Podcasts about Better Homes

Better Homes and Garden The last several newsletters have investigated the Torah's ancient call to hospitality, not just a a nice thing to do, but as a vital preparation to inherit the Kingdom. Our hospitality study trail through the Torah, Prophets, Writings, and New Covenant started with Song of Songs 5:1, a restoration of the Bride and Bridegroom to the Garden of Eden: "I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam.I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk. Eat, friends; drink and imbibe deeply, O lovers.” This hospitality verse is thought to be one source for the traditional belief that the four rivers of Eden flow with milk, honey, wine, and balsam. In past newsletters, we made the connection between hospitality to the needy and the righteous stranger and one's preparation for to inherit, or even just enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt 25:34-46). Entering the Father's House, which was prepared for the righteous from the foundation of the world, is contingent upon preparing one's own house. Yeshua will definitely knock on the door! The very light of the earth was sown for the righteous at the beginning (Ps 97:11), the light of the Word of good works for them to walk in eternally (Eph 2:10). A better garden will be filled with the multiplication of human beings, the precious crown of creation created to fellowship with the Holy One Himself. Yeshua taught his disciples that the "rooms" of the Garden, their eternal home of inheritance, are being prepared for them, yet they also must prepare to inherit by preparing their own homes on earth. This would cause the Presence of the Creator to dwell comfortably in them. Better home, better Garden. "Depart from evil and do good, so you will abide forever. For the LORD loves justice and does not forsake His godly ones; they are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked will be cut off. The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever." (Ps 37:27-29) ?????????? ??????????????? ????????????? ????? ???????? The commentators to the verse in Song of Songs 5:1 connect it to Psalm 37:27-29 above in the Midrash Rabbah and write, ”The word yishkenu should not be translated as ‘they will dwell,' but as a causative verb in the present tense, ‘They cause to dwell.'” “If only the righteous dwell upon the earth, what will the wicked do? Shall they fly in the air? Rather, the verse means that the wicked did not cause the Divine Presence to dwell on earth, but the righteous did cause the Divine Presence to dwell on earth.” (5§1) In yishkenu, you see the root of shachan, "to dwell," and the "Shechinah," or indwelling Presence. The Presence of the Creator Elohim has always longed to have an intimate relationship with human beings. He did not appoint them to rule of the earth in order to be a distant, cold judge of their actions, but so they would administer on His behalf according to His will because His Word was alive in them through fellowship. They would be able rulers because of their daily walking and talking in the special abode, the Garden of Eden. The Garden is thought to hover just above the Land of Israel, its centerpoint over Jerusalem. From there the Kingdom will be administered by Yeshua. The righteous are those whose lives are a home of hospitality to the Presence of Elohim. They CAUSE Him to descend for the fellowship He longs for with His creation. Inheriting the Land of Israel, the administrative center of the entire earth, is a matter of preparation. Even in Revelation 21:2, the Bride is described as the inhabitants of New Jerusalem “prepared for her husband.” Prepared. Prepared. Who is the Bride? Those who prepared the better Garden, working the will of the Word in their lives, which affects what Yeshua prepares for them in the Third Heaven, or the Garden of Eden. Is there something in our hospitality study to connect us to this Third Heaven?

This week on the Team Lally Real Estate Radio Show, we interview Chris Manglallan of Falcon Services. Chris shares how he started his company during the pandemic, the surge in home improvement projects that followed, and his dedication to providing honest, high-quality service. He also explains why it's crucial to hire licensed and insured contractors, especially for major renovations, and how Falcon Services will continue helping homeowners bring their visions to life—one project at a time.We also have our Experts We Trust. Bradley Maruyama of Allstate Insurance explains why reviewing escrow documents for accurate insurance costs can prevent overpayment, Jodie Tanga of Pacific Rim Mortgage shares how the end of student loan deferments will impact borrowers, and Kyle Shimoda of INPAC Wealth breaks down how a Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) and 1031 Exchange can help real estate investors defer taxes and manage assets efficiently.Who is Chris Manglallan?Chris Manglallan brings more than 15 years of hands-on experience in the construction and home-improvement industry, driven by a genuine passion for helping people create spaces they love. After years of mastering his craft on projects of all sizes—from everyday repairs to full-scale remodels—Chris launched his own business in 2020 to continue doing what he does best: delivering quality work rooted in honesty, integrity, and care. His approach centers on clear communication and personal attention, ensuring every client feels confident and supported from start to finish. As one of our Experts We Trust, Chris exemplifies the blend of skill and service that makes a lasting difference in Hawaii's homes.Falcon Services LLC is a locally owned and operated construction company offering a full range of general contracting and home-improvement services across Oʻahu. Known for its commitment to craftsmanship, reliability, and customer satisfaction, Falcon Services handles everything from minor renovations to complex build-outs with precision and aloha. The company takes pride in transforming visions into reality—whether refreshing interiors, enhancing curb appeal, or modernizing entire homes—while maintaining transparency and quality at every step. Guided by Chris Manglallan's leadership, Falcon Services continues to raise the standard for home improvement in Hawaii, one project at a time.To reach Chris Manglallan, you may contact him in the following ways:Phone: (808) 230-0823Email: cfalconservicesllc@gmail.comLink to social media: www.instagram.com/falconservicesllc/

