in the early stages of building something great, that translates directly into velocity. Try it yourself with the Google for Startups Cloud Program over at cloud.google.com/startup. It'll give you up to $100k a year for each of the first two years in Google Cloud credits for companies that range from bootstrapped all the way on up to Series A. Go build something, and then tell me about it. My thanks to Google Cloud for sponsoring this ridiculous podcast.Corey: This episode is brought to us by our friends at Pinecone. They believe that all anyone really wants is to be understood, and that includes your users. AI models combined with the Pinecone vector database let your applications understand and act on what your users want… without making them spell it out. Make your search application find results by meaning instead of just keywords, your personalization system make picks based on relevance instead of just tags, and your security applications match threats by resemblance instead of just regular expressions. Pinecone provides the cloud infrastructure that makes this easy, fast, and scalable. Thanks to my friends at Pinecone for sponsoring this episode. Visit Pinecone.io to understand more.Corey Quinn: Welcome to Screaming in the Cloud. I'm Corey Quinn. I'm joined this week by a man who needs no introduction but gets one anyway. Gene Kim, most famously known for writing The Phoenix Project, but now the Wall Street Journal best-selling author of The Unicorn Project, six years later. Gene, welcome to the show.Gene Kim: Corey so great to be on. I was just mentioning before how delightful it is to be on the other side of the podcast. And it's so much smaller in here than I had thought it would be.Corey Quinn: Excellent. It's always nice to wind up finally meeting people whose work was seminal and foundational. Once upon a time, when I was a young, angry Unix systems administrator—because it's not like there's a second type of Unix administrator—[laughing] The Phoenix Project was one of those texts that was transformational, as far as changing the way I tended to view a lot of what I was working on and gave a glimpse into what could have been a realistic outcome for the world, or the company I was at, but somehow was simultaneously uplifting and incredibly depressing all at the same time. Now, The Unicorn Project does that exact same thing only aimed at developers instead of traditional crusty ops folks.Gene Kim: [laughing] Yeah, yeah. Very much so. Yeah, The Phoenix Project was very much aimed at ops leadership. So, Bill Palmer, the protagonist of that book was the VP of Operations at Parts Unlimited, and the protagonist in The Unicorn Project is Maxine Chambers, Senior Architect, and Developer, and I love the fact that it's told in the same timeline as The Phoenix Project, and in the first scene, she is unfairly blamed for causing the payroll outage and is exiled to The Phoenix Project, where she recoils in existential horror and then finds that she can't do anything herself. She can't do a build, she can't run her own tests. She can't, God forbid, do her own deploys. And I just love the opening third of the book where it really does paint that tundra that many developers find themselves in where they're just caught in decades of built-up technical debt, unable to do even the simplest things independently, let alone be able to independently develop tests or create value for customers. So, it was fun, very much fun, to revisit the Parts Unlimited universe.Corey Quinn: What I found that was fun about—there are few things in there I want to unpack. The first is that it really was the, shall we say, retelling of the same story in, quote/unquote, “the same timeframe”, but these books were written six years apart.Gene Kim: Yeah, and by the way, I want to first acknowledge all the help that you gave me during the editing process. Some of your comments are just so spot on with exactly the feedback I needed at the time and led to the most significant lift to jam a whole bunch of changes in it right before it got turned over to production. Yeah, so The Phoenix Project is told, quote, “in the present day,” and in the same way, The Unicorn Project is also told—takes place in the present day. In fact, they even start, plus or minus, on the same day. And there is a little bit of suspension of disbelief needed, just because there are certain things that are in the common vernacular, very much in zeitgeist now, that weren't six years ago, like “digital disruption”, even things like Uber and Lyft that feature prominently in the book that were just never mentioned in The Phoenix Project, but yeah, I think it was the story very much told in the same vein as like Ender's Shadow, where it takes place in the same timeline, but from a different perspective.Corey Quinn: So, something else that—again, I understand it's an allegory, and trying to tell an allegorical story while also working it into the form of a fictional work is incredibly complicated. That's something that I don't think people can really