Podcasts about Best Western

Happy Friday! It's Man & Evil Bald Colin, we chat about bad reality shows, we get a game 7 for the NBA Finals, college football may move up the season, Sosa goes back to Wrigley Field, Eddie is living at the Best Western, we chat about OSU hoops, we pay homage to Jaws & chat about scary movies & we send people to jail.

Aujourd'hui, j'ai le plaisir de vous emmener dans l'univers de l'hôtellerie en compagnie d'Olivier Cohn, Directeur Général de Best Western France. C'est dans les locaux de la marque à Colombes que s'est tenue notre conversation, à l'image de l'homme : accessible, simple, agréable, sans frou frou, directe. J'entre dans le bureau d'Olivier, il se lève pour me saluer, enlève sa veste pour l'occasion, me demande si on se tutoie. Ce sera « tu », c'est l'habitude dans la maison. Nous échangeons quelques mots sur son amour pour le golf et voilà que j'appuie sur le bouton rouge. Best Western, c'est aujourd'hui plus de 300 hôtels en France. C'est aussi une histoire qui commence sur la route 66 en Californie après-guerre quand un jour 66 hôtels indépendants décident de se réunir sous une même marque. Ils sont aujourd'hui plus de 4000 dans le monde.  Alors c'est vrai, la route 66 aux US n'est pas la Nationale 7. Mais moi j'aime bien ces histoires venues d'outre Atlantique qui sentent bon le pragmatisme américain, l'hôtellerie à la française sous forme coopérative et une aventure devenue mondiale. Suivre Olivier sur LinkedIn Si cette nouvelle interview vous a plu, parlez-en autour de vous, notez 5 ⭐ le podcast (Spotify, Deezer, ApplePodcast...) et rédigez un avis.N'hésitez pas à m'écrire sur LinkedIn ➡️ LinkedIn/MartinVidelaine et à vous abonner à notre Newsletter hebdomadaire Toutes les Histoires d'Entreprises sont également disponibles sur histoiresentreprises.com et sur le site de bluebirds.partners, site de la communauté d'indépendants que j'anime et qui conseille ou remplace des dirigeants. Un podcast co-réalisé avec Agnès GuillardHébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Get an easy $200 from Melio for making your first payment! (Affiliate link. Terms below) https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/travelonpointsteam Episode Description This week Capital One announced some big changes to lounge access for Venture X cardholders. Like before the new rules are a bit different for the personal and business cards, however everything is getting cutback. Bye bye free guest access for most. Are these cards still worth it?   Shawn also details some of the most interesting hotels of his trip including the Park Hyatt Zurich and Hyatt Place Zurich. Is the Hyatt Place a better hotel than the Park Hyatt? He also discusses a lovely Hyatt that feels like an old German grandmother's house, one of the coolest castles in the world and how knowing your travel limits is easier said than done. Enjoying the podcast? Please consider leaving us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform! You can also connect with us anytime at podcast@milestomemories.com.  Episode Guide 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 1:01 How European hotels are just different than America - Are we idiots? 4:40 How a Best Western delivered a huge surprise 11:10 Capital One's huge upcoming changes to lounge access 18:36 European rental car debacle update & how to protect yourself 24:01 Visiting Zurich - The best Hyatt Place in the world? 29:00 Park Hyatt Zurich - Is it really worth $1600 or 45K points? 34:21 The quirkiest Hyatt hotel in Europe? 39:31 How much travel is enough? You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know!

It is summer road trip season so it is time to recap some of our best road trip tips from preparing, planning, packing, and more. Plus, we share some of our favorite road trips. Episode Highlights Before you head out on a road trip, make sure your car has been serviced recently and check the tires to make sure the pressure is correct. You may also want to top off your fluids and use the bug windshield washer fluid. Bring a go-to kit with wipes, sanitizer, tissues, lip balm, moisturizer, sun screen, and eye drops. Also bring a couple of extra baggies or ziploc bags. Bring a trash bag for the front and back (or for each kid) and empty the trash at each stop. Bring a small cooler and ice pack that you can refreeze each night for left overs and snacks. Have a specific spot for your snacks that can be refilled when needed. Use a car freshener or car air purifier to help keep food smells away. You may want to consider a AAA membership and bring your card with you. For longer road trips, consider bringing a carry on bag with a duffle bag instead of a larger checked bag. Use a duffle bag to transport what you need in and out each night. It is good to have one overnight bag for toiletries and pajamas for everyone that always goes in. Bring a laundry bag that you can put your dirty clothes in each day in your car or larger suitcase. Plan an overnight stay at a place that has laundry facilities. When choosing where to stay, consider staying just off the highway where you are more likely to find a chain hotel that has free breakfast and free parking (and laundry facilities). Plus it is easy to get on and off the highway. Some of the chains like Best Western have summer promotions for multiple stays. Some apps to have are Gas Buddy, Road Trippers, and of course Google or Apple Maps. Google Maps is also good at showing you how busy attractions are at different times of the day. For road trips in less-populated areas, bring a road atlas or paper maps (you can get free maps at AAA if you are a member) Maine Coast road trip - read the full post here: https://we3travel.com/boston-to-bar-harbor-a-maine-coast-road-trip-itinerary/ Florida Keys road trip - read more here: https://yourtimetofly.com/key-west-girls-trip/ Canadian Rockies road trip - read more here: https://we3travel.com/canadian-rockies-vacation-itinerary/ West Coast road trip - read more here: https://stuffedsuitcase.com/west-coast-road-trip/ Road trip packing list: https://stuffedsuitcase.com/pack-car-road-trip/ Related Episodes West Coast road trip Southwest Grand Circle road trip Oregon Coast road trip California road trip Midwest road trip Family road trip tips

Ian Hartley announces Park City Council campaign, Professor Scott Ballenger discusses the NPR lawsuit brought against the Trump administration, HBO executive Janet Graham Borba talks about filming the HBO movie "Mountainhead" in Park City, International peace builder speaks in Park City on resolving conflict, Book of Mormon sculpture garden breaks ground in Heber City, Rocky Mountain Power requests rehearing on partial electricity rate hike, Francis stands by Best Western approval as residents appeal decision and Park Silly Sunday Market Executive Director Kate McChesney provides details on this year's market which begins this Sunday.

On this episode of The Cabin, we're joined by Billy Deuce, a comedian and musician who splits his time between Boston and Milwaukee. We put Billy to the test with a game of “Real, Er' No?” featuring wild Wisconsin headlines, and we throw him into the hot seat for a rapid-fire dating game. Get ready for lots of laughs in this episode!The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we're featuring Pepin County; https://bit.ly/WCAPepinCountyThe Cabin is also presented to you by:GHT; https://bit.ly/3YigPJyWashington County; https://www.washcowisco.gov/Best Western; bestwestern.com

In Episode 120 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Mike Zaccheo and Angie Sparks cover Angie's recent trip to Slovenia and Croatia, blending personal travel highlights with timely award travel news. Big community updates include the long-awaited announcement of the 2025 Chicago Seminars (Nov 7–9 at HR ORD), changes to Emirates First Class award access for elites only, and generous summer promotions from Best Western and Marriott Homes & Villas. Hyatt also announced a cap on the number of awards a member can receive via gifting, beginning June 7, 2025. On the personal front, Angie completed spend on her ABG card and is eyeing her next one, while Mike is working up the nerve to have Player 2 call Chase before a bonus expires.Angie detailed her trip to the Balkans, booked using Turkish Miles & Smiles with a bonus from Citi ThankYou Points. Despite a few travel hiccups, she had an enjoyable experience flying Turkish Airlines and Polaris on the return. Hotels were mostly booked with cash via OTAs, with some offset using Capital One travel credits. Angie and her travel companion rented a car for their road trip, visiting Lake Bled, the Julian Alps, and iconic caves like Postojna, before crossing into Italy and heading down the Istrian coast into Croatia. Highlights included truffle tasting tours, the Roman ruins in Pula, and the stunning Plitvice Lakes. Angie strongly recommends Slovenia for its beauty, affordability, and mild summer weather. Her tip of the week? Always pack a charging brick—especially when facing airport delays.Link to Topics Discussed15th Annual Chicago SeminarsEmirates restricts First Class award redemptionsBest Western Points PromotionHyatt Restricts Award GiftsMarriott Homes & Villas PromotionEmirates Skyward Miles ExpirationWhere to Find Us The Free 110k+ member Award Travel 101 Community. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1. You can also email us at 101@award.travel Stay tuned for news about our next meetup! Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. We love being able to automatically add all of our offers and quickly seeing the best card to use for every purchase. Signup today at https://cardpointers.com/at101 for a 30% discount on annual and lifetime subscriptions! Lastly, we appreciate your support of the AT101 Podcast/Community when you signup for your next card! Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.