This week on the Team Lally Real Estate Radio Show, we interview Chris Manglallan of Falcon Services. Chris shares how he started his company during the pandemic, the surge in home improvement projects that followed, and his dedication to providing honest, high-quality service. He also explains why it's crucial to hire licensed and insured contractors, especially for major renovations, and how Falcon Services will continue helping homeowners bring their visions to life—one project at a time.We also have our Experts We Trust. Bradley Maruyama of Allstate Insurance explains why reviewing escrow documents for accurate insurance costs can prevent overpayment, Jodie Tanga of Pacific Rim Mortgage shares how the end of student loan deferments will impact borrowers, and Kyle Shimoda of INPAC Wealth breaks down how a Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) and 1031 Exchange can help real estate investors defer taxes and manage assets efficiently.Who is Chris Manglallan?Chris Manglallan brings more than 15 years of hands-on experience in the construction and home-improvement industry, driven by a genuine passion for helping people create spaces they love. After years of mastering his craft on projects of all sizes—from everyday repairs to full-scale remodels—Chris launched his own business in 2020 to continue doing what he does best: delivering quality work rooted in honesty, integrity, and care. His approach centers on clear communication and personal attention, ensuring every client feels confident and supported from start to finish. As one of our Experts We Trust, Chris exemplifies the blend of skill and service that makes a lasting difference in Hawaii's homes.Falcon Services LLC is a locally owned and operated construction company offering a full range of general contracting and home-improvement services across Oʻahu. Known for its commitment to craftsmanship, reliability, and customer satisfaction, Falcon Services handles everything from minor renovations to complex build-outs with precision and aloha. The company takes pride in transforming visions into reality—whether refreshing interiors, enhancing curb appeal, or modernizing entire homes—while maintaining transparency and quality at every step. Guided by Chris Manglallan's leadership, Falcon Services continues to raise the standard for home improvement in Hawaii, one project at a time.To reach Chris Manglallan, you may contact him in the following ways:Phone: (808) 230-0823Email: cfalconservicesllc@gmail.comLink to social media: www.instagram.com/falconservicesllc/

In this conversation, Laura chats with Black Woman Leading® coaches, Dr. Chinasa Elue & Dr. Karma Hill, to explore the heart work of recovering from a layoff.   Assessing the personal side of this experience, they explore how integrated elements of misplaced identity, burnout, and grief might deepen the loss of employment for many Black women. They explore the power of community to support people through career transitions, and share small but meaningful practices that can help people manage stress and begin to recover from a layoff. About Dr. Chinasa Dr. Chinasa Elue is an award-winning professor, TedEx speaker, grief coach, and CEO and Founder of True Titans Consulting Group. She provides strategic coaching and consulting to organizations moving forward to make impactful changes in the midst of uncertainty. Her work focuses on the ways in which we cultivate spaces in society to have authentic conversations about grief in an effort to provide more holistic grief support. She offers grief coaching to support individuals who have experienced grief and loss of all kinds in moving forward with empathy and care. Dr. Elue is also the host of the Grieving in Color Podcast, a podcast that explores the various ways we navigate our experiences with grief and loss and a place where we find the courage to intentionally heal in our daily lives. She is also a professor of Educational Leadership and Higher Education at Kennesaw State University. Her research focuses on grief leadership, trauma-informed leadership practices in organizational settings, and the health and well-being of historically marginalized and underrepresented populations. Dr. Elue runs the research lab for the Study of Emotional Intelligence, Leadership Effectiveness, and Well-Being of Educational Leaders. Dr. Elue's work has been featured in USA Today, DiversityInc, Better Homes and Gardens, the Journal of Higher Education, the Journal of Negro Education, the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, and others. She currently resides in Atlanta, GA with her husband, Emeka and two children. Connect with Dr. Chinasa  Website: https://www.drchinasaelue.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/drchinasaelue/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drchinasaelue/   About Dr. Karma Dr. Karma Hill is a Burnout Prevention Strategist, Executive Coach, and Positive Psychologist dedicated to helping leaders and organizations flourish from the inside out. As the creator of the REST™ Framework—Resilience, Emotional Intelligence, Self-Care, and Trust—she equips executives and mission-driven teams to prevent burnout, lead with purpose, and cultivate psychologically safe, thriving cultures. With over 20 years of experience in psychology, leadership development, and organizational consulting, Dr. Hill blends evidence-based science with compassionate strategy to reimagine how we work, lead, and live. She serves as President-Elect of the International Coaching Federation Georgia Chapter and is the Founder of Konversations with Karma and Flourish Forum Magazine. Her research and speaking center the intersections of leadership, well-being, and equity—particularly the lived experiences of African American women leaders navigating burnout in the post-COVID workplace. A sought-after speaker and media contributor featured in Yahoo Finance, VoyageATL, and Women's Herald, Dr. Hill's mission is simple yet profound: to restore wholeness in people, leadership, and organizational systems. Connect with Dr. Karma Website: KonversationswithKarma.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillkarma IG: https://instagram.com/konversationswithkarma   BWL Resources: Now enrolling for both the January  sessions of the Early Career and Mid-Career programs.  Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/programs-overview/ Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube.  Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here Download the Black Woman Leading Career Journey Map - https://blackwomanleading.com/journey-map/   Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn Follow BWL on LinkedIn Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading  Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights  Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay  

In this episode, Rose and Crystal talk with Amanda Faber author of cult beloved Cake Portfolio, about taking the road less traveled — publishing a cookbook completely on her own. From skipping agents and traditional houses to handling editing, printing, and promotion herself, Amanda shares what she learned (and what she'd never do again). It's a conversation about creative control, community, and what happens when you decide to bet on your own voice instead of waiting for permission.Mentioned in this epsiode:Better Homes and Gardens New Cook BookThe Great American Baking ShowBookWright by BlurbNow Serving - Bookstore in LAQuick Copyright InformationKitchen Tape Season 1: Who owns a recipe? with Rick RobinsonJeremiah Duarte Bills, Portuguese Baking SchoolKitchen Tape is hosted by Rose Wilde ⁠@trosewilde⁠ and Crystal Slonecker ⁠@crystalslonecker⁠, edited by Dressler Parsons  ⁠@dresslerparsons⁠ of The Regenerative Baking Podcast, with original theme music by Dan Crabtree.Follow us on Instagram ⁠@kitchentapepodcast⁠ and hit like and subscribe to stay up to date on new episodes and behind-the-scenes crumbs.