appreciate until they've tried to do something like it. But I still found myself, at various times, reading through the book and wondering, asking myself questions that, I guess, say more about me than they do about anyone else. But it's, “Wow, she's at a company that is pretty much scapegoating her and blaming her for all of us. Why isn't she quitting? Why isn't she screaming at people? Why isn't she punching the boss right in their stupid, condescending face and storming out of the office?” And I'm wondering how much of that is my own challenges as far as how life goes, as well as how much of it is just there for, I guess, narrative devices. It needed to wind up being someone who would not storm out when push came to shove.Gene Kim: But yeah, I think she actually does the last of the third thing that you mentioned where she does slam the sheet of paper down and say, “Man, you said the outage is caused by a technical failure and a human error, and now you're telling me I'm the human error?” And just cannot believe that she's been put in that position. Yeah, so thanks to your feedback and the others, she actually does shop her resume around. And starts putting out feelers, because this is no longer feeling like the great place to work that attracted her, eight years prior. The reality is for most people, is that it's sometimes difficult to get a new job overnight, even if you want to. But I think that Maxine stays because she believes in the mission. She takes a great deal of pride of what she's created over the years, and I think like most great brands, they do create a sense of mission and there's a deep sense of the customers they serve. And, there's something very satisfying about the work to her. And yeah, I think she is very much, for a couple of weeks, very much always thinking about, she won't be here for long, one way or another, but by the time she stumbles into the rebellion, the crazy group of misfits, the ragtag bunch of misfits, who are trying to find better ways of working and willing to break whatever rules it takes to take over the very ancient powerful order, she falls in love with a group. She found a group of kindred spirits who very much, like her, believe that developer productivity is one of the most important things that we can do as an organization. So, by the time that she looks up with that group, I mean, I think she's all thoughts of leaving are gone.Corey Quinn: Right. And the idea of, if you stick around, you can theoretically change things for the better is extraordinarily compelling. The challenge I've seen is that as I navigate the world, I've met a number of very gifted employees who, frankly wind up demonstrating that same level of loyalty and same kind of loyalty to companies that are absolutely not worthy of them. So my question has always been, when do I stick around versus when do I leave? I'm very far on the bailout as early as humanly possible side of that spectrum. It's why I'm a great consultant but an absolutely terrible employee.Gene Kim: [laughing] Well, so we were honored to have you at the DevOps Enterprise Summit. And you've probably seen that The Unicorn Project book is really dedicated to the achievements of the DevOps Enterprise community. It's certainly inspired by and dedicated to their efforts. And I think what was so inspirational to me were all these courageous leaders who are—they know what the mission is. I mean, they viscerally understand what the mission is and understand that the ways of working aren't working so well and are doing whatever they can to create better ways of working that are safer, faster, and happier. And I think what is so magnificent about so many of their journeys is that their organization in response says, “Thank you. That's amazing. Can we put you in a position of even more authority that will allow you to even make a more material, more impactful contribution to the organization?” And so it's been my observation, having run the conference for, now, six years, going on seven years is that this is a population that is being out promoted—has been promoted at a rate far higher than the population at large. And so for me, that's just an incredible story of grit and determination. And so yeah, where does grit and determination becomes sort of blind loyalty? That's ultimately self-punishing? That's a deep question that I've never really studied. But I certainly do understand that there is a time when no amount of perseverance and grit will get from here to there, and that's a fact.Corey Quinn: I think that it's a really interesting narrative, just to see it, how it tends to evolve, but also, I guess, for lack of a better term, and please don't hold this against me, it seems in many ways to speak to a very academic perspective, and I don't mean that as an insult. Now, the real interesting question is why I would think, well—why would accusing someone of being academic ever be considered as an insult, but my academic career was fascinating. It feels like it aligns very well with The Five Ideals, which is something