In honor of the late Val Kilmer The Brothers discuss his greatest role from the 1993 film Tombstone. We get into the troubled production of this film and the deeper themes of right and wrong in it. Also, the “if Hollywood made it today segment,” returns. Enjoy!Two ordinary brothers discussing extraordinary ideas... and some random shit.Email- thebrothersrandomv@gmail.comCheck us out on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/@thebrothersrandom  

Delos ambitionne de réinventer la suite bureautique à l'ère de l'intelligence artificielle. Pierre a fondé sa startup il y a moins de deux ans avec son frère Thibaut, ils comptent aujourd'hui une vingtaine de collaborateurs.Leur plateforme propose une suite de 7 applications intégrées, allant de la rédaction de docs à la synthèse de réunions, en passant par un assistant intelligent et un moteur de recherche. Hébergée chez Scaleway, Delos garantit la sécurité et la souveraineté des données, répondant aux exigences de sécurité et de conformité des entreprises. Avec déjà 200 clients, dont Total ou Best Western, Pierre a levé courant avril 2,5 millions d'euros pour renforcer sa notoriété et accélérer son développement. Bon teaser ! Distribué par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

In Episode 134 of White Canes Connect, host David Goldstein is joined by Pam Baquero, President of the Pennsylvania Association of Blind Merchants, for a lively preview of the upcoming Spring Fling Blind Vendor Showcase, taking place May 17 at the Best Western Premier in Harrisburg. This high-energy event celebrates blind entrepreneurship with food, music, raffles, and a marketplace of blind and visually impaired vendors from across the region. Pam details the schedule—4 PM to 10 PM—and teases the delicious hors d'oeuvres (yes, including Guinness beef) and live DJ. Guests can expect auctions featuring items like a $379 cocktail maker, a web design package valued at $2,500, and a $250 Best Western gift card. Vendor tables are $50, tickets are $25, and sponsorships start at $50. The event supports blind business owners, including those in and outside the Business Enterprise Program (BEP), and is open to the public. Pam also shares updates on BEP training relaunches and reiterates the need for visibility, education, and support within the blind entrepreneur community. Whether you're blind, sighted, curious, or just want a solid quesadilla—Spring Fling welcomes you. Visit https://www.pablindmerchants.org/spring-fling/  for details. Bring friends. Bring cash. Bring your appetite. Show notes at https://www.whitecanesconnect.com/134        Links Mentioned Attend Spring Fling Blind Vendor Showcase: https://www.pablindmerchants.org/fling/  Exhibit at Spring Fling (sorry, blind & low vision vendors only): https://www.pablindmerchants.org/exhibit/  Sponsor the Spring Fling Blind Vendor Showcase: https://www.pablindmerchants.org/sponsor/  Have you checked out Federation Focus yet? https://www.youtube.com/@nfbofpa/  An Easy Way to Help the NFB of PA Support the NFB of PA with every purchase at White Cane Coffee Company by going to https://www.whitecanecoffee.com/ref/nfbp. When you use that link to purchase from White Cane Coffee, the NFB of PA earns a 10% commission! Share the link with your family and friends! Listen to Erin and Bob Willman from White Cane Coffee on episode 072 of White Canes Connect. Donate to the NFB of PA Like what you hear on White Canes Connect? Support us and donate to the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania, visit https://www.NFBofPA.org/give/. We Want to Hear Your Story Reach out with questions and comments, or share ideas! We want to hear from you. Call us at (267) 338-4495 or at whitecanesconnect@gmail.com. Follow White Canes Connect Find out why White Canes Connect is currently ranked at #13 of the 100 Best Visually Impaired Podcast. Find the show on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/white-canes-connect/id1592248709  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1YDQSJqpoteGb1UMPwRSuI  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pablindpodcast 

This week we look at TD's improved flagship rewards credit card, the return of the best bonus on the WestJet card, Hilton & Best Western's summer promos and much more in our weekly credit card and loyalty rewards newscast! Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code rewardscanada at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://www.saily.com/rewardscanada

Dans ce nouvel épisode de L'Empreinte, Alice Vachet reçoit Laëtitia Thiel, Directrice générale adjointe de la coopérative hôtelière Best Western Hotels & Resorts France. "Cap vers une hôtellerie d'avenirs" qui vise à accélérer la transformation digitale, développer sa notoriété et surtout, faire de la RSE une priorité. Best Western a défini une raison d'être qui lui ressemble, avec engagement, authenticité et convivialité. Mais comment repenser l'expérience hôtelière pour la rendre plus durable ? Quel est le plus gros impact sur le bilan carbone de la coopérative ? Comment embarquer collaborateurs et clients dans la transition sociale et écologique ? Tant de questions et bien plus, abordées dans ce nouvel épisode de L'Empreinte. Bonne écoute ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dans ce nouvel épisode de L'Empreinte, Alice Vachet reçoit Laëtitia Thiel, Directrice générale adjointe de la coopérative hôtelière Best Western Hotels & Resorts France. "Cap vers une hôtellerie d'avenirs" qui vise à accélérer la transformation digitale, développer sa notoriété et surtout, faire de la RSE une priorité. Best Western a défini une raison d'être qui lui ressemble, avec engagement, authenticité et convivialité. Mais comment repenser l'expérience hôtelière pour la rendre plus durable ? Quel est le plus gros impact sur le bilan carbone de la coopérative ? Comment embarquer collaborateurs et clients dans la transition sociale et écologique ? Tant de questions et bien plus, abordées dans ce nouvel épisode de L'Empreinte. Bonne écoute ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Meg Wolitzer presents two stories about selves obscured and revealed, by characters whose own identities are mysteries to them.  In Aimee Bender's “Un-Selfie, a woman reveals her extraordinary past to a stranger.The story was a commission for our 2022 Small Odysseys anthology, and is read by Alysia Reiner.  In our second story, “Best Western” by Louise Erdrich, a young wife struggles to maintain a romantic fiction, until the real world crashes in on her.  It's read by Patricia Kalember.

The entirety of Jake & Ben for April 9, 2025: HOUR ONE Who's playing second-fiddle to OKC? Top-3 Stories of the Day Brian Taylor, Real Golf Radio HOUR TWO Nick Olczyk, SEG Media What You Got Wednesday Ben's dog is smart unlike him

Alison and Amanda talk about the Southern Florida social scene, the evolution of The Ethels, hair harassment, and transformational tiny homes.  Sis & Tell, an award-winning weekly comedic podcast, is hosted by southern Jewish sisters the Emmy-nominated Alison Goldstein Lebovitz from PBS' The A List and Time Magazine's 2006 Person of the Year, Comedian Amanda Goldstein Marks.

good morning dear friends.  If you're like me, your social media has been chock-a-block with stories concerning a regional tech/influencer convention “reducing their footprint” in coming years and there's no shortage of misinformed, self-styled experts willing to declare the entire endeavor deader than Deadsy.  To which I say, PISH FUCKIN' POSH.  Did Tom Vu throw in the towel the first time he had a poor turnout at the Best Western?  Did Marshall Applewhite take his ball and go home the first time he failed to fill a room?  And if he did, is there such thing as an official mass suicide ball (signed by Bowie Kuhn)?  Without even making a Dr. Gene Scott analogy, if there's one thing I'm overly confident about (other than thinking anyone wants to hear this show) is that the next generation of grifters and narcissists will continue to find an audience, even if they have to lay low for a year or 3.  Goodbye Austin Convention Center, HELLO KICK BUTT COFFEE.  (above : likely location to pick up your 2025 Platinum Pass) 

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we're featuring Richland County; https://www.wicounties.org/counties/richland-county/The Cabin is also presented by GHT; https://bit.ly/3YigPJyInside Sponsors:Washington County (3/8) - Parks, Best Western (2/10) - Region #2

It's Monday, March 16th, 2025. This is Nelson John, let's get started.  BIS Cracks Down on Non-Certified E-Commerce Products India's Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has intensified its crackdown on non-certified products sold via Amazon and Flipkart. Recent raids in Lucknow, Gurugram, and Delhi led to the seizure of thousands of uncertified goods, including toys, hand blenders, and gas stoves. Investigators traced the source to Techvision International Pvt Ltd, resulting in further seizures of over 11,000 appliances. Legal action is underway under the BIS Act, 2016, with potential fines and jail time. As non-compliant products flood online marketplaces, BIS urges consumers to verify certifications via its BIS Care app while ramping up surveillance to ensure product safety. Berkshire Hathaway's Buyback Pause Continues Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has halted stock buybacks since May 2024—the longest pause since Buffett gained expanded repurchase authority in 2018. A recent proxy filing confirmed no buybacks between Feb. 10 and March 5, signaling Buffett doesn't see Berkshire's stock as undervalued. Despite this, the company's stock has surged, with Class A shares reaching $771,250—up 13% in 2024, outperforming the S&P 500. Investors remain optimistic due to Berkshire's $300 billion cash reserves and strong insurance sector performance. With the stock trading at 1.7 times book value and 25 times projected earnings, analysts suggest buybacks may remain scarce unless prices drop. India-New Zealand Resume Free Trade Talks India and New Zealand have reopened negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to deepen economic ties, following talks between Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and New Zealand's Trade Minister Todd McClay. Talks, originally launched in 2010, stalled in 2015 due to disputes over dairy access and market entry. New Zealand seeks broader agricultural exports, while India is pushing for better IT and services market access. With bilateral trade at just $1.54 billion in FY24, both nations see untapped potential. The renewed talks align with India's broader FTA strategy, following deals with Australia and EFTA, as negotiators now focus on tariff reductions and investment facilitation. BWH Hotels Expands Aggressively in India BWH Hotels, operator of Best Western and SureStay, is expanding in India with 21 newly built hotels over the next two years. Speaking at HOPE 2025, CEO Larry Cuculic emphasized a shift from conversions to fresh builds to maintain quality. BWH currently operates 32 hotels across India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, with plans to expand into secondary markets, driven by infrastructure growth and rising demand for business and wedding travel. The company has signed 54 properties, aiming for 100 hotels in 5-7 years. India's hospitality sector is attracting global chains like Marriott and Wyndham, with BWH focusing on managed full-service offerings tailored to local preferences. India's Sugar Production Drops 16%, Raising Supply Concerns India's sugar output has fallen 16.13% to 23.71 million tonnes in the 2024-25 season, causing concern among policymakers. The National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF) highlighted “ambiguity” in production data, warning of potential impacts on domestic supply and exports. The crushing season, nearing its end, has seen lower-than-expected yields, possibly due to erratic weather. This decline may lead the government to reassess export policies and stock management, balancing farmer support with stable sugar prices. The industry awaits potential policy adjustments as the government monitors supply dynamics.