What does it take to keep your voice—and your purpose—strong through every season of life? In this episode of Unstoppable Mindset, I sit down with my friend Bill Ratner, one of Hollywood's most recognized voice actors, best known as Flint from GI Joe. Bill's voice has carried him through radio, animation, and narration, but what stands out most is how he's used that same voice to serve others through storytelling, teaching, and grief counseling. Together, we explore the heart behind his work—from bringing animated heroes to life to standing on The Moth stage and helping people find healing through poetry. Bill shares lessons from his own journey, including losing both parents early, finding family in unexpected places, and discovering how creative expression can rebuild what life breaks down. We also reflect on 9/11, preparedness, and the quiet confidence that comes from trusting your training—whether you're a first responder, a performer, or just navigating the unknown. This conversation isn't just about performance; it's about presence. It's about using your story, your craft, and your compassion to keep moving forward—unstoppable, one voice at a time. Highlights: 00:31 – Hear the Flint voice and what it takes to bring animated characters to life. 06:57 – Learn why an uneven college path still led to a lifelong acting career. 11:50 – Understand how GI Joe became a team and a toy phenomenon that shaped culture. 15:58 – See how comics and cartoons boosted classroom literacy when used well. 17:06 – Pick up simple ways parents can spark reading through shared stories. 19:29 – Discover how early, honest conversations about death can model resilience. 24:09 – Learn to critique ads and media like a pro to sharpen your own performance. 36:19 – Follow the pivot from radio to voiceover and why specialization pays. 47:48 – Hear practical editing approaches and accessible tools that keep shows tight. 49:38 – Learn how The Moth builds storytelling chops through timed, judged practice. 55:21 – See how poetry—and poetry therapy—support grief work with students. 59:39 – Take notes on memoir writing, emotional management, and one-person shows. About the Guest: Bill Ratner is one of America's best known voice actors and author of poetry collections Lamenting While Doing Laps in the Lake (Slow Lightning Lit 2024,) Fear of Fish (Alien Buddha Press 2021,) To Decorate a Casket (Finishing Line Press 2021,) and the non-fiction book Parenting For The Digital Age: The Truth Behind Media's Effect On Children and What To Do About It (Familius Books 2014.) He is a 9-time winner of the Moth StorySLAM, 2-time winner of Best of The Hollywood Fringe Extension Award for Solo Performance, Best of the Net Poetry Nominee 2023 (Lascaux Review,) and New Millennium "America One Year From Now" Writing Award Finalist. His writing appears in Best Small Fictions 2021 (Sonder Press,) Missouri Review (audio,) Baltimore Review, Chiron Review, Feminine Collective, and other journals. He is the voice of "Flint" in the TV cartoon G.I. Joe, "Donnell Udina" in the computer game Mass Effect, the voice of Air Disasters on Smithsonian Channel, NewsNation, and network TV affiliates across the country. He is a committee chair for his union, SAG-AFTRA, teaches Voiceovers for SAG-AFTRA Foundation, Media Awareness for Los Angeles Unified School District, and is a trained grief counsellor. Member: Actors Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild-AFTRA, National Storytelling Network • https://billratner.com • @billratner Ways to connect with Bill: https://soundcloud.com/bill-ratner https://www.instagram.com/billratner/ https://twitter.com/billratner https://www.threads.net/@billratner https://billratner.tumblr.com https://www.youtube.com/@billratner/videos https://www.facebook.com/billratner.voiceover.author https://bsky.app/profile/bilorat.bsky.social About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well on a gracious hello to you, wherever you may be, I am your host. Mike hingson, and you are listening to unstoppable mindset. Today, we get to have a voice actor, person, Bill Ratner, who you want to know who Bill Radnor is, go back and watch the old GI Joe cartoons and listen to the voice of Flint.   Bill Ratner ** 01:42 All right. Lady Jay, you better get your battle gear on, because Cobra is on their way. And I can't bring up the Lacher threat weapon system. We got to get out of here. Yo, Joe,   Michael Hingson ** 01:52 there you go. I rest my case Well, Bill, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Bill Ratner ** 02:00 We can't rest now. Michael, we've just begun. No, we've just begun.   Michael Hingson ** 02:04 We got to keep going here. Well, I'm really glad that you're here. Bill is another person who we inveigled to get on unstoppable mindset with the help of Walden Hughes. And so that means we can talk about Walden all we want today. Bill just saying, oh goodness. And I got a lot to say. Let me tell you perfect, perfect. Bring it on. So we are really grateful to Walden, although I hope he's not listening. We don't want to give him a big head. But no, seriously, we're really grateful. Ah, good point.   Bill Ratner ** 02:38 But his posture, oddly enough, is perfect.   Michael Hingson ** 02:40 Well, there you go. What do you do? He practiced. Well, anyway, we're glad you're here. Tell us about the early bill, growing up and all that stuff. It's always fun to start a good beginning.   Bill Ratner ** 02:54 Well, I was a very lucky little boy. I was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1947 to two lovely people, professionals, both with master's degree out at University of Chicago. My mother was a social worker. My father had an MBA in business. He was managing editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. So I had the joy of living in a better home and living in a garden.   Michael Hingson ** 03:21 My mother. How long were you in Des Moines?   Bill Ratner ** 03:24 Five and a half years left before my sixth birthday. My dad got a fancy job at an ad agency in Minneapolis, and had a big brother named Pete and big handsome, curly haired boy with green eyes. And moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was was brought up there.   Michael Hingson ** 03:45 Wow. So you went to school there and and chased the girls and all that stuff.   Bill Ratner ** 03:54 I went to school there at Blake School for Boys in Hopkins, Minnesota. Couldn't chase the girls day school, but the girls we are allowed to dance with certainly not chase. Michael was at woodhue dancing school, the Northrop girls from Northrop girls school and the Blake boys were put together in eighth grade and taught the Cha Cha Cha, the waltz, the Charleston, and we danced together, and the girls wore white gloves, and we sniffed their perfume, and we all learned how to be lovers when we were 45   Michael Hingson ** 04:37 There you are. Well, as long as you learned at some point, that's a good start.   Bill Ratner ** 04:44 It's a weird generation. Michael,   Michael Hingson ** 04:46 I've been to Des Moines before. I was born in Chicago, but moved out to California when I was five, but I did some work with the National Federation of the Blind in the mid 19. 1970s 1976 into 1978 so spent time at the Iowa Commission for the Blind in Des Moines, which became a top agency for the Blind in well, the late 50s into the to the 60s and so on. So   Bill Ratner ** 05:15 both my parents are from Chicago. My father from the south side of Chicago, 44th and Kenzie, which was a Irish, Polish, Italian, Jewish, Ukrainian neighborhood. And my mother from Glencoe, which was a middle class suburb above Northwestern University in Evanston.   Michael Hingson ** 05:34 I Where were you born? 57th and union, north, south side, no, South   Bill Ratner ** 05:42 57th union is that? Is that west of Kenzie?   Michael Hingson ** 05:46 You know, I don't remember the geography well enough to know, but I know that it was, I think, Mount Sinai Hospital where I was born. But it was, it's, it's, it's a pretty tough neighborhood today. So I understand,   Bill Ratner ** 06:00 yeah, yeah, my it was tough, then it's tough now,   Michael Hingson ** 06:03 yeah, I think it's tougher, supposedly, than it was. But we lived there for five years, and then we we moved to California, and I remember some things about Chicago. I remember walking down to the local candy store most days, and had no problem doing that. My parents were told they should shut me away at a home somewhere, because no blind child could ever grow up to amount to anything. And my parents said, You guys are you're totally wrong. And they brought me up with that attitude. So, you   Bill Ratner ** 06:32 know who said that the school says school so that   Michael Hingson ** 06:35 doctors doctors when they discovered I was blind with the   Bill Ratner ** 06:38 kid, goodness gracious, horrified.   