that you have been talking about significantly for a long time. And in an academic setting that seems to make sense, but I don't see it thought of or spoken of in the same way on the ground. So first, can you start off by giving us an intro to what The Five Ideals are, and I guess maybe disambiguate the theory from the practice?Gene Kim: Oh for sure, yeah. So The Five Ideals are— oh, let's go back one step. So The Phoenix Project had The Three Ways, which were the principles for which you can derive all the observed DevOps practices from and The Four Types of Work. And so in The Five Ideals I used the concept of The Five Ideals and they are—the first—Corey Quinn: And the next version of The Nine whatever you call them at that point, I'm sure. It's a geometric progression.Gene Kim: Right or actually, isn't it the pri—oh, no. four isn't, four isn't prime. Yeah, yeah, I don't know. So, The Five Ideals is a nice small number and it was just really meant to verbalize things that I thought were very important, things I just gravitate towards. One is Locality and Simplicity. And briefly, that's just, to what degree can teams do what they need to do independently without having to coordinate, communicate, prioritize, sequence, marshal, deconflict, with scores of other teams. The Second Ideal is what I think the outcomes are when you have that, which is Focus, Flow and Joy. And so, Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, he describes flow as a state when we are so engrossed in the work we love that we lose track of time and even sense of self. And that's been very much my experience, coding ever since I learned Clojure, this functional programming language. Third Ideal is Improvement of Daily Work, which shows up in The Phoenix Project to say that improvement daily work is even more important than daily work itself. Fourth Ideal is Psychological Safety, which shows up in the State of DevOps Report, but showed up prominently in Google's Project Oxygen, and even in the Toyota production process where clearly it has to be—in order for someone to pull the andon cord that potentially stops the assembly line, you have to have an environment where it's psychologically safe to do so. And then Fifth Ideal is Customer Focus, really focus on core competencies that create enduring, durable business value that customers are willing to pay for, versus context, which is everything else. And yeah, to answer your question, Where did it come from? Why do I think it is important? Why do I focus on that? For me, it's really coming from the State of DevOps Report, that I did with Dr. Nicole Forsgren and Jez Humble. And so, beyond all the numbers and the metrics and the technical practices and the architectural practices and the cultural norms, for me, what that really tells the story of is of The Five Ideals, as to what one of them is very much a need for architecture that allows teams to work independently, having a higher predictor of even, continuous delivery. I love that. And that from the individual perspective, the ideal being, that allows us to focus on the work we want to do to help achieve the mission with a sense of flow and joy. And then really elevating the notion that greatness isn't free, we need to improve daily work, we have to make it psychologically safe to talk about problems. And then the last one really being, can we really unflinchingly look at the work we do on an everyday basis and ask, what the customers care about it? And if customers don't care about it, can we question whether that work really should be done or not. So that's where for me, it's really meant to speak to some more visceral emotions that were concretized and validated through the State of DevOps Report. But these notions I am just very attracted to.Corey Quinn: I like the idea of it. The question, of course, is always how to put these into daily practice. How do you take these from an idealized—well, let's not call it a textbook, but something very similar to that—and apply it to the I guess, uncontrolled chaos that is the day-to-day life of an awful lot of people in their daily jobs.Gene Kim: Yeah. Right. So, the protagonist is Maxine and her role in the story, in the beginning, is just to recognize what not great looks like. She's lived and created greatness for all of her career. And then she gets exiled to this terrible Phoenix project that chews up developers and spits them out and they leave these husks of people they used to be. And so, she's not doing a lot of problem-solving. Instead, it's this recoiling from the inability for people to do builds or do their own tests or be able to do work without having to open up 20 different tickets or not being able to do their own deploys. She just recoil from this spending five days watching people do code merges, and for me, I'm hoping that what this will do, and after people read the book, will see this all around them, hopefully, will have a similar kind of recoiling reaction where they say, “Oh my gosh, this is terrible. I should feel as bad about