This session of the radio show shares our “Town Council Quarterbacking” with Town Council Chair Tom Mercer. We had our conversation via the Zoom Conference Bridge on Thursday, March 6, 2025. Our conversation condenses the three recent meetings:Police Station Building Cmte Mtg - 02/25/25Town Council meeting - 2/26/25Town Council meeting - 3/05/25 We focus on two questions:• ok, what just happened? • What does it mean for Franklin residents and taxpayers?Topics for this sessionPolice Station Building Committee 2/25/25Team together and starting work; No site chosen, no design or estimates other than rough ballparks; Site visits planned to see others recently done; Open houses planned to enable the community to see inside; Video also planned to share views/walkthrough, website with info being built; Likely at east 2 years before some firm details, estimates, sometime after a decision on building vote or notTown Council meeting 2/26/25ALS/BLS ambulance fee increase approvedDid get confirmation from the Commonwealth, August 31, Best Western will be closed to the emergency shelter programTown Council last night - 3/05/25Police swearing in, replacement for recent retiree, String quartet and proclamationOPEB update Good position, funding plan, AAA related impactFY 2026 budget update Listening session at Senior Center ¾ Council Chambers, 3/8 & FHS auditorium on 3/12 JBSC recommendation at end of 3/12 session Town Council to take up 3/19 $3.862 M shortage, no money to be found otherwise raise or cut Details on Town page, opportunities for discussion, questions as mentionedEasement for DCR, and commitment on $1M to help with rail trail extension when the federal acquisition process allowsLet's listen to my conversation with Tom as we recap the three recent meetings --------------Franklin TV video is ready for replayPolice Stn 02/25/25 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWC6PbFTu0s Town Council 02/26/25 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbkmz3G_q6Y Town Council 03/05/25 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAHS9BRE4cA&t=100 --------------We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial. This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.How can you help?If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighborsIf you don't like something here, please let me knowAnd if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach. We'll share and show you what and how we do what we doThrough this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot

This session shares the Franklin (MA) Town Council Meeting of Wednesday, February 26, 2025. 8 of the members participated in Council Chambers, 1 was absent (Dellorco). Quick recap:Going right to legislation for actionBylaw Amendment 25-924: A Bylaw to Amend the Code of the Town of Franklin at Chapter 82, Fees, Municipal Service - Second Reading; Motion to waive reading, passes - Motion to approve, second, vote via roll call passes 8-0-1 (1 absent)Resolution 25-05: Free Cash To Stabilization Accounts Transfers Motion to approve, second - Discussion had been part of the capital budget review by FinCom and Capital budget subcmte but not yet set here for approval - Passes 8-0-1 (1 absent)Bylaw Amendment 25-925: Amendment to Sewer System Map (Raymond St.) - First Reading - Last parcel on the road to extend this to. Motion to move to second reading, passes 8-0-1 (1 absent) Related to the aboveBylaw Amendment 25-926: Amendment to Water System Map (Raymond St.) - First Reading - Water to go along with the sewer as noted, motion to move to second reading, passes 8-0-1 (1 absent)Resolution 25-11: Cable Funds in Support of PEG Service and Programming per MGL Ch. 44 §53F3/4 - Motion to waive reading, passes 8-0-1; Motion to approve, second, passes 8-0-1 (1 absent)Town Administrator's ReportMarch 5 preliminary FY 2026 budget update coming Traditional slide show, and updatesMirchi withdrew the alcohol liquor license applicationDid get confirmation from the Commonwealth, August 31, Best Western will be closed to the emergency shelter program; Jamie still gets emails etc. and blame us for the town role which was not our choice, it was totally a state decision and effort, thanks to the residents and organizations for handling this under the circumstancesMotion to enter executive session, not to return to open meetingMotion, second, passes via roll 8-0-1 (1 Absent)Let's listen to the meeting recording which runs about 2 hours and 45 minutes. Audio link -> --------------My expanded notes -> https://docs.google.com/document/d/10yE_Dj5dIlYdzyYou4cZhh5AD4kJL0JZOGgg0BDuOfA/edit?usp=drive_link Franklin TV video is ready for replay -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbkmz3G_q6Y The Agenda doc and most materials released for this session -> https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_02262025-1602 My notes captured during the meeting in one PDF file -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aFS-kA1Xy3rCoN2v-1H8-wbGw6nlI21m/view?usp=drive_link -------------We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial. This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.How can you help?If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighborsIf you don't like something here, please let me knowAnd if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please...

Episode 195: Chiropractor - 1 Star Review

With Joe Fortenbaugh hosts today's show, Stephen A. Smith, Jason McCourty, and Kimberley A. Martin reacting to CeeDee Lamb's comments about Cowboys fans. The crew also debates whether Aaron Rodgers or Travis Kelce has more football left in their careers. Brian Windhorst and Kendrick Perkins join to discuss the biggest sleeper team in the NBA's Western Conference. Lastly, the crew weighs in on whether Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson took a hit after failing to reach the Super Bowl. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luxury travel is evolving, and WorldHotels is leveraging this trend. A couple weeks ago I spoke with Gregory G. Habeeb, Chief Development Officer with WorldHotels during ALIS 2025. We discussed:

Thank you so much for listening to the Bob Harden Show, celebrating over 13 years broadcasting on the internet. On Friday's show, we visit with Senior Legal Fellow with Pacific Legal Foundation William Yeatman about Trump's efforts to improve government efficiency as well as his legislative strategy. We visit with Collier County Clerk of Courts Crystal Kinzel about wedding and renewal of vows on Valentine's Day and Collier County's plan for the “Best Western” property in Golden Gate. Patrick Carroll, Editor of FEE.org and I discuss the next Prime Minister of Canada. Professor Larry Bell and I discuss the unbridled positive change unleashed by the Trump administration in the first two weeks. We have terrific guests on Monday's show including historian and founder of historycentral.com Marc Schulman, columnist Jon Miltimore, and author Jim McTague. Please access this or past shows at your convenience on my web site, social media platforms or podcast platforms.

Glamping? Independent hotel booms? The next generation ditching mobile phones?!

In this episode, we dive deep into the transformative journey of Best Western Hotels (BWH) with the incredible Amy Hulbert, Vice President of Boutique and Upscale Brands for Best Western Hotels. Discover how this iconic hospitality brand has split into three distinct brands to lead the charge in reshaping the industry and how sustainability lies at the heart of their mission.We'll explore why Europe is leading the way in sustainability certification and discuss how the U.S. hospitality market can catch up. Learn how a strong focus on sustainability not only enhances a hotel's environmental impact but also increases guest retention and satisfaction—proving that happy teams and sustainable operations drive business success.Amy shares her expertise on the design evolution of Best Western's boutique and upscale brands. Alongside that, we discuss the role of Green Key Global certification in pushing sustainability forward, including actionable steps hotels can take—like moving beyond small details such as Keurig cups to implementing large-scale changes in food, beverages, and operations.Finally, we look to the future, as BWH aims to certify all of its properties by 2026, setting a standard for affordable, sustainable innovation across the industry. Whether you're a hotelier, a sustainability advocate, or just someone curious about the future of hospitality, this conversation is packed with insights you won't want to miss!Tune in to hear how Best Western is becoming a community leader, a pioneer in sustainability, and a trendsetter in design—all while preparing the hospitality industry for what lies ahead.Key Takeaways:Best Western Hotels - How the brand split into 3 brands to try and push the hospitality industry forward.The Sustainability Certification - Europe is leading in sustainability, so why isn't the USA following? How can a sustainability certification push a hotel forward?The Local Connection - Best Western encourages their hotels to be pillars in their local communities.Retention and Satisfaction - People seek out sustainable places to stay, and sustainable hotels that keep their staff happy and satisfied tend to see an increase in patrons.Green Key Global and Synergy - By hotels, for hotels. BWH is trying to find people aligned with their goals and the industry by getting ahead of the market.Going Green - The steps to becoming Green Key certified. From small Keurig cups to meals. The Future - All BW Hotels will be certified by 2026. Food and beverages are seeing massive sustainable overhauls, and teams are being contacted directly to find affordable solutions.

A watercolor of a harbor? A black-and-white photo of a pile of rocks? Some hotels are trying to do better. Zachary Crockett unpacks. SOURCES:Melanie Kettring, director of studio design at Best Western Hotels.Jessica Poundstone, visual artist. Gavi Wolf, founder and C.E.O. of Indiewalls. RESOURCES:Indiewalls.Best Western. EXTRAS:"Used Hotel Soaps," by The Economics of Everyday Things (2023)."The Hidden Side of the Art Market," series by Freakonomics Radio (2021).

Send us a textTravel rewards have become increasingly popular in recent years, with more and more people taking advantage of the opportunity to earn points and miles on their everyday spending. According to a recent survey by NerdWallet, 41% of Americans have at least one travel rewards credit card. The variety of travel rewards programs in the market allows consumers to choose rewards that fit their lifestyle and build loyalty with brands they identify with. s have at least one travel rewards credit card. The variety of travel rewards programs in the market allows consumers to choose rewards that fit their lifestyle and build loyalty with brands they identify with.  BWH Hotels has accommodated travelers and listened to their needs for over 75 years. At the core of this diverse portfolio of brands, including Best Western, is a commitment to exceptional customer experience. BWH's recent initiatives, including the launch of two new co-branded credit cards in partnership with Mercury Financial and Visa, highlight their commitment to meeting the evolving needs of customers and helping them stand out in the competitive hospitality market. These credit cards offer a variety of benefits tailored to both frequent and occasional travelers.   "We are excited that this will make travel experiences more possible for our cardholders and our members," said Jay Hubbs, Vice President of Advertising, Marketing, Innovation and Analytics at BWH Hotel Group. "Our partnership combines the expertise of Mercury Financial and Visa with our award-winning Best Western Rewards loyalty program." Read the full article on Loyalty360 here: https://loyalty360.org/content-gallery/in-depth-exclusives/bwh-hotels-elevating-customer-loyalty-and-inspiring-travel

Big show today as we have Brad LeBlanc, Chief Development Officer and Amy Hulbert, VP, Boutique and Upscale Brands of BWH Hotels. We're talking soft brand development and more!

Big show today as we have Brad LeBlanc, Chief Development Officer and Amy Hulbert, VP, Boutique and Upscale Brands of BWH Hotels. We're talking soft brand development and more!

Grab a Chip Ahoy, Gas up the car at Sunoco and snuggle up in the warm embrace of the blankets in your Best Western hotel room, it's time for a podcast! Just in time for election season we've got another amazing issue of DP7 to talk about with some excellent paranormal action.