Michael Hingson ** 06:44 Well, my parents said absolutely not, and they brought me up, and they actually worked with other parents of premature kids who became blind, and when kindergarten started in for us in in the age of four, they actually had a special kindergarten class for blind kids at the Perry School, which is where I went. And so I did that for a year, learn braille and some other things. Then we moved to California, but yeah, and I go back to Chicago every so often. And when I do nowadays, they I one of my favorite places to migrate in Chicago is Garrett Popcorn.   Bill Ratner ** 07:21 Ah, yes, with caramel corn, regular corn, the   Michael Hingson ** 07:25 Chicago blend, which is a mixture, yeah, the Chicago blend is cheese corn, well, as it is with caramel corn, and they put much other mozzarella on it as well. It's really good.   Bill Ratner ** 07:39 Yeah, so we're on the air. Michael, what do you call your what do you call your program? Here I am your new friend, and I can't even announce your program because I don't know   Michael Hingson ** 07:48 the name, unstoppable mindset. This   Bill Ratner ** 07:51 is unstoppable mindset.   Michael Hingson ** 07:56 We're back. Well, we're back already. We're fast. So you, you, you moved off elsewhere, out of Des Moines and all that. And where did you go to college?   Bill Ratner ** 08:09 Well, this is like, why did you this is, this is a bit like talking about the Vietnam War. Looking back on my college career is like looking back on the Vietnam War series, a series of delusions and defeats. By the time I the time i for college, by the time I was applying for college, I was an orphan, orphan, having been born to fabulous parents who died too young of natural causes. So my grades in high school were my mediocre. I couldn't get into the Ivy Leagues. I got into the big 10 schools. My stepmother said, you're going to Michigan State in East Lansing because your cousin Eddie became a successful realtor. And Michigan State was known as mu u it was the most successful, largest agriculture college and university in the country. Kids from South Asia, China, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, South America all over the world came to Michigan State to study agricultural sciences, children of rich farmers all over the world and middle class farmers all over the world, and a huge police science department. Part of the campus was fenced off, and the young cadets, 1819, 20 years old, would practice on the rest of the student body, uniformed with hats and all right, excuse me, young man, we're just going to get some pizza at eight o'clock on Friday night. Stand against your car. Hands in your car. I said, Are you guys practicing again? Shut up and spread your legs. So that was that was Michigan State, and even though both my parents had master's degrees, I just found all the diversions available in the 1960s to be too interesting, and was not invited. Return after my sophomore year, and in order to flunk out of a big 10 University, and they're fine universities, all of them, you have to be either really determined or not so smart, not really capable of doing that level of study in undergraduate school. And I'd like to think that I was determined. I used to show up for my exams with a little blue book, and the only thing I would write is due to lack of knowledge, I am unable to complete this exam, sign Bill ranter and get up early and hand it in and go off. And so what was, what was left for a young man like that was the theater I'd seen the great Zero Mostel when I was 14 years old and on stage live, he looked just like my father, and he was funny, and if I Were a rich man, and that's the grade zero must tell. Yeah, and it took about five, no, it took about six, seven years to percolate inside my bread and my brain. In high school, I didn't want to do theater. The cheerleaders and guys who I had didn't happen to be friends with or doing theater. I took my girlfriends to see plays, but when I was 21 I started acting, and I've been an actor ever since. I'm a committee chair on the screen actors guild in Hollywood and Screen Actors Guild AFTRA, and work as a voice actor and collect my pensions and God bless the union.   Michael Hingson ** 11:44 Well, hey, as long as it works and you're making progress, you know you're still with it, right?   Bill Ratner ** 11:53 That's the that's the point. There's no accounting for taste in my business. Michael, you work for a few different broadcast entities at my age. And it's, you know, it's younger people. It's 18 to 3418 years to 34 years old is the ideal demographic for advertisers, Ford, Motor Company, Dove soap, Betty, Crocker, cake mixes and cereals, every conceivable product that sold online or sold on television and radio. This is my this is my meat, and I don't work for religion. However, if a religious organization calls, I call and say, I I'm not, not qualified or not have my divinity degree in order to sell your church to the public?   Michael Hingson ** 12:46 Yeah, yeah. Well, I, I can understand that. But you, you obviously do a lot, and as we talked about, you were Flint and GI Joe, which is kind of cool.   Bill Ratner ** 13:01 Flynn GI Joe was very cool. Hasbro Corporation, which was based in Providence, Rhode Island, had a huge success with GI Joe, the figure. The figure was about 11 and a half inches tall, like a Barbie, and was at first, was introduced to the public after the Korean War. There is a comic book that was that was also published about GI Joe. He was an individual figure. He was a figure, a sort of mythic cartoon figure during World War Two, GI Joe, generic American soldier, fighting man and but the Vietnam war dragged on for a long time, and the American buying public or buying kids toys got tired of GI Joe, got tired of a military figure in their household and stopped buying. And when Nixon ended the Vietnam War, or allotted to finish in 1974 Hasbro was in the tank. It's got its stock was cheap, and executives are getting nervous. And then came the Great George Lucas in Star Wars, who shrank all these action figures down from 11 and a half inches to three and a half inches, and went to China and had Chinese game and toy makers make Star Wars toys, and began to earn billions and billions dollars. And so Hasbro said, let's turn GI Joe into into a team. And the team began with flint and Lady J and Scarlett and Duke and Destro and cover commander, and grew to 85 different characters, because Hasbro and the toy maker partners could create 85 different sets of toys and action figures. So I was actor in this show and had a good time, and also a purveyor of a billion dollar industry of American toys. And the good news about these toys is I was at a conference where we signed autographs the voice actors, and we have supper with fans and so on. And I was sitting next to a 30 year old kid and his parents. And this kid was so knowledgeable about pop culture and every conceivable children's show and animated show that had ever been on the screen or on television. I turned to his mother and sort of being a wise acre, said, So ma'am, how do you feel about your 30 year old still playing with GI Joe action figures? And she said, Well, he and I both teach English in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania school system, and last year, the literacy level of my ninth graders was 50% 50% of those kids could not read in ninth grade. So I asked the principal if I could borrow my son's GI Joe, action figures, comic books and VHS tapes, recordings of the shows from TV. And he said, Sure, whatever you want to try. And so she did, and she played the video tapes, and these kids were thrilled. They'd never seen a GI Joe cartoon in class before. Passed out the comic books, let him read comics. And then she said, Okay, you guys. And passed out notebooks and pens and pencils, and said, I want you guys to make up some some shows, some GI Joe shows. And so they said, Yeah, we're ready. All right, Cobra, you better get into the barber shop, because the barber bill is no longer there and the fire engines are in the way. And wait a minute, there's a dog in the street. And so they're making this up, using their imagination, doing their schoolwork, by coming up with scenarios, imaginary fam fan fiction for GI Joe and she raised the literacy level in her classroom by 50% that year, by the end of that year, so, so that was the only story that I've ever heard about the sort of the efficacy of GI Joe, other than, you know, kids play with them. Do they? Are they shooting each other all the time? I certainly hope not. I hope not. Are they using the action figures? Do they strip their guns off and put them in a little, you know, stub over by the side and and have them do physical battle with each other, or have them hump the woods, or have them climb the stairs, or have them search the trees. Who knows what kids do? Same with same with girls and and Barbies. Barbie has been a source of fun and creativity for lots of girls, and the source of of worry and bother to a lot of parents as   Michael Hingson ** 17:54 well. Well, at the same time, though, when kids start to react and relate to some of these things. It's, it's pretty cool. I mean, look what's happened with the whole Harry Potter movement and craze. Harry Potter has probably done more in the last 20 or 25 years to promote reading for kids than most anything else, and   Bill Ratner ** 18:17 that's because it's such a good series of books. I read them to my daughters, yeah. And the quality of writing. She was a brilliant writer, not only just the stories and the storytelling, which is fun to watch in the movies, and you know, it's great for a parent to read. If there are any parents listening, I don't care how old your kids are. I don't care if they're 15. Offer to read to them. The 15 year old might, of course, say mom, but anybody younger than that might say either, all right, fine, which is, which means you better do it or read, read a book. To me, sure, it's fun for the parent, fun for the kid, and it makes the child a completely different kind of thinker and worker and earner.   Michael Hingson ** 19:05 Well, also the people who they got to read the books for the recordings Stephen Fry and in the US here, Jim Dale did such an incredible job as well. I've, I've read the whole Harry Potter series more than once, because I just enjoy them, and I enjoy listening to the the voices. They do such a good job. Yeah. And of course, for me, one of the interesting stories that I know about Jim Dale reading Harry Potter was since it was published by Scholastic he was actually scheduled to do a reading from one of the Harry from the new Harry Potter book that was coming out in 2001 on September 11, he was going to be at Scholastic reading. And of course, that didn't happen because of of everything that did occur. So I don't know whether I'm. I'm assuming at some point a little bit later, he did, but still he was scheduled to be there and read. But it they are there. They've done so much to help promote reading, and a lot of those kinds of cartoons and so on. Have done some of that, which is, which is pretty good. So it's good to, you know, to see that continue to happen. Well, so you've written several books on poetry and so on, and I know that you you've mentioned more than once grief and loss. How come those words keep coming up?   Bill Ratner ** 20:40 Well, I had an unusual childhood. Again. I mentioned earlier how, what a lucky kid I was. My parents were happy, educated, good people, not abusers. You know, I don't have a I don't have horror stories to tell about my mother or my father, until my mother grew sick with breast cancer and and it took about a year and a half or two years to die when I was seven years old. The good news is, because she was a sensitive, educated social worker, as she was actually dying, she arranged a death counseling session with me and my older brother and the Unitarian minister who was also a death counselor, and whom she was seeing to talk about, you know, what it was like to be dying of breast cancer with two young kids. And at this session, which was sort of surprised me, I was second grade, came home from school. In the living room was my mother and my brother looking a little nervous, and Dr Carl storm from the Unitarian Church, and she said, you know, Dr storm from church, but he's also my therapist. And we talk about my illness and how I feel, and we talk about how much I love you boys, and talk about how I worry about Daddy. And this is what one does when one is in crisis. That was a moment that was not traumatic for me. It's a moment I recalled hundreds of times, and one that has been a guiding light through my life. My mother's death was very difficult for my older brother, who was 13 who grew up in World War Two without without my father, it was just him and my mother when he was off in the Pacific fighting in World War Two. And then I was born after the war. And the loss of a mother in a family is like the bottom dropping out of a family. But luckily, my dad met a woman he worked with a highly placed advertising executive, which was unusual for a female in the 1950s and she became our stepmother a year later, and we had some very lovely, warm family years with her extended family and our extended family and all of us together until my brother got sick, came down with kidney disease a couple of years before kidney dialysis was invented, and a couple of years before kidney transplants were done, died at 19. Had been the captain of the swimming team at our high school, but did a year in college out in California and died on Halloween of 1960 my father was 51 years old. His eldest son had died. He had lost his wife six years earlier. He was working too hard in the advertising industry, successful man and dropped out of a heart attack 14th birthday. Gosh, I found him unconscious on the floor of our master bathroom in our house. So my life changed. I My life has taught me many, many things. It's taught me how the defense system works in trauma. It's taught me the resilience of a child. It's taught me the kindness of strangers. It's taught me the sadness of loss.   Michael Hingson ** 24:09 Well, you, you seem to come through all of it pretty well. Well, thank you. A question behind that, just an observation, but, but you do seem to, you know, obviously, cope with all of it and do pretty well. So you, you've always liked to be involved in acting and so on. How did you actually end up deciding to be a voice actor?   Bill Ratner ** 24:39 Well, my dad, after he was managing editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine in Des Moines for Meredith publishing, got offered a fancy job as executive vice president of the flower and mix division for Campbell within advertising and later at General Mills Corporation. From Betty Crocker brand, and would bring me to work all the time, and would sit with me, and we'd watch the wonderful old westerns that were on prime time television, rawhide and Gunsmoke and the Virginian and sure   Michael Hingson ** 25:15 and all those. Yeah, during   Bill Ratner ** 25:17 the commercials, my father would make fun of the commercials. Oh, look at that guy. And number one, son, that's lousy acting. Number two, listen to that copy. It's the dumbest ad copy I've ever seen. The jingles and and then he would say, No, that's a good commercial, right there. And he wasn't always negative. He would he was just a good critic of advertising. So at a very young age, starting, you know, when we watch television, I think the first television ever, he bought us when I was five years old, I was around one of the most educated, active, funny, animated television critics I could hope to have in my life as a 56789, 1011, 12 year old. And so when I was 12, I became one of the founding members of the Brotherhood of radio stations with my friends John Waterhouse and John Barstow and Steve gray and Bill Connors in South Minneapolis. I named my five watt night kit am transmitter after my sixth grade teacher, Bob close this is wclo stereo radio. And when I was in sixth grade, I built myself a switch box, and I had a turntable and I had an intercom, and I wired my house for sound, as did all the other boys in the in the B, O, R, S, and that's brotherhood of radio stations. And we were guests on each other's shows, and we were obsessed, and we would go to the shopping malls whenever a local DJ was making an appearance and torture him and ask him dumb questions and listen obsessively to American am radio. And at the time for am radio, not FM like today, or internet on your little radio tuner, all the big old grandma and grandpa radios, the wooden ones, were AM, for amplitude modulated. You could get stations at night, once the sun went down and the later it got, the ionosphere would lift and the am radio signals would bounce higher and farther. And in Minneapolis, at age six and seven, I was able to to listen to stations out of Mexico and Texas and Chicago, and was absolutely fascinated with with what was being put out. And I would, I would switch my brother when I was about eight years old, gave me a transistor radio, which I hid under my bed covers. And at night, would turn on and listen for, who knows, hours at a time, and just tuning the dial and tuning the dial from country to rock and roll to hit parade to news to commercials to to agric agriculture reports to cow crossings in Kansas and grain harvesting and cheese making in Wisconsin, and on and on and on that made up the great medium of radio that was handing its power and its business over to television, just as I was growing As a child. Fast, fascinating transition   Michael Hingson ** 28:18 and well, but as it was transitioning, how did that affect you?   Bill Ratner ** 28:26 It made television the romantic, exciting, dynamic medium. It made radio seem a little limited and antiquated, and although I listened for environment and wasn't able to drag a television set under my covers. Yeah, and television became memorable with with everything from actual world war two battle footage being shown because there wasn't enough programming to 1930s Warner Brothers gangster movies with James Cagney, Edward G   Michael Hingson ** 29:01 Robinson and yeah   Bill Ratner ** 29:02 to all the sitcoms, Leave It to Beaver and television cartoons and on and on and on. And the most memorable elements to me were the personalities, and some of whom were invisible. Five years old, I was watching a Kids program after school, after kindergarten. We'll be back with more funny puppets, marionettes after this message and the first words that came on from an invisible voice of this D baritone voice, this commercial message will be 60 seconds long, Chrysler Dodge for 1954 blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I watched hypnotized, hypnotized as a 1953 dodge drove across the screen with a happy family of four waving out the window. And at the end of the commercial, I ran into the kitchen said, Mom, mom, I know what a minute. Is, and it was said, it had suddenly come into my brain in one of those very rare and memorable moments in a person's life where your brain actually speaks to you in its own private language and says, Here is something very new and very true, that 60 seconds is in fact a minute. When someone says, See you in five minutes, they mean five times that, five times as long as that. Chrysler commercial, five times 60. That's 300 seconds. And she said, Did you learn it that that on T in kindergarten? And I said, No, I learned it from kangaroo Bob on TV, his announcer, oh, kangaroo Bob, no, but this guy was invisible. And so at five years of age, I was aware of the existence of the practice of the sound, of the magic of the seemingly unlimited access to facts, figures, products, brand names that these voices had and would say on the air in This sort of majestic, patriarchal way,   Michael Hingson ** 31:21 and just think 20 years later, then you had James Earl Jones,   Bill Ratner ** 31:26 the great dame. James Earl Jones, father was a star on stage at that time the 1950s James Earl Jones came of age in the 60s and became Broadway and off Broadway star.   Michael Hingson ** 31:38 I got to see him in Othello. He was playing Othello. What a powerful performance. It was   Bill Ratner ** 31:43 wonderful performer. Yeah, yeah. I got to see him as Big Daddy in Canada, Hot Tin Roof, ah, live and in person, he got front row seats for me and my family.   Michael Hingson ** 31:53 Yeah, we weren't in the front row, but we saw it. We saw it on on Broadway,   Bill Ratner ** 31:58 the closest I ever got to James Earl Jones. He and I had the same voice over agent, woman named Rita vinari of southern Barth and benare company. And I came into the agency to audition for Doritos, and I hear this magnificent voice coming from behind a closed voiceover booth, saying, with a with a Spanish accent, Doritos. I thought that's James Earl Jones. Why is he saying burritos? And he came out, and he bowed to me, nodded and smiled, and I said, hello and and the agent probably in the booth and shut the door. And she said, I said, that was James Earl Jones. What a voice. What she said, Oh, he's such a nice man. And she said, but I couldn't. I was too embarrassed. I was too afraid to stop him from saying, Doritos. And it turns out he didn't get the gig. So it is some other voice actor got it because he didn't say, had he said Doritos with the agent froze it froze up. That was as close as I ever got to did you get the gig? Oh goodness no,   Michael Hingson ** 33:01 no, you didn't, huh? Oh, well, well, yeah. I mean, it was a very, it was, it was wonderful. It was James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer played Iago. Oh, goodness, oh, I know. What a what a combination. Well, so you, you did a lot of voiceover stuff. What did you do regarding radio moving forward? Or did you just go completely out of that and you were in TV? Or did you have any opportunity   Bill Ratner ** 33:33 for me to go back at age 15, my brother and father, who were big supporters of my radio. My dad would read my W, C, l, o, newsletter and need an initial, an excellent journalism son and my brother would bring his teenage friends up. He'd play the elderly brothers, man, you got an Elvis record, and I did. And you know, they were, they were big supporters for me as a 13 year old, but when I turned 14, and had lost my brother and my father, I lost my enthusiasm and put all of my radio equipment in a box intended to play with it later. Never, ever, ever did again. And when I was about 30 years old and I'd done years of acting in the theater, having a great time doing fun plays and small theaters in Minneapolis and South Dakota and and Oakland, California and San Francisco. I needed money, so I looked in the want ads and saw a job for telephone sales, and I thought, Well, I used to love the telephone. I used to make phony phone calls to people all the time. Used to call funeral homes. Hi Carson, funeral I help you. Yes, I'm calling to tell you that you have a you have a dark green slate tile. Roof, isn't that correct? Yes. Well, there's, there's a corpse on your roof. Lady for goodness sake, bring it down and we laugh and we record it and and so I thought, Well, gee, I used to have a lot of fun with the phone. And so I called the number of telephone sales and got hired to sell magazine subscriptions and dinner tickets to Union dinners and all kinds of things. And then I saw a new job at a radio station, suburban radio station out in Walnut Creek, California, a lovely Metro BART train ride. And so I got on the BART train, rode out there and walked in for the interview, and was told I was going to be selling small advertising packages on radio for the station on the phone. And so I called barber shops and beauty shops and gas stations in the area, and one guy picked up the phone and said, Wait a minute, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Are you on the radio right now? And I said, No, I'm just I'm in the sales room. Well, maybe you should be. And he slams the phone on me. He didn't want to talk to me anymore. It wasn't interested in buying advertising. I thought, gee. And I told somebody at the station, and they said, Well, you want to be in the radio? And he went, Yeah, I was on the radio when I was 13. And it just so happened that an older fellow was retiring from the 10am to 2pm slot. K I S King, kiss 99 and KD FM, Pittsburgh, California. And it was a beautiful music station. It was a music station. Remember, old enough will remember music that used to play in elevators that was like violin music, the Percy faith orchestra playing a Rolling Stone song here in the elevator. Yes, well, that's exactly what we played. And it would have been harder to get a job at the local rock stations because, you know, they were popular places. And so I applied for the job, and   Michael Hingson ** 37:06 could have lost your voice a lot sooner, and it would have been a lot harder if you had had to do Wolfman Jack. But that's another story.   Bill Ratner ** 37:13 Yeah, I used to listen to Wolf Man Jack. I worked in a studio in Hollywood. He became a studio. Yeah, big time.   Michael Hingson ** 37:22 Anyway, so you you got to work at the muzack station, got   Bill Ratner ** 37:27 to work at the muzack station, and I was moving to Los Angeles to go to a bigger market, to attempt to penetrate a bigger broadcast market. And one of the sales guys, a very nice guy named Ralph pizzella said, Well, when you get to La you should study with a friend of mine down to pie Troy, he teaches voiceovers. I said, What are voice overs? He said, You know that CVS Pharmacy commercial just carted up and did 75 tags, available in San Fernando, available in San Clemente, available in Los Angeles, available in Pasadena. And I said, Yeah. He said, Well, you didn't get paid any extra. You got paid your $165 a week. The guy who did that commercial for the ad agency got paid probably 300 bucks, plus extra for the tags, that's voiceovers. And I thought, why? There's an idea, what a concept. So he gave me the name and number of old friend acquaintance of his who he'd known in radio, named Don DiPietro, alias Johnny rabbit, who worked for the Dick Clark organization, had a big rock and roll station there. He'd come to LA was doing voiceovers and teaching voiceover classes in a little second story storefront out of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. So I signed up for his class, and he was an experienced guy, and he liked me, and we all had fun, and I realized I was beginning to study like an actor at 1818, who goes to New York or goes to Los Angeles or Chicago or Atlanta or St Louis to act in the big theaters, and starts acting classes and realizes, oh my goodness, these people are truly professionals. I don't know how to do what they do. And so for six years, I took voice over classes, probably 4050, nights a year, and from disc jockeys, from ex show hosts, from actors, from animated cartoon voices, and put enough time in to get a degree in neurology in medical school. And worked my way up in radio in Los Angeles and had a morning show, a lovely show with a wonderful news man named Phil Reed, and we talked about things and reviewed movies and and played a lot of music. And then I realized, wait a minute, I'm earning three times the money in voiceovers as I am on the radio, and I have to get up at 430 in the morning to be on the radio. Uh, and a wonderful guy who was Johnny Carson's staff announcer named Jack angel said, You're not still on radio, are you? And I said, Well, yeah, I'm working in the morning. And Ka big, get out of there. Man, quit. Quit. And I thought, well, how can I quit? I've always wanted to be a radio announcer. And then there was another wonderful guy on the old am station, kmpc, sweet Dick Whittington. Whittington, right? And he said at a seminar that I went to at a union voice over training class, when you wake up at four in the morning and you swing your legs over the bed and your shoes hit the floor, and you put your head in your hands, and you say to yourself, I don't want to do this anymore. That's when you quit radio. Well, that hadn't happened to me. I was just getting up early to write some comedy segments and on and on and on, and then I was driving around town all day doing auditions and rented an ex girlfriend's second bedroom so that I could nap by myself during the day, when I had an hour in and I would as I would fall asleep, I'd picture myself every single day I'm in a dark voiceover studio, a microphone Is before me, a music stand is before the microphone, and on it is a piece of paper with advertising copy on it. On the other side of the large piece of glass of the recording booth are three individuals, my employers, I begin to read, and somehow the text leaps off the page, streams into my eyes, letter for letter, word for word, into a part of my back brain that I don't understand and can't describe. It is processed in my semi conscious mind with the help of voice over training and hope and faith, and comes out my mouth, goes into the microphone, is recorded in the digital recorder, and those three men, like little monkeys, lean forward and say, Wow, how do you do that? That was my daily creative visualization. Michael, that was my daily fantasy. And I had learned that from from Dale Carnegie, and I had learned that from Olympic athletes on NBC TV in the 60s and 70s, when the announcer would say, this young man you're seeing practicing his high jump is actually standing there. He's standing stationary, and the bouncing of the head is he's actually rehearsing in his mind running and running and leaping over the seven feet two inch bar and falling into the sawdust. And now he's doing it again, and you could just barely see the man nodding his head on camera at the exact rhythm that he would be running the 25 yards toward the high bar and leaping, and he raised his head up during the imaginary lead that he was visualizing, and then he actually jumped the seven foot two inches. That's how I learned about creative visualization from NBC sports on TV.   Michael Hingson ** 43:23 Channel Four in Los Angeles. There you go. Well, so you you broke into voice over, and that's what you did.   Bill Ratner ** 43:38 That's what I did, darn it, I ain't stopping now, there's a wonderful old actor named Bill Irwin. There two Bill Irwin's one is a younger actor in his 50s or 60s, a brilliant actor from Broadway to film and TV. There's an older William Irwin. They also named Bill Irwin, who's probably in his 90s now. And I went to a premiere of a film, and he was always showing up in these films as The senile stock broker who answers the phone upside down, or the senile board member who always asks inappropriate questions. And I went up to him and I said, you know, I see you in everything, man. I'm 85 years old. Some friends and associates of mine tell me I should slow down. I only got cast in movies and TV when I was 65 I ain't slowing down. If I tried to slow down at 85 I'd have to stop That's my philosophy. My hero is the great Don Pardo, the late great   Michael Hingson ** 44:42 for Saturday Night Live and Jeopardy   Bill Ratner ** 44:45 lives starring Bill Murray, Gilder Radner, and   Michael Hingson ** 44:49 he died for Jeopardy before that,   Bill Ratner ** 44:52 yeah, died at 92 with I picture him, whether it probably not, with a microphone and. His hand in his in his soundproof booth, in his in his garage, and I believe he lived in Arizona, although the show was aired and taped in New York, New York, right where he worked for for decades as a successful announcer. So that's the story.   Michael Hingson ** 45:16 Michael. Well, you know, I miss, very frankly, some of the the the days of radio back in the 60s and 70s and so on. We had, in LA what you mentioned, Dick Whittington, Dick whittinghill on kmpc, Gary Owens, you know, so many people who were such wonderful announcers and doing some wonderful things, and radio just isn't the same anymore. It's gone. It's   Bill Ratner ** 45:47 gone to Tiktok and YouTube. And the truth is, I'm not gonna whine about Tiktok or YouTube, because some of the most creative moments on camera are being done on Tiktok and YouTube by young quote influencers who hire themselves out to advertisers, everything from lipstick. You know,   Speaker 1 ** 46:09 when I went to a party last night was just wild and but this makeup look, watch me apply this lip remover and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, no, I have no lip.   Bill Ratner ** 46:20 You know, these are the people with the voices. These are the new voices. And then, of course, the faces. And so I would really advise before, before people who, in fact, use the internet. If you use the internet, you can't complain if you use the internet, if you go to Facebook or Instagram, or you get collect your email or Google, this or that, which most of us do, it's handy. You can't complain about tick tock, tick tock, tick tock. You can't complain about tick tock or YouTube, because it's what the younger generation is using, and it's what the younger generation advertisers and advertising executives and creators and musicians and actors are using to parade before us, as Gary Owens did, as Marlon Brando did, as Sarah Bernhardt did in the 19 so as all as you do, Michael, you're a parader. You're the head of the parade. You've been in on your own float for years. I read your your bio. I don't even know why you want to waste a minute talking to me for goodness sakes.   Michael Hingson ** 47:26 You know, the one thing about podcasts that I like over radio, and I did radio at kuci for seven years when I was in school, what I really like about podcasts is they're not and this is also would be true for Tiktok and YouTube. Primarily Tiktok, I would would say it isn't as structured. So if we don't finish in 60 minutes, and we finish in 61 minutes, no one's gonna shoot us.   Bill Ratner ** 47:53 Well, I beg to differ with you. Now. I'm gonna start a fight with you. Michael, yeah, we need conflict in this script. Is that it The Tick Tock is very structured. Six. No,   Michael Hingson ** 48:03 no, I understand that. I'm talking about podcasts,   Bill Ratner ** 48:07 though, but there's a problem. We gotta Tone It Up. We gotta pick it up. We gotta there's a lot of and I listen to what are otherwise really bright, wonderful personalities on screen, celebrities who have podcasts and the car sucks, and then I had meatballs for dinner, haha. And you know what my wife said? Why? You know? And there's just too much of that. And,   Michael Hingson ** 48:32 oh, I understand, yeah. I mean, it's like, like anything, but I'm just saying that's one of the reasons I love podcasting. So it's my way of continuing what I used to do in radio and having a lot of fun doing it   Bill Ratner ** 48:43 all right, let me ask you. Let me ask you a technical and editorial question. Let me ask you an artistic question. An artist, can you edit this podcast? Yeah. Are you? Do you plan to Nope.   Michael Hingson ** 48:56 I think conversations are conversations, but there is a but, I mean,   Bill Ratner ** 49:01 there have been starts and stops and I answer a question, and there's a long pause, and then, yeah, we can do you edit that stuff   Michael Hingson ** 49:08 out. We do, we do, edit some of that out. And I have somebody that that that does a lot of it, because I'm doing more podcasts, and also I travel and speak, but I can edit. There's a program called Reaper, which is really a very sophisticated   Bill Ratner ** 49:26 close up spaces. You   Michael Hingson ** 49:28 can close up spaces with it, yes, but the neat thing about Reaper is that somebody has written scripts to make it incredibly accessible for blind people using screen readers.   Bill Ratner ** 49:40 What does it do? What does it do? Give me the elevator pitch.   Michael Hingson ** 49:46 You've seen some of the the programs that people use, like computer vision and other things to do editing of videos and so on. Yeah.   Bill Ratner ** 49:55 Yeah. Even Apple. Apple edit. What is it called? Apple? Garage Band. No, that's audio. What's that   Michael Hingson ** 50:03 audio? Oh,   Bill Ratner ** 50:06 quick time is quick   Michael Hingson ** 50:07 time. But whether it's video or audio, the point is that Reaper allows me to do all of that. I can edit audio. I can insert, I can remove pauses. I can do anything with Reaper that anyone else can do editing audio, because it's been made completely accessible.   Bill Ratner ** 50:27 That's great. That's good. That's nice. Oh, it is. It's cool.   Michael Hingson ** 50:31 So so if I want, I can edit this and just have my questions and then silence when you're talking.   Bill Ratner ** 50:38 That might be best. Ladies and gentlemen, here's Bill Ratner,   Michael Hingson ** 50:46 yep, exactly, exactly. Now you have won the moth stories. Slam, what? Tell me about my story. Slam, you've won it nine times.   Bill Ratner ** 51:00 The Moth was started by a writer, a novelist who had lived in the South and moved to New York City, successful novelist named George Dawes green. And the inception of the moth, which many people listening are familiar with from the Moth Radio Hour. It was, I believe, either late 90s or early 2000s when he'd been in New York for a while and was was publishing as a fiction writer, and threw a party, and decided, instead of going to one of these dumb, boring parties or the same drinks being served and same cigarettes being smoked out in the veranda and the same orders. I'm going to ask people to bring a five minute story, a personal story, nature, a true story. You don't have to have one to get into the party, but I encourage you to. And so you know, the 3040, 50 people showed up, many of whom had stories, and they had a few drinks, and they had hors d'oeuvres. And then he said, Okay, ladies and gentlemen, take your seats. It's time for and then I picked names out of a hat, and person after person after person stood up in a very unusual setting, which was almost never done at parties. You How often do you see that happen? Suddenly, the room falls silent, and someone with permission being having been asked by the host to tell a personal story, some funny, some tragic, some complex, some embarrassing, some racy, some wild, some action filled. And afterward, the feedback he got from his friends was, this is the most amazing experience I've ever had in my life. And someone said, you need to do this. And he said, Well, you people left a lot of cigarette butts and beer cans around my apartment. And they said, well, let's do it at a coffee shop. Let's do it at a church basement. So slowly but surely, the moth storytelling, story slams, which were designed after the old poetry slams in the 50s and 60s, where they were judged contests like, like a dance contest. Everybody's familiar with dance contests? Well, there were, then came poetry contests with people singing and, you know, and singing and really energetically, really reading. There then came storytelling contests with people standing on a stage before a silent audience, telling a hopefully interesting, riveting story, beginning middle, end in five minutes. And so a coffee house was found. A monthly calendar was set up. Then came the internet. Then it was so popular standing room only that they had to open yet another and another, and today, some 20 years later, 20 some years later, from Austin, Texas to San Francisco, California to Minneapolis, Minnesota to New York City to Los Angeles. There are moth story slams available on online for you to schedule yourself to go live and in person at the moth.org as in the moth with wings. Friend of mine, I was in New York. He said, You can't believe it. This writer guy, a writer friend of mine who I had read, kind of an avant garde, strange, funny writer was was hosting something called the moth in New York, and we were texting each other. He said, Well, I want to go. The theme was show business. I was going to talk to my Uncle Bobby, who was the bell boy. And I Love Lucy. I'll tell a story. And I texted him that day. He said, Oh man, I'm so sorry. I had the day wrong. It's next week. Next week, I'm going to be back home. And so he said, Well, I think there's a moth in Los Angeles. So about 15 years ago, I searched it down and what? Went to a small Korean barbecue that had a tiny little stage that originally was for Korean musicians, and it was now being used for everything from stand up comedy to evenings of rock and roll to now moth storytelling once a month. And I think the theme was first time. And so I got up and told a silly story and didn't win first prize. They have judges that volunteer judges a table of three judges scoring, you like, at a swim meet or a track beat or, you know, and our gymnastics meet. So this is all sort of familiar territory for everybody, except it's storytelling and not high jumping or pull ups. And I kept going back. I was addicted to it. I would write a story and I'd memorize it, and I'd show up and try to make it four minutes and 50 seconds and try to make it sound like I was really telling a story and not reading from a script. And wish I wasn't, because I would throw the script away, and I knew the stories well enough. And then they created a radio show. And then I began to win slams and compete in the grand slams. And then I started submitting these 750 word, you know, two and a half page stories. Literary magazines got a few published and found a whole new way to spend my time and not make much   Michael Hingson ** 56:25 money. Then you went into poetry.   Bill Ratner ** 56:29 Then I got so bored with my prose writing that I took