this as Maxine does, and then maybe even find my fellow rebels and see if we can create a pocket of greatness that can become like the sublimation event in Dr. Thomas Kuhn's book, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.” Create that kernel of greatness, of which then greatness then finds itself surrounded by even more greatness.Corey Quinn: What I always found to be fascinating about your work is how you wind up tying so many different concepts together in ways you wouldn't necessarily expect. For example, when I was reviewing one of your manuscripts before this went to print, you did reject one of my suggestions, which was just, retitle the entire thing. Instead of calling it The Unicorn Project. Instead, call it Gene Kim's Love Letter to Functional Programming. So what is up with that?Gene Kim: Yeah, to put that into context, for 25 years or more, I've self-identified as an ops person. The Phoenix Project was really an ops book. And that was despite getting my graduate degree in compiler design and high-speed networking in 1995. And the reason why I gravitated towards ops, because that was my observation, that that's where the saves were made. It was ops who saved the customer from horrendous, terrible developers who just kept on putting things into production that would then blow up and take everyone with it. It was ops protecting us from the bad adversaries who were trying to steal data because security people were so ineffective. But four years ago, I learned a functional programming language called Clojure and, without a doubt, it reintroduced the joy of coding back into my life and now, in a good month, I spend half the time—in the ideal—writing, half the time hanging out with the best in the game, of which I would consider this to be a part of, and then 20% of time coding. And I find for the first time in my career, in over 30 years of coding, I can write something for years on end, without it collapsing in on itself, like a house of cards. And that is an amazing feeling, to say that maybe it wasn't my inability, or my lack of experience, or my lack of sensibilities, but maybe it was just that I was sort of using the wrong tool to think with. That comes from the French philosopher Claude Lévi-Strauss. He said of certain things, “Is it a good tool to think with?” And I just find functional programming is such a better tool to think with, that notions like composability, like immutability, what I find so exciting is that these things aren't just for programming languages. And some other programming languages that follow the same vein are, OCaml, Lisp, ML, Elixir, Haskell. These all languages that are sort of popularizing functional programming, but what I find so exciting is that we see it in infrastructure and operations, too. So Docker is fundamentally immutable. So if you want to change a container, we have to make a new one. Kubernetes composes these containers together at the level of system of systems. Kafka is amazing because it usually reveals the desire to have this immutable data model where you can't change the past. Version control is immutable. So, I think it's no surprise that as our systems get more and more complex and distributed, we're relying on things like immutability, just to make it so that we can reason about them. So, it is something I love addressing in the book, and it's something I decided to double down on after you mentioned it. I'm just saying, all kidding aside is this a book for—Corey Quinn: Oh good, I got to make it worse. Always excited when that happens.Gene Kim: Yeah, I mean, your suggestion really brought to the forefront a very critical decision, which was, is this a book for technology leaders, or even business leaders, or is this a book developers? And, after a lot of soul searching, I decided no, this is a book for developers, because I think the sensibilities that we need to instill and the awareness we need to create these things around are the developers and then you just hope and pray that the book will be good enough that if enough engineers like it, then engineering leaders will like it. And if enough engineering leaders like it, then maybe some business leaders will read it as well. So that's something I'm eagerly seeing what will happen as the weeks, months, and years go by. Corey Quinn: This episode is sponsored in part by DataStax. The NoSQL event of the year is DataStax Accelerate in San Diego this May from the 11th through the 13th. I've given a talk previously called the myth of multi-cloud, and it's time for me to revisit that with... A sequel! Which is funny given that it's a NoSQL conference, but there you have it. To learn more, visit datastax.com that's D-A-T-A-S-T-A-X.com and I hope to see you in San Diego. This May.Corey Quinn: One thing that I always admired about your writing is that you can start off trying to make a point about one particular aspect of things. And along the way you tie in so many different things, and the functional programming is just one aspect of this. At some point, by the end of