All 4 hosts are on to react to the League of Legends Worlds matches. Other topics include FlyQuest almost beating GenG, a new roster leak involving Nisqy, TES on fraud alert, previews for T1 vs GenG and WBG vs BLG, and a whole lot more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Hailey discovers the great state of Wisconsin! Whether you're looking to get outdoors, head to the city, or take a road trip, there's a Best Western nearby to call home for your next stay. Buckle up as Hailey highlights your next Wisconsin travel adventure while sharing the great value and many amenities at Best Western.Read the blog here: https://discoverwisconsin.com/theres-a-lot-to-love-about-wisconsin-best-westerns/Bay Shore County Park: https://www.greenbay.com/listing/bay-shore-county-park/3190/; Boat Sport Marina: https://rentals.boatsport.com/; Eagle River Trails: https://eagleriver.org/area-trails/#; Pattison State Park: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/pattison; Wisconsin State Capitol: https://www.visitmadison.com/listings/wisconsin-state-capitol/176634/; Graze: https://www.visitmadison.com/listings/graze/180309/; Dane County Farmers Market: https://dcfm.org/; Wednesday Market: https://dcfm.org/markets/wednesday-market; Saturday on the Square: https://dcfm.org/markets/saturday-on-the-square; Brewery Tours: https://www.visitmilwaukee.org/plan-a-visit/food-drink/brewery-tours/; Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery: https://www.visitmilwaukee.org/partners/best-place-at-the-historic-pabst-brewery-1443/; Milwaukee Art Museum: https://www.visitmilwaukee.org/partners/milwaukee-art-museum-506/; Summerfest: https://www.visitmilwaukee.org/articles/events/summerfest-the-worlds-largest-music-festival/; Sturgeon Bay: https://www.doorcounty.com/discover/sturgeon-bay; Potawatomi State Park: https://www.doorcounty.com/business-directory/recreation/potawatomi-state-park; Whitefish Dunes State Park: https://www.doorcounty.com/business-directory/recreation/whitefish-dunes-state-park; Sturgeon Bay Pierhead Light: https://www.doorcounty.com/virtual-experiences/sturgeon-bay-pierhead-light; West Baraboo: https://villageofwestbaraboo.com/; Devil's Lake State Park: https://www.devilslakewisconsin.com/; Scenic Drives: https://www.devilslakewisconsin.com/baraboo-sauk-county-outdoor-recreation/scenic-drives/; Eau Claire: https://www.visiteauclaire.com/; Tangled Up in Hue: https://www.tangledupinhue.com/; Oshkosh: https://www.visitoshkosh.com/; EAA Aviation Museum: https://www.visitoshkosh.com/things-to-do/attractions/eaa-aviation-museum/; Crusin Tikis Oshkosh: https://www.cruisintikisoshkosh.com/; The Bobber: https://discoverwisconsin.com/blog/The Cabin Podcast: https://the-cabin.simplecast.com. Follow on social @thecabinpodShop Discover Wisconsin: shop.discoverwisconsin.com. Follow on social @shopdiscoverwisconsinDiscover Wisconsin: https://discoverwisconsin.com/. Follow on social @discoverwisconsinDiscover Mediaworks: https://discovermediaworks.com/. Follow on social @discovermediaworksBest Western: https://www.bestwestern.com/. Follow on social @bestwestern

In this episode, Scott Curran, Chief Operating Officer at Reneson Hotels, shares his insights on driving revenue and profits by empowering staff and delighting guests in a branded hotel environment.Listeners will learn:How Reneson Hotels focuses on providing exceptional customer service to keep guests coming back (00:09)The importance of having great operations and good people to improve financial performance (09:14)Why Reneson Hotels invests more in customer service by staffing higher at the front desk (11:10)How GuestEQ, a technology solution co-founded by Scott, helps improve hotel operations and guest communication (13:05)The value of getting the right information to the right people in the right format for effective hotel management (16:19)Scott's approach to staying connected and empathetic with front-line staff as a leader in the hospitality industry (23:12)Mentions:GuestEQ (01:36)My Crew Rooms (01:36)IHG (02:19)Best Western (02:19)Hilton (02:19)Hampton (03:06)Holiday Inn (03:06)Hilton Garden Inn (06:32)If you liked this, you may also like:What I've learned about supporting my teams - Scott CurranHow I stay in touch with my teams on property - Scott Curran, Reneson HotelsDigitize your operations for accountability - Scott Curran, Reneson Hotels A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free. Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together. If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

Send us a textDer Herbst bringt wieder spannende Angebote: Bei Partnern wie Marriott, HRS oder booking.com lassen sich mehrfache Miles & More Meilen sammeln. Stylische Reisebegleiter gibt es im Worldshop und mit etwas Glück eine erholsame Auszeit beim Romantik Hotels Gewinnspiel. Wer es lieber gemütlich mag, kann sein Zuhause mit der Upcycling Collection von Lufthansa und Austrian Airlines verschönern. Die passenden Reiseziele für die letzten Sonnenstrahlen finden sich in den aktuellen Meilenschnäppchen.#Meilenschnäppchen #Vielflieger #Reiseangebote #Lufthansa #MilesAndMore #Reiseplanung #Spätsommer00:00 Willkommen zu Frequent Traveller TV01:30 Wochenende im Romantik Hotels gewinnen02:10 Bis zu 10-fache Meilen bei Marriott Hotels sammeln03:22 5-fache Meilen bei Hotel Reservation Service sammeln03:52 2.000 Meilen mit Best Western sammeln04:22 2-fache Meilen bei Booking. com sammeln05:00 3-fache Meilen mit Lufthansa Holidays sammeln05:36 Bis zu 10.000 Meilen bei SIXT sammeln06:38 70.000 Meilen beim Abschluss eines WELT Markenabos07:18 Meilen sammeln am Frankfurter Flughafen08:04 Miles & More Online Shopping Angebote09:16 Worldshop-Angebot des Monats09:48 Lufthansa und Austrian Airlines Upcycling Collection11:04 Meilenschnäppchen14:50 Fragen des TagesTake-OFF 01.10.2024 – Folge 231-2024Stammtisch Termine: https://FQTWorld.as.me/meetupKanalmitglied werden und exklusive Vorteile erhalten:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQyWcZxP3MpuQ54foJ_IsgQ/joinHier geht es zu eurem kostenlosen Consulting Link - https://FTCircle.as.me/Damit Du von unserem Wissen profitieren kannst, kannst du ein mindestens 60 minütiges und vor allem auf dich zugeschnittenes Punkte, Meilen, Status Coaching buchen. Nach dem Call bekommst du ein Jahr Zugang zu dieser Gruppe und zahlst so nur 10 Euro pro Monat und kannst sofort profitieren. Hier ist nun der Link zu deinem neuen Punkte, Meilen und Status Deals.MY SOCIALSWhatsApp - https://wa.me/message/54V7X7VO3WOVF1FACEBOOK | Lars F Corsten - https://www.facebook.com/LFCorsten/FACEBOOK | FQT.TV - https://www.facebook.com/FQTTVFACEBOOK | FTCircle - https://www.facebook.com/FTCircleTWITTER | Lars F Corsten - https://twitter.com/LFCorstenINSTAGRAM | Lars F Corsten - https://www.instagram.com/lfcorsten/LINKEDIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lfcorsten/Clubhouse - @LFCorsten

A good memory can last a lifetime through a bad tattoo and our listeners have plenty of them. John sets it off by recounting a drunken Spring break that resulted in his friend getting a Best Western logo inked, but I think the listeners have him beat. From a pair of lips where the sun don't shine to Chilean flags on proud Texans, these mistakes are here to stay!   Thanks for joining us for this week's #JCWPodcast #JCWArchive. Please don't forget to Like, Share, and most importantly, Subscribe--to make sure you get the latest John Clay Wolfe Show materials as soon as they're released! So keep an eye out for that pink squirrel...and we'll see you Saturday

On episode 79, Micah and I don't have a guest or subject matter expert but as usual, we find something to talk about. Oh, and we finally get around to discussing our faboriate aviation museums. But first, Listener Paul talks about his issues with meetups. Than, Listener Hendrik talks about Lufthansa bringing back the A-380... and where to score the best economy seats. United First Officer Dell writes in with a thank you for the sky hook and card that I give out to crew. Thanks Dell for thanking me! :-) And then Listener Lu wants to know the origin of my signature closing, Fly Safely. Micah than talks about the Best Western, an often overlooked hotel property and a great experience with his Discover credit card. During the main topic, Micah had his recorder with him when Capt. Steven Ivy came to visit Portland, ME. It was great to hear about his roll as a Charter Pilot. Next we talk about our favorite aviation museums and read our listner submissions. Thank you everyone for writing in and Uli, thank you for sending in the pictures!!! The opening and closing music is provided by the Madalitso Youth Choir as they sing their Welcome Song and their Good By song, recorded at the lobby of The Royal Livingston Hotel in Zambia. We hope you enjoy the show!

Stephen A. Smith, Chris "Mad Dog" Russo, and Tim Legler debates if the Thunder and Timberwolves are on a collision course for a potential Western Conference Finals matchup. The crew discusses if Jayson Tatum's shooting woes should cause concern for the Celtics. Things gets heated as they have a huge debate about NBA handling Jamal Murray situation with being fined for tossing items on the court instead of being suspended by the NBA. Lastly, the crew reacts to the 2 minute report from the Pacers-Knicks Game 1 playoff matchup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Teil zwei mit Sabine Lüttge von den Best Western Hotels & Resorts. Die Themen: Back to normal; BW Desing Hotel Spinnerei in Linz; BW Parkhotel in Hardenberg; BW nahe der Donau inkl. Tullner Garten; Pötte Kicken im LIBERTY an der Nordsee plus Besuch im Deutschen Auswandererhaus; In Papenburg direkt aus dem BW die Schiffe auf dem Fluss verfolgen; Schwester Hotel mit Schokoladen Museum und 4711 Dufthaus in Köln; GUT MATHESHOF nördlich von Regensburg in der Oberpfalz; Neben dem eigenen Auto schlafen in den B'mine Hotels; BW Plus Bierkulturhotel in Ehingen mit Stadtmauer im Zimmer; BW Rebstock in Rohschach mit Blick auf den Bodensee; BW Hotel in Bern mit Dachterrasse Dir stehen folgende Informationsquellen und Kontaktmöglichkeiten zur Verfügung: www.fti.de Schreib uns deine Fragen, Reiseerlebnisse und Reisetipps an hello@washeldentun.de

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we're featuring Forest County; https://www.wicounties.org/counties/forest-county/ The Cabin is also presented by Group Health Trust: https://www.wcaght.org/   Campfire Conversation: Apurba Banerjee joins Ana, Eric, and Jake in The Cabin this week to explore Wisconsin top to bottom for some special places to bring your dog and have fun - or a good night's sleep. Or both! Topics include select state parks and specialized dog parks, including the one in Jefferson County Ana has profiled on Discover Wisconsin. Numerous state parks offer recreation for people and their pets, Apurba and Ana detail ones like Harrington Beach State Park, Big Bay State Park, Lake Kegonsa State Park, Pattison State Park, Rock Island State Park, and Pike Lake Beach, a section of the Kettle Moraine Unit within Wisconsin's State Forest system near Hartford in Washington County. Even traversing the water can be fun with your dog, as ferries like the Madeline Island Ferry connecting Bayfield with La Pointe on Madeline Island is free for your dog! Eric, Jake, and Apurba note some breweries, bars, and other public spaces where people gather and your well-behaved dog is welcome. They include Broken Bat Brewing in Milwaukee, Elmaro Winery near Trempealeau, Ope! Brewery in West Allis, and smaller places like Slaty Paws, Riley's Social House, Hounds 'n Taps, and many more. Finally, we focus on some places to stay with your dog that are truly special, including the Delta Lodge in Iron River for a true get-away-from-it-all getaway, the Jefferson Street Inn in Wausau if you prefer something in the center of the city, Black's Cliff Resort in Hazelhurst for a great North Woods feel, and Justin Trails B&B Resort near Sparta which includes farmhouse lodging and primitive camping. If you want to be near popular vacation destinations, Door County Cottages in Egg Harbor is one great example of where to bring your four-legged friend; if Wisconsin Dells is on your radar, check out beautiful Bakers Sunset Bay Resort with a wide variety of accommodations, all embracing your dog with great activity options. These are just some examples across the state, but it's a great guide to get you started as you plan road trips with your furry friend this summer. It's all on this week's episode of The Cabin!Inside Sponsors:Ho-Chunk Gaming Best Western https://www.bestwesternwisconsin.com/ Praise In the Pines https://praiseinthepines.org/ 

In this episode, Stephen A. Smith, Monica McNutt, and Brian Windhorst react live to the breaking news on Julius Randle undergoing season-ending surgery on his right shoulder. The crew debates if they are higher on the Suns or Lakers heading into the NBA playoffs. Kimberley A. Martin and Damien Woody join the show to discuss the pressure is on Stefon Diggs after being traded to the Texans. Austin Rivers joins the show to discuss which player has the biggest influence on the NBA today. Lastly, the crew talks about who the most disappointing playoff contender is this season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Shannon Sharpe, Tim Legler, and Brian Windhorst debate if they're higher on the Lakers or the Clippers right now. We discuss the investigation into Raptors forward Jontay Porter's betting activity. Booger McFarland and Mike Tannenbaum join the show with reaction to Giants owner John Mara saying he hated seeing Saquon Barkley sign with the Eagles. Plus, the crew debates if success in the NFL is only measured in Super Bowl wins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen A. Smith, Shannon Sharpe, and JJ Redick debate which team outside of the top 4 in the West has the best chance of making the NBA Finals. The crew discusses who's the most electric player in the NBA. Stephen A. had to share his A-List for the top 5 most exciting men's college basketball players of all time. Lastly, the crew debates if the Bills should keep or trade Stefon Diggs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Austin Rivers, Brian Windhorst, and Kendrick Perkins debate who has a better chance of making a championship run between the Warriors or Lakers. Joe Fortenbaugh joins the show to share his best bets for this weekend. Kimberley A. Martin, Damien Woody, and Mina Kimes join and discuss if there's a culture problem in Dallas. Also, Harry Douglas joins and they talk about the 49ers being the biggest threat to a Chiefs three-peat. Lastly, the crew discusses which NBA team is the biggest sleeper in the West. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Owning raw land, timberland, and farmland is often the domain of the wealthy. This is partly because it is difficult to obtain loans for this property. Today, we discuss an income-producing timberland that also tends to increase in value. For under $7,000 you can own quarter-acre parcels of producing teak trees in Panama and Nicaragua. You can invest yourself. All at once, this provides diversification with a hard asset in a foreign nation and a different product type. Over a twenty-five year period, each $7K quarter-acre teak parcel is projected to return $94K. You get title to the property. Learn more at: www.GREmarketplace.com/Teak With ownership of two quarter-acre parcels, you can qualify for a second residency in Panama for under $22K with legal fees, etc. A SFR does not grow into a duplex. But teak trees grow in volume while its unit price typically appreciates. Teak price growth is historically 5.5% annually. I've met the company CEO and Chairman in-person. This provider has offered this opportunity for 24+ years. They've recently added a sawmill, increasing profits. What are the risks of teak tree investing? Disease, pests, fire, geopolitics and more. They are proven mitigation plans. In-person teak tours for prospective investors are offered. Trees grow through recessions, COVID, market cycles, and Fed rate decisions. Learn more about teak tree investing at: GREmarketplace.com/Teak Timestamps: Welcome to Get Rich Education (00:00:01) Keith Weinhold introduces the podcast and emphasizes the importance of real estate and financial information. The US economy and land ownership (00:01:44) Keith discusses the strength of the US economy and the importance of diverse and resilient real estate portfolios. America's top 100 landowners (00:02:29) Keith talks about the largest landowners in America and the reasons why land ownership is often associated with the wealthy. Investing like a billionaire (00:05:32) Keith introduces the topic of investing in producing land and the benefits of owning producing land. Introduction to ECI Development (00:06:21) Keith introduces Michael Cobb and discusses the company's projects in Latin America. Marriott resort project in Belize (00:07:08) Mike talks about the construction of a Marriott resort in Ambergris Key, Belize, and the challenges of financing such projects. Development and tourism in Belize (00:08:37) Michael Cobb discusses the development and popularity of Ambergris Key, Belize, and the involvement of major hotel brands. Teak tree parcels investment (00:11:30) Michael Cobb explains the investment opportunity in quarter-acre teak tree parcels and the generational wealth stewardship associated with it. Reasons for teak investing (00:14:05) Michael Cobb discusses the reasons why people are interested in teak investing, including hard asset diversification and international residency opportunities. Cash flow cycles and teak investment (00:16:42) Michael Cobb explains the 25-year cash flow cycle associated with teak investments and the generational income potential. Optimal growing conditions for teak (00:19:26) Michael Cobb discusses the optimal growing conditions for teak and the physical growth of the trees. [End of segment] Teak Plantation Locations and Growth (00:19:42) Discussion on the optimal locations for teak growth and the historical track record of teak price growth. Teak Price Growth and Business Plan (00:20:44) The historical 55% annual increase in the value of teak and the business plan's conservative approach to teak price growth. Physical Properties and Residency Opportunities (00:21:33) The value of teak and the opportunities for achieving residency in Panama by owning teak. Residency and Citizenship (00:24:33) Differentiating between residency and citizenship in Panama and the process and benefits of obtaining permanent residency. Sawmill and Value-Added Component (00:27:56) The integration of a sawmill into the investment proposition and the value-added potential of processing teak into lumber. Sawmill Investment Opportunity (00:30:07) Details of the investment opportunity in the sawmill, including the expected return and investment structure. Risks and Mitigation (00:32:41) Discussion on the risks associated with teak plantation investment abroad and the mitigation strategies in place. Property Management and Tours (00:35:25) Outsourcing property management and the availability of tours to visit the teak plantations in Panama. Long-Term Investment Perspective (00:37:43) The long-term growth potential of teak investments and the comparison to the investment strategies of wealthy families and institutions. Earth's Highest Real Estate (00:38:11) Discussion about Earth's highest point, the equatorial bulge, and the location of teak plantations in Panama and Nicaragua. Investing in Teak Parcels (00:38:11) Information about purchasing teak parcels, the absence of loans, and the potential for building wealth through teak investments. Consultation Disclaimer (00:39:34) Disclaimer about seeking professional advice and the potential for profit or loss in investment strategies. Resources mentioned: Show Page: GetRichEducation.com/490 Learn more about teak investing: GREmarketplace.com/Teak For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE  or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Invest with Freedom Family Investments.  You get paid first: Text FAMILY to 66866 Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search “how to leave an Apple Podcasts review”  Top Properties & Providers: GREmarketplace.com GRE Free Investment Coaching: GREmarketplace.com/Coach Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free— text ‘GRE' to 66866 Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Keith's personal Instagram: @keithweinhold   Complete episode transcript:   Keith Weinhold (00:00:01) - Welcome to gray. I'm your host, Keith Reinhold. An affordable way to simultaneously invest like a billionaire. Get diversified in multiple ways with real estate. Help the earth. And if you prefer, even achieve residency in a second nation today and get rich education. When you want the best real estate and finance info, the modern internet experience limits your free articles access, and it's replete with paywalls. And you've got pop ups and push notifications and cookies. Disclaimers are. At no other time in history has it been more vital to place nice, clean, free content into your hands that actually adds no hype value to your life? See, this is the golden age of quality newsletters, and I write every word of ours myself. It's got a dash of humor and it's to the point to get the letter. It couldn't be more simple text gray to 66866. And when you start the free newsletter, you'll also get my one hour fast real estate course completely free. It's called the Don't Quit Your Daydream letter and it wires your mind for wealth.   Keith Weinhold (00:01:16) - Make sure you read it. Text gray to 66866. Text gray 266866.   Corey Coates (00:01:28) - You're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world. This is get rich education.   Keith Weinhold (00:01:44) - What category? From Sorrento, Italy to Sacramento, California, and across 188 nations worldwide. I'm Keith Reinhold, and you're listening to get Rich education the Voice of Real Estate since 2014. As we're two months into the year now and the US economy has continued to stay strong. Let me ask, how's your portfolio doing and how resilient is your real estate? How diverse is it? How would you grade yourself on those criteria?   Donald Trump (00:02:17) - I would give myself, I would look, I hate to do it, but I will do it. I would give myself an A-plus. Is that enough? Can I go higher than that?   Keith Weinhold (00:02:29) - Well, well, whether your, I guess, straight A's or not. Consider this land report.com. They recently published a report about America's top 100 Las donors. Now, Lynn could be vacant and nonresidential, yet have active ranching or agriculture or forestry taking place.   Keith Weinhold (00:02:52) - That way the land produces something while it might increase in value at the same time. But the reason that often land is the domain of the wealthy is that it's harder to get loans for land, and therefore one must often pay all cash. Well, by the time they were done. Today, you'll learn about producing land that's actually available at such a low price point that alone typically is not required for you to buy it. In 2024, America's largest land owner is Red Emerson, and that's what the report found. Read and his family owned 2.4 million acres in California, Oregon and Washington through their Timber products company and the number since they became America's largest landowners in 2021, when they acquired 175,000 acres in Oregon from another timber company. Well, with that acquisition, the Emerson surpassed Liberty Media chairman John Malone's 2.2 million acres. And then in third place is CNN founder Ted Turner. Yeah, he's America's third largest landowner, with 2 million acres in the southeast on the Great Plains and across the West. And it was a few years ago now.   Keith Weinhold (00:04:05) - It was 2020 when news broke that Microsoft co-founder Bill gates was America's largest farm land owner, with more than 260,000 acres. So the wealthy are attracted to real assets that can produce yield in something like land, which they aren't making more of. That's the backdrop for today. Surely we'll talk about income producing land, although most years it won't pay out and it's available to any investor, big or small. But before we do, let me share that. About ten days ago, I climbed up the highest point on Earth here while we're talking about non-residential real estate. Well, where was it? Where was I? Yes, I was on Earth's highest piece of real estate. Kind of a trivia question here, and I used to think that that must mean Mount Everest, but it's not. So there's a clue for you there. Where is Earth's highest point is you ponder that. I'll give you the answer later. Let's talk about investing like a billionaire with the opportunity to own producing land did it to you? We've discussed this topic before, but it's been quite some time and there have been some important updates, including a sawmill for the production timber.   Keith Weinhold (00:05:32) - After success in the computer industry, today's guest formed ECI development in 1996. I suppose going on nearly 30 years now. He served on advisory boards for the Na as a resort community developer. They have projects in Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras and Panama, and neighborhoods include homes, condominiums, golf courses and over five miles of beachfront. So they got some really beautiful properties. He and I first met in person in 2016. He and his family lived in Central America from 2002 to 2016. It's always fantastic to have back on grea, and I guess I must button up here because it is the chairman and CEO, Michael Cobb. It's good to be with you. Thanks for having me.   Michael Cobb (00:06:21) - Back on the show. It's fun to have these conversations. I didn't realize we met in 2016. That's a little while ago.   Keith Weinhold (00:06:27) - Yeah, it has been eight years. Yes, we met in the region then down there and Mike's about the most relatable and down to earth guy that you can find and literally down to earth is.   Keith Weinhold (00:06:41) - Besides the resort development, you've made it easy and inexpensive for investors worldwide to buy producing teak tree parcels. But before we discuss that, you've got a project that's drawn a lot of interest on Ambergris Key, Belize, which many of our listeners already know, that's Belize's largest island and its top tourist destination. I have visited and owned property there, and it's coming online next year. It's pretty exciting. Tell us about it.   Michael Cobb (00:07:08) - It is exciting. It's been in the works for goodness, eight years. I think we signed our contract with Marriott maybe 7 or 8 years ago. We started construction just about a year ago last January. So almost exactly a year. Yeah, it's a marriott resort, 202 room oceanfront resort. It's fantastic. It will be done in August of 2025. Soft opening heart opening October 25th. So yeah, about 1618 months from now have this project finally finished. You know, the big challenging thing in this part of the world is financing. But it's really hard to get financing or affordable financing.   Michael Cobb (00:07:42) - Let me say it that way. Yeah. And so we took our time and we would not start a project until it was fully funded. I think a lot of challenges are people start these projects are kind of betting on the. Com. Right. Oh well we'll figure it out later. And we don't operate that way. We've been around for yeah 28 years. And so we're very very conservative. And until we had all the money to build the hotel, the resort, we did not start. And so we kicked it off last January. It was just down there last week. Steel is arriving. The superstructure is already going up. Yeah, man. It's just so nice to see it really coming to fruition. But you know, it's prudence and patience to take our time, make sure we have all the funding and then launch so that what we start finishes. And that's really been our mantra for almost three decades now.   Keith Weinhold (00:08:27) - Make it up, make it real, make it happen. In the largest town there on Ambergris Key, Belize, just a few decades ago, it was still this sleepy fishing village.   Keith Weinhold (00:08:37) - And with the setting that that island has and all the great snorkeling and everything else, it's really become popular and is boutique hotels grew into larger hotels. Yeah, it was probably, what, ten years ago perhaps, that you saw some of these big brands start to take more of an interest, like Hilton and Marriott, in branding the buildings what is.   Michael Cobb (00:09:00) - And, you know, I give a presentation called Why Belize, Why Right Now? And you nailed it there when you talked about the timelines. Right. And how a country or a region, it's not even a country in this case. Ambergris key. It's very specific. Right. How ambergris Key Belize has moved through this timeline, this path of progress. And at some point it goes from being a niche market or a no name market to a niche market, to a boutique market. And then all of a sudden, you're right, at some point the brand start to pay attention and then you move into popular acceptance and really mainstream tourism. And so, right.   Michael Cobb (00:09:31) - The cruise ships started going to Belize about 15 years ago, which put Belize as a country into the mind of a more mainstream traveler. And then you're right, about eight, ten years ago, the brand started to pay attention. And we do. We have a Hilton, we have a curio by Hilton, we have an autograph by Marriott, our company, ECI. We picked up the best Western franchise, and so we operate a Best Western on the island for that middle class market. And then Marriott, obviously, for the very high end traveler who wants an oceanfront 4 or 5 star kind of property. So yeah, but the brands are paying attention. And by the way, we're just seeing the beginning of that happening. This popularity curve Belize has entered what I would call the fast growth period. And over the next five, maybe eight years, we're going to see incredible growth in the tourism industry. Airlift is up. JetBlue just started flying down. So we're starting to WestJet. So we've got Canadian Air.   Michael Cobb (00:10:22) - We've got a discount carrier southwest. So when those things start to happen what you see is a market dynamism that's you know really it's exciting and it's going to change. Very, very rapidly. The pace of change is going to grow rapidly as well. So great time to look at Belize. If folks are interested in sort of that positioning in the path of progress in the marketplace.   Keith Weinhold (00:10:43) - Each time I visit Ambergris Key, Belize, the level of development increase is palpable. And, you know, this is an opportunity for a US or Canadian buyer or a buyer from outside that nation to come in. And it's just a very easy step with the English language and the common law in Belize, where you can invest yourself in this Marriott project that Mike discussed. Now, Mike, a while ago, to change topics, you recognize that the world has been really deforested and losing its valuable teak hardwood forests so continuously since 1999, you've offered a program so that individual investors at a really affordable price. We'll get to that price later.   Keith Weinhold (00:11:30) - They can own quarter acre parcels with the property deeded in their name, and reap the benefits and returns from the growth of the teakwood on top of the land. And now this is pretty novel, because for hundreds of years, only the hedge funds and super wealthy had access to an investment like this. So get us up to date with what you're doing on the teak hardwoods, because I know that so many of our listeners and viewers have already gotten involved.   Michael Cobb (00:11:56) - They haven't really. Thank you for being one of the people who put the word out there. Right? Because most people don't even know you can own teak or let's just back it up and you say, own timber, right? You start there. You're right. Only the super rich land barons, hedge funds. Those are the people that have always owned timber for centuries. Right. And so I think in most people's minds it's like, oh, I can't even get there. How would I even do that? Right. Well, then you take it overseas and you take it into something very, very specific, like teak timber.   Michael Cobb (00:12:25) - That's just not on anyone's radar. So. So you have done a great job. Thank you for getting the word out to just let folks know that this is something that they can do. So quarter acre teak parcels. We are now on our third plantation in Panama. We have one in Nicaragua as well. And so we're in our third plantation in Panama. Just because of the incredible number of folks, well over a thousand folks now who have decided they want to invest in own teak. You said something really interesting, Keith. You said you get to own the land, you get title to land and you get the harvest of the trees. That's absolutely correct. But it gets better because when the trees are harvested, they get replanted. And then the next generation of people your children, your grandchildren, whoever that might be, get the next harvest. But because you still own the land and the trees are replanted, a third harvest, you know, and a fourth harvest. So what you've really created with teak ownership is generational wealth stewardship.   Michael Cobb (00:13:24) - And that is something that's just so far beyond the comprehension of so many people that it can be so easy and so affordable to do.   Keith Weinhold (00:13:32) - I'm an investor myself in producing land like this in Latin America, so I know what some of my reasons are for being interested in this. And yes, it's more than the fact that I'm just a geography guy. It's the fact that I know I'm diversifying in multiple ways at the same time, a different product type in residential real estate. And I'm getting international diversification in a different nation, for starters. So are those some of the reasons that you see for why so many people are interested in teak investing like this? What are their reasons?   Michael Cobb (00:14:05) - Yeah, I think you've nailed a big part of it, which is the hard asset. A lot of folks, your listeners, readers in the news that are right, I mean, hard assets are important. I hope more people recognize that. Right. And more and more people are, thank goodness. So hard. Asset real estate being this particular hard asset.   Michael Cobb (00:14:22) - Right. And then the international diversification, one of the challenges we have is us, especially in Canadians to some degree, is that we kind of locked into the US system like we can own, say, Toyota stock, right? Japanese company, we can own Nestlé, a Swiss company, but generally we're doing it on the New York Stock Exchange. And so even if we own an international stock, it's still the US basket are still the Canadian basket that we hold it in. Right. And so when you physically own a titled property outside your home country, you have now truly diversified internationally. And there's a lot of prudence in that. And even just tiny little percentages of your portfolio, 5% of your portfolio, 10% of your portfolio outside your home country and hard assets is prudent because you want some other baskets for those nest eggs. Antiqued because it's such a low price point of entry with a huge yield, by the way, that it has become very, very popular for folks who want that international diversification in a hard asset.   Michael Cobb (00:15:23) - But to have the true international diversification because it's a physical asset outside your home country. And then I. Just say this and we can pick up on the theme or not. The other reason that people are looking at teak in Panama and Nicaragua, by the way, both countries, is because of the availability or the qualification for a visa for a second residency. And a lot of times people look at that as a plan B, if we kind of think maybe the US is going off the rails or Canada or wherever your home country is at, or it could go off the rails. Doesn't have to be now. It could be going off the rails in the future. You sort of that Boy Scout mentality of, you know what, I want a plan B, and if we have a second residency outside our home country, we now have an option. If we don't like the way things are going or where they get to, we can actually pick up and we can move and we have the right legal right, because we have a residency to live in another country.   Michael Cobb (00:16:17) - That's another reason that a lot of people have picked up the teak because it qualifies you for that residency. But I think the bigger reason is the international hard asset diversification. I think that's the leading reason people do it.   Keith Weinhold (00:16:31) - I want to ask you more about the residency shortly, but tell us more about the investment. We're thinking about maybe capital growth as the trees grow. And then what about the income?   Michael Cobb (00:16:42) - Sure. And so I think let me back it up. A lot of people think in cash flow cycles, right? If we have a job, we get paid every two weeks. You know, you have a lot of folks that have invested in properties. We get a monthly rent check, right? Or if we have stocks, maybe we get a quarterly or annual dividend. Right. So those are the what I would call the common time frames that we think about in cash flow. But what the Uber wealthy, what the hedge funds, what the family offices, what the endowment for places like Harvard, Yale, these big institution or big institutional thinkers have known for centuries is that there are actually other cash flow cycles that are largely ignored by the what I would say, the average investor.   Michael Cobb (00:17:21) - And those cash flow cycles are much longer. Teak, for example, is a 25 year cash flow cycle, right? You plant the trees and in 25 years you harvest them. You plant them again, not them. You plant new ones, right? In 25 years you harvest those and then so on and so on. So what you're creating is this 25 year cash flow machine. Now the kinds of returns are truly outsized. I mean you're talking about double digit ers. Now a lot of people say, well Mike, that's great. But what happens if I need the money in year 15? You can't have it because there is no money in year 15. Your trees are still growing, right? So it's this weird investment timeline. It's almost flatlined until the very end. And then it jumps way up and then it drops back down to a flatline again. And so it'd be silly to put tons of money into teak unless you had thousand times tons of money, right? But for some small piece of your investment portfolio where you have enough cash flow coming in from your maybe your job, your rent, your dividends, whatever, that a small piece that moves into this 25 year cash flow cycle with the thought process that this is how I steward wealth into the future, to children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, because the 25 year cycle is almost generational, right? In fact, in the US, it probably is generational because we're having children in the ages of, you know, 25 to 30.   Michael Cobb (00:18:44) - So it kind of starts to line up with generational income as opposed to, you know, sort of that whatever biweekly, monthly, yearly income. So it's just a different cash flow cycle.   Keith Weinhold (00:18:56) - That's right. And I brought up before that, when you think about the growth of one of your investments, you now get to think about it in two ways. If you own a duplex, it might have growth in its price. However, it doesn't grow into a fourplex and have growth in its price. However, with teak, you might have an increase in the value of the wood, perhaps on a board foot unit basis, and at the same time it is growing in height and volume.   Michael Cobb (00:19:26) - Absolutely no. That's a cute way to say it. I never really thought about a duplex growing into a fourplex, right? That's good. Exactly. And so what you do, you're right. You have the physical growth of the trees. And we have located our plantations in the optimal growing conditions, fatigue. And they are very known.   Michael Cobb (00:19:42) - Right? I mean, the British started plantation growing teak 350 almost 400 years ago in Southeast Asia. And so the Brits have just meticulously kept statistical records of every plantation that they were involved with the altitude, soil type, rainfall, temperature, on and on and on. And so it's really well known exactly where teak will grow well, and both where we have our plantations, it does Nicaragua and Panama, and we'll stick on Panama today, but the locations are dead center bull's eye locations for the best optimal growing of teak. So you have this growth of a physical thing, right. But you mentioned the board foot price. And by the way, the track record on teak being grown in plantations is 350 years. So what a track record, right? But since 1970. Two. The average price of teak over 5152 years has been 5.5% a year. That's the growth in the price of teak, right? And so you know who knows the future, right? I mean, the future is the future, right.   Michael Cobb (00:20:44) - But if a 50 year track record on a 5.5% increase in the value of the teak itself is pretty powerful, right? That's the long track record of nice growth. And when we factor in our teak into our business plan, we take that 5.5 and we make it zero. We just say, what if there is no increase in the price of teak over 25 years? How much will the tree grow? And if that tree is cut down and is sold as lumber? When we'll talk about our Solomon in a minute. If that tree is sold as lumber, what's the value of that lumber today? And what will the tree be worth in that value 25 years from now? And so if things do continue to increase at 5.5% a year, that's just all gravy. And that just starts to take that rate of return and just ratcheted up even further.   Keith Weinhold (00:21:33) - Teak has a number of physical properties that make it valuable, from its beauty to its fire resistance and more. Mike has now touched on a few interesting things.   Keith Weinhold (00:21:44) - We'll come back and talk about that soon, including how you can achieve residency in Panama by owning teak, what the risks are, and more about their sawmill that he just mentioned, adding value to the operation there. And then we're going to talk about what the prices are. We're talking with ECI Development Chairman and CEO Michael Cobb more when we come back. I'm your host, Keith Wynn. You know, I'll just tell you, for the most passive part of my real estate investing, personally, I put my own dollars with Freedom Family Investments because their funds pay me a stream of regular cash flow in returns, or better than a bank savings account, up to 12%. Their minimums are as low as 25 K. You don't even need to be accredited for some of them. It's all backed by real estate and that kind of love. How the tax benefit of doing this can offset capital gains and your W-2 jobs income. And they've always given me exactly their stated return paid on time. So it's steady income, no surprises while I'm sleeping or just doing the things I love.   Keith Weinhold (00:22:52) - For a little insider tip, I've invested in their power fund to get going on that text family to 66866. Oh, and this isn't a solicitation. If you want to invest where I do, just go ahead and text family to six, 686, six. Role under this specific expert with income property, you need Ridge Lending Group and MLS for 256 injury history from beginners to veterans. They provided our listeners with more mortgages than anyone. It's where I get my own loans for single family rentals up to four Plex's. Start your pre-qualification and chat with President Charlie Ridge personally. They'll even customize a plan tailored to you for growing your portfolio. Start at Ridge Lending group.com Ridge lending group.com.   Speaker 5 (00:23:49) - This is the Real World Network's Cathy Fekete, and you are listening to the always valuable get Rich education with Keith Reinhold.   Keith Weinhold (00:24:06) - You're listening to the SOS created more financial freedom for busy people just like you than nearly any show in the world. This is guitarist education. I'm your host, Keith Whitehill. We're talking with ECI development chairman and CEO Mike Cobb about teak hardwood investing in Panama and Nicaragua.   Keith Weinhold (00:24:22) - Like, tell us more about how one can achieve residency, for example, in Panama if they own teak there maybe just how residency varies from citizenship?   Michael Cobb (00:24:33) - Sure. Well, why don't we start with the second part, how residency differs from citizenship. And there's a good place to start. You know, citizenship is you become a citizen of the country. You have a passport, you can vote. You have every legal right of that country. Right. The decision would have residency to use a US term is like a green card, right? It's the legal permission to live in that country for some period of time. Many of them are permanent. In fact, Panama's is permanent. So once you have a Panama permanent residency, you could literally pick up, you could move there tomorrow, and you could live for the rest of your life in Panama. And so it gives you the legal right to live there. But you don't have a passport. You can't vote. I guess that's the main difference, right? You don't have a passport, you can't vote.   Michael Cobb (00:25:18) - But for most people, in fact, the overwhelming majority of people, a residency delivers exactly what somebody wants, which is the ability to live somewhere. Right? And we don't care if we vote or not. I mean, right, we'd still be citizens of our home country, US, Canada, or wherever we can vote back home or citizen. We have our passport from those countries, but the right to live somewhere else is powerful. And so the teak in Panama qualifies you in two ways for two quarter acre parcels, and then the legal fees and stuff like that. It's just under 22,000. A little less gives you permanent residency in Panama. Right? That's such an affordable way to be able to I call it the back pocket. Right. The insurance policy or the plan B in the sense that, like, I think a lot of folks are worried about the direction things are headed. And, you know, you have the teak parcels, which are going to produce a tremendous return. And then this byproduct that you qualify for and you have to go, you have to get down there a couple times.   Michael Cobb (00:26:16) - I mean, there's a little bit of administrative stuff, some legal fees, that's all included in that 22,000. Right. So that's all included. You have to go there a couple times. So there's a little bit of friction I would say. But when you get finished with that friction, you are a permanent resident of Panama and you only have to go there one day every two years. So you fly down every other year, whatever. Go, go talk to your trees, maybe sing to your trees a little bit, whatever you want to do and fly. All right. And you have a permanent residency. So it's a very easy, fast way to get that plan B now in the future, if you ever said, well, I really love Panama, I'd like to live here. Panama is beautiful. The city itself, it's got skyscrapers, apartments on the 50th floor of use or killer. You can be out on the beach or somewhere. You can be up in the mountains. So there are a lot of different climates and geographies in Panama where you might say to yourself, yeah, I think I want to come down here and live someday.   Michael Cobb (00:27:09) - Well, you already have your residency. You already have the legal right to do that.   Keith Weinhold (00:27:14) - Yeah, I mean, 100%. Now, Panama isn't predominantly English speaking like Belize is, but Panama just has a lot of inherent familiarity and feel to a lot of Americans. Since the canal is there and there is that strong American presence, and they've even dollarization their economy there, for example, in Panama. So it might be that nice plan B for you. And tell us more about the residency and the investment into the sawmill and how that works. So it sounds like there's now a value added component is you essentially vertically integrated and now have this sawmill with the teeth. Tell us more about that.   Michael Cobb (00:27:56) - So we've always factored in the sawmill into the investment proposition. Because if we were to just take the logs for example, 25 years, you cut down the trees, you stick the logs in the container and send them off to China or India, which is where most of the logs go. The return on investments.   Michael Cobb (00:28:13) - It's not great, it's okay, but it's not great. The way you actually get a phenomenal return on investment is you take those logs and you turn them into lumber, which has about a 3 to 4 x differential, or what we call first stage end product or simple end product, which would be something like flooring, which is basically lumber that's been finished one more level rooted and bulldozed so that you can put them together right on a wood floor. So those two modifications from the log all the way to the first degree of finished product, the returns start to really jack it up into that double digit IRR right over 25 years, which again is phenomenal. So we talked about price. But just to give an idea, a $7,000 quarter acre parcel at harvest turned into lumber and first level finished. Product turns into about $94,000, right? So 7000 turns into $90,000, which is a tremendous return. But the way you get that return is to deliver to the marketplace lumber and first grade finished product. And so Soma has always been part of our business plan.   Michael Cobb (00:29:19) - Well, we are now two years away from our harvest on our first plantation, the one I planted back in 1999. Right? I mean, it's incredible thinking that, you know, 20, gosh, 24 years ago planted a teak plantation. So we're two years from harvest. We have one more set of kind of odds and end thinning of just trees that didn't quite grow. Right. We're going to use those thinning over the next couple of years to practice in our sawmill. Because you know what? We are going to make mistakes. I mean, you don't ever get it right the first time. So we're going to make mistakes. We're going to learn from them. And by the time we actually do the real harvest of that first plantation, 100 acres of teak, two years from now, we will be up to speed with our sawmill will size up, we'll capacity up to do that. But yeah, so folks can actually we have a $2 million opening in the sawmill. And it's a real simple formula.   Michael Cobb (00:30:07) - It's two times your money and then a proportionate 10% interest in the sawmill. So for example, just rough numbers off the top of my head. You put in $100,000, you get twice your money back in about a 3 to 4 year period. As a sawmill really becomes operational. We take the first harvest, like the thinning, aren't going to produce much. In fact, we hope to just basically kind of break even over the next two years while we practice. Then we cut down 100 acres of teak. We start putting that through the sawmill, right? So you get two extra money, you invest 100 to get back to 100, and then your return would be about 13 or $14,000 a year. On going after that, because you get a 10% carried interest in the sawmill into the future as well. So that's the investment opportunity that produces a shorter cash flow, much tighter on the cash flow. But then a nice trailer for many years. But the investment is 100,000. So it's a more significant investment than, say, somebody wanting a little bite sized piece of a quarter acre parcel or two quarter acre type parcels paired with the residency that gets you that.   Michael Cobb (00:31:13) - So a couple different levels of investment depending on what your goals are, but also what your timelines are.   Keith Weinhold (00:31:19) - We described the sawmill investment numbers there. And then just to clarify, on the quarter acre parcels, they cost $7,000 each with an expected value or return of $94,000 after 25 years.   Michael Cobb (00:31:37) - That's correct. 6880. I'm using round numbers, but 6880 is the quarter acre teak and right at harvest when it processes through the sawmill. A little over that, but $94,000 is returned to the investor along the way. I'll mention this. There are maintenance fees. It's about $150 a year. We just take a credit card. We just tap it once a year. That takes care of property taxes, thinning, cleaning, anything that they have to do with the plantation. So $150 a year, your maintenance fee. But yeah, 6880 turns into 94,025 years. If teak continues to go up at 5.5% a year, the return would be better than that.   Keith Weinhold (00:32:16) - You probably have investors that come in oftentimes from North America, maybe some from Europe, and they see this as a really low cost of entry, $6,880 for one quarter acre parcel.   Keith Weinhold (00:32:29) - So are there any risks that one should consider? Therefore, if they're a first time investor abroad, maybe something they're not thinking about if they buy a rental single family home in their own hometown?   Michael Cobb (00:32:41) - Yeah. Very different. I mean, in some ways it's very different. In other ways it's pretty similar. Right. You're going to get title to the property. The process of getting title will be a little different. You're going to have to send in copies of your passport, a notarized utility bill. Just some things that you wouldn't have to do if you were buying a property in the States. But at the end of the day, you will get what's called Escritorio Publica public title. So it's a registered land deed. And so that part of it's all pretty similar risk factors. Absolutely. The business plan has them in there. But the big ones are any kind of disease. It's monoculture. So I mean a disease could come through and kill all the trees. Right. The good thing there is, again, teak has a 350 year track record of being managed and grown in plantations.   Michael Cobb (00:33:24) - So it has a long track record where they've kind of figured out, well, if this happens, then do this or if this pest comes along. This is how we, you know, we mitigate that, but nothing can mitigate all risk. That fire is an interesting one. Fire is a risk in the first three years of teak. So we call it baby teak. But once the tea trees are 3 to 4 years old, they're really above any kind of fire. Because you clean the plantation and the guys are in there with the machetes chopping to keep the, you know, the brushed and grass down in the dry season, which, by the way, you mention the qualities of teak, the hardness of teak is actually the most. Prized quality. And so the hardest of the teak that we get will actually be taken and sold as marine lumber, which is an unbelievable differential in price. But only 5 to 10% of your teak would qualify as marine lumber. So it's a small percentage, but the value of that is very, very high because it's set to hardwood.   Michael Cobb (00:34:20) - But the rest of the tree is also likewise very hard. The dry season is what cures the teak. And so in the dry season teak drops its leaves. And so it's very resistant to fire. If you do good maintenance on the plantation, we do so fires only a risk really in the first three years. And we actually warranty the trees of a fire comes through. In the first three years. We replant the plantation for any parts that are burned. So there's sort of a warranty that comes with the first three years. I mean, the other risks are political risk. What if Panama goes off the rails? The good thing about Panama, it's got the canal. And that is a major, vital strategic US interest. I just don't see the US letting Panama kind of go off the rails. But it could. But those I think are the three what I would call main risk factors. And we mitigate those to the best way possible.   Keith Weinhold (00:35:13) - You heard Mike mention about the thinning and cleaning. Yes, there is ongoing management, but that is already handled and taken care of in any of the prices that you already mentioned.   Keith Weinhold (00:35:24) - Is that right, Mike?   Michael Cobb (00:35:25) - Yeah, correct. And we outsource to a company called Geo Forest. All Geo Forest, all. They've been our plantation manager from since 1999. And and they're phenomenal. What they do, their world class. They've been doing it for longer than 25 years, maybe 30 years at this point. But we outsource what we have to outsource because we're not management plantation managers. So we can find folks that are.   Keith Weinhold (00:35:47) - The same property manager for a quarter century, a property manager that actually doesn't get fired. Hey, that's a novel concept. Two times two is what some investors back here in the U.S. are thinking with their residential real estate investments. If you want to learn more about this investment, I encourage you to check it out. You can do that through Gray Marketplace at Gray marketplace.com/teak. Mike, do you still offer tours.   Michael Cobb (00:36:16) - Oh my goodness yes. And I hope that you will take us up on the opportunity to come down and see the dairy and province. But yes, we do.   Michael Cobb (00:36:24) - And I don't know the dates off the top of my head, but for folks who are interested, uh, two things. One, we actually run a tour that's fun because it's a group of people and it's just, you know, you come down and you do it. But if somebody says, hey, I can't make those dates, but I want to come see the trees. Yeah, it's very reasonable. I think it's a couple hundred bucks. They pick you up at your hotel, they'll run you out to the plantation, bring you back. But it's a whole day. I mean, it's four hours outside of Panama City and four hours back, so it's a long day. And if it's a couple, it's still 200. It's basically for the vehicle out and back. Right? The driver and the vehicle. So you can come anytime or you can come with a group. And if you come with a group there is no charge. I mean, we get the van or the bus and we pay for it all.   Michael Cobb (00:37:03) - And yeah, we make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and we have fun.   Keith Weinhold (00:37:07) - All right. Well, I think people have probably covered for the tea more than the sandwiches, but that is a nice touch that you do for people because you do that whether someone is a great investor or not, whether they haven't invested at all yet, and they just want to go ahead and check it out. And you can learn more about those dates at GR marketplace.com/teague Mike, it's always such a fun chat to discuss something so exotic. It's been great having you back on the show.   Michael Cobb (00:37:34) - Nice to be back with you. I look forward to seeing you in Panama one of these days.   Keith Weinhold (00:37:43) - Trees grow through recessions, they grow through market cycles, they grow through Covid, and trees just keep growing through every single fed rate decision. The wealthiest families on the planet, the top 1%. They have locked up vast portions of their wealth for timeframes even longer than the 25 year peak harvest cycle. In fact, Harvard has fully 10% of its endowment, specifically in timber.   Keith Weinhold (00:38:11) - To follow up on what I asked earlier, as we're discussing non-residential real estate today, Earth's highest point above sea level is Mount Everest. The highest from base to peak is Monica. But Earth's highest piece of land, uh, the highest point is measured from the center of the Earth is Chimborazo Volcano, Ecuador. That's because Earth is not a perfect sphere. But there's an equatorial bulge. That's what I was climbing ten days ago. Earth's highest real estate, Chimborazo, was also there for the closest real estate to the sun and moon. But back down here at a lower elevation where the teak plantations are in Panama and Nicaragua, there are no loans for teak. But at prices under seven K, many GRI listeners have found that they don't need a loan and they have bought ten or more parcels. But you can buy as few as 1 or 2 a quarter acre teak parcels and then later cash it out for yourself or build that wealth legacy for your family. Kind of like the top 1%. If it sounds interesting to you, learn more.   Keith Weinhold (00:39:22) - Get started at GR marketplace.com/t. Until next week. I'm your host, Keith Wild. Don't quit your day dream.   Speaker 6 (00:39:34) - Nothing on this show should be considered specific, personal or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. The host is operating on behalf of get Rich education LLC exclusively. The.   Keith Weinhold (00:40:02) - The preceding program was brought to you by your home for wealth building. Get rich education.com.

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