it, I half expected you to just pick a fight over vi versus Emacs, just for the sheer joy you get in effectively drawing interesting and, I guess, shall we say, the right level of conflict into it, where it seems very clear that what you're talking about is something thing that has the potential to be transformative and by throwing things like that in you're, on some level, roping people in who otherwise wouldn't weigh in at all. But it's really neat to watch once you have people's attention, just almost in spite of what they want, you teach them something. I don't know if that's a fair accusation or not, but it's very much I'm left with the sense that what you're doing has definite impact and reverberations throughout larger industries.Gene Kim: Yeah, I hope so. In fact, just to reveal this kind of insecurity is, there's an author I've read a lot of and she actually read this blog post that she wrote about the worst novel to write, and she called it The Yeomans Tour of the Starship Enterprise. And she says, “The book begins like this: it's a Yeoman on the Starship Enterprise, and all he does is admire the dilithium crystals, and the phaser, and talk about the specifications of the engine room.” And I sometimes worry that that's what I've done in The Unicorn Project, but hopefully—I did want to have that technical detail there and share some things that I love about technology and the things I hate about technology, like YAML files, and integrate that into the narrative because I think it is important. And I would like to think that people reading it appreciate things like our mutual distaste of YAML files, that we've all struggled trying to escape spaces and file names inside of make files. I mean, these are the things that are puzzles we have to solve, but they're so far removed from the business problem we're trying to solve that really, the purpose of that was trying to show the mistake of solving puzzles in our daily work instead of solving real problems.Corey Quinn: One thing that I found was really a one-two punch, for me at least, was first I read and give feedback on the book and then relatively quickly thereafter, I found myself at my first DevOps Enterprise Summit, and I feel like on some level, I may have been misinterpreted when I was doing my live-tweeting/shitposting-with-style during a lot of the opening keynotes, and the rest, where I was focusing on how different of a conference it was. Unlike a typical DevOps Days or big cloud event, it wasn't a whole bunch of relatively recent software startups. There were serious institutions coming out to have conversations. We're talking USAA, we're talking to US Air Force, we're talking large banks, we're talking companies that have a 200-year history, where you don't get to just throw everything away and start over. These are companies that by and large, have, in many ways, felt excluded to some extent, from the modern discussions of, well, we're going to write some stuff late at night, and by the following morning, it's in production. You don't get to do that when you're a 200-year-old insurance company. And I feel like that was on some level interpreted as me making fun of startups for quote/unquote, “not being serious,” which was never my intention. It's just this was a different conversation series for a different audience who has vastly different constraints. And I found it incredibly compelling and I intend to go back.Gene Kim: Well, that's wonderful. And, in fact, we have plans for you, Mr. Quinn.Corey Quinn: Uh-oh.Gene Kim: Yeah. I think when I say I admire the DevOps Enterprise community. I mean that I'm just so many different dimensions. The fact that these, leaders and—it's not leaders just in terms of seniority on the organization chart—these are people who are leading technology efforts to survive and win in the marketplace. In organizations that have been around sometimes for centuries, Barclays Bank was founded in the year 1634. That predates the invention of paper cash. HMRC, the UK version of the IRS was founded in the year 1200. And, so there's probably no code that goes that far back, but there's certainly values and—Corey Quinn: Well, you'd like to hope not. Gene Kim: Yeah, right. You never know. But there are certainly values and traditions and maybe even processes that go back centuries. And so that's what's helped these organizations be successful. And here are a next generation of leaders, trying to make sure that these organizations see another century of greatness. So I think that's, in my mind, deeply admirable.Corey Quinn: Very much so. And my only concern was, I was just hoping that people didn't misinterpret my snark and sarcasm as aimed at, “Oh, look at these crappy—these companies are real companies and all those crappy SAS companies are just flashes in the pan.” No, I don't believe that members of the Fortune 500 are flash in the pan companies, with a couple notable exceptions who I will not name now, because I might want some of them on this podcast someday. The concern that I have is that everyone's work is valuable. Everyone's work is important. And what I'm seeing historically, and something that you've nailed, is a certain lack of stories that apply to some of those organizations that are, for lack of a better term, ossified into their current process model, where they there's no clear path for them to break into, quote/unquote, “doing the DevOps.”Gene Kim: Yeah. And the business frame and the imperative for it is incredible. Tesla is now offering auto insurance bundled into the car. Banks are now having to compete with Apple. I mean, it is just breathtaking to see how competitive the marketplaces and the need to understand the customer and deliver value to them quickly and to be able to experiment and innovate and out-innovate the competition. I don't think there's any business leader on the planet who doesn't understand that software is eating the world and they have to that any level of investment they do involves software at some level. And so the question is, for them, is how do they get educated enough to invest and manage and lead competently? So, to me it really is like the sleeping giant awakening. And it's my genuine belief is that the next 50 years, as much value as the tech giants have created: Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google, Microsoft, they've generated trillions of dollars of economic value. When we can get eighteen million developers, as productive as an engineer at a tech giant is, that will generate tens of trillions of dollars of economic value per year. And so, when you generate that much economic activity, all problems become solvable, you look at climate change, you take a look at the disparity between rich and poor. All things can be fixed when you significantly change the economic economy in this way. So, I'm extremely hopeful and I know that the need for things like DevOps are urgent and important.Corey Quinn: I guess that that's probably the best way of framing this. So you wrote one version that was aimed at operators back in 2013, this one was aimed at developers, and effectively retails and clarifies an awful lot of the same points. As a historical ops person, I didn't feel left behind by The Unicorn Project, despite not being its target market. So I guess the question on everyone's mind, are you planning on doing a third iteration, and if so, for what demographic?Gene Kim: Yeah, nothing at this point, but there is one thing that I'm interested in which is the role of business leaders. And Sarah is an interesting villain. One of my favorite pieces of feedback during the review process was, “I didn't think I could ever hate Sarah more. And yet, I did find her even to be more loathsome than before.” She's actually based on a real person, someone that I worked with.Corey Quinn: That's the best part, is these characters are relatable enough that everyone can map people they know onto various aspects of them, but can't ever disclose the entire list in public because that apparently has career consequences.Gene Kim: That's right. Yes, I will not say who the character is based on but there's, in the last scene of the book that went to print, Sarah has an interesting interaction with Maxine, where they meet for lunch. And, I think the line was, “And it wasn't what Maxine had thought, and she's actually looking forward to the next meeting.” I think that leaves room for it. So one of the things I want to do with some friends and colleagues is just understand, why does Sarah act the way she does? I think we've all worked with someone like her. And there are some that are genuinely bad actors, but I think a lot of them are doing something, based on genuine, real motives. And it would be fun, I thought, to do something with Elizabeth Henderson, who we decided to start having a conversation like, what does she read? What is her background? What is she good at? What does her resume look like? And what caused her to—who in technology treated her so badly that she treats technology so badly? And why does she behave the way she does? And so I think she reads a lot of strategy books. I think she is not a great people manager, I think she maybe has come from the mergers and acquisition route that viewed people as fungible. And yeah, I think she is definitely a creature of economics, was lured by an external investor, about how good it can be if you can extract value out of the company, squeeze every bit of—sweat every asset and sell the company for parts. So I would just love to have a better understanding of, when people say they work with someone like a Sarah, is there a commonality to that? And can we better understand Sarah so that we can both work with her and also, compete better against her, in our own organizations?Corey Quinn: I think that's probably a question best left for people to figure out on their own, in a circumstance where I can't possibly be blamed for it.Gene Kim: [laughing].That can be arranged, Mr. Quinn.Corey Quinn: All right. Well, if people want to learn more about your thoughts, ideas, feelings around these things, or of course to buy the book, where can they find you?Gene Kim: If you're interested in the ideas that are in The Unicorn Project, I would point you to all of the freely available videos on YouTube. Just Google DevOps Enterprise Summit and anything that's on the plenary stage are specifically chosen stories that very much informed The Unicorn Project. And the best way to reach me is probably on Twitter. I'm @RealGeneKim on Twitter, and feel free to just @ mention me, or DM me. Happy to be reached out in whatever way you can find me. Corey Quinn: You know where the hate mail goes then. Gene, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me, I appreciate it.Gene Kim: And Corey, likewise, and again, thank you so much for your unflinching feedback on the book and I hope you see your fingerprints all over it and I'm just so delighted with the way it came out. So thanks to you, Corey. Corey Quinn: As soon as my signed copy shows up, you'll be the first to know.Gene Kim: Consider it done. Corey Quinn: Excellent, excellent. That's the trick, is to ask people for something in a scenario in which they cannot possibly say no. Gene Kim, multiple award-winning CTO, researcher, and author. Pick up his new book, The Wall Street Journal best-selling The Unicorn Project. I'm Cloud Economist Corey Quinn, and this is Screaming in the Cloud. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you hated this podcast, please leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts and leave a compelling comment.Announcer: This has been this week's episode of Screaming in the Cloud. You can also find more Corey at ScreamingintheCloud.com or wherever fine snark is sold.This has been a HumblePod production. Stay humble.

Emily Fletcher went from a burnt-out Broadway performer to a well-known meditation guru who now runs an innovative meditation company called Ziva Meditation. She now teaches thousands of people about the life-changing benefits of reaching an altered state through meditation. On this episode of YAP Classic, Emily discusses these benefits and explains how you can implement meditation into your daily life. Emily's company, Ziva Meditation, utilizes a powerful combination of mindfulness, meditation, and manifesting to help people release years of pent-up stress and trauma. Ziva has hosted over 40,000 students and Emily has sold 50,000 books through running Ziva.   Topics Include:  - Emily's early career on Broadway  - Why did Emily hate her dream job?  - How meditation fixed Emily's sleep schedule - Meditation can help you release years of chronic stress  - The physical and mental benefits of meditation  - Can meditation improve your sex life?  - The difference between mindfulness, meditation, and manifesting  - How to combine those three practices for top results  - Why you need to find a reliable meditation teacher  - And other topics… Emily Fletcher is the founder of Ziva Meditation and the author of Stress Less, Accomplish More. Her book debuted at #7 out of all books on Amazon. The New York Times, The Today Show, Vogue and ABC News have all featured Emily's work. She's been named one of the top 100 women in wellness to watch, has taught more than 20,000 students around the world and has spoken on meditation for performance at Apple, Google, Harvard Business School and Barclays Bank. Ziva graduates include Oscar, Grammy, Tony & Emmy award winners, NBA players, Navy SEALs, Fortune 500 CEOs, busy parents, and social entrepreneurs. Resources Mentioned: Ziva's Website: https://zivameditation.com/  Ziva's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCxjaQh4v8HqoQ7BvlmsDFw  Ziva's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zivameditation/?hl=en  Emily's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Stress-Less-Accomplish-More-Extraordinary/dp/0062747509  Emily's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyfletcherziva/  Emily's Twitter: https://twitter.com/zivameditation?lang=en  Emily's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilystellafletcher/?hl=en  Sponsored By:  Omaha Steaks - Visit OmahaSteaks.com and get 50% off sitewide plus use promo code YAP at checkout to get that EXTRA $40 OFF your order Indeed - Visit Indeed.com/YAP to start hiring now. Rocket Money - Go to rocketmoney.com/profiting for more info Shopify - Sign up for a free trial at shopify.com/profiting The Jordan Harbinger Show - Check out jordanharbinger.com/start for some episode recommendations More About Young and Profiting Download Transcripts - youngandprofiting.com   Get Sponsorship Deals - youngandprofiting.com/sponsorships Leave a Review - ratethispodcast.com/yap Watch Videos - youtube.com/c/YoungandProfiting Follow Hala Taha LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/htaha/ Instagram - instagram.com/yapwithhala/ TikTok - tiktok.com/@yapwithhala Twitter - twitter.com/yapwithhala Learn more about YAP Media Agency Services - yapmedia.io/ Join Hala's LinkedIn Masterclass - yapmedia.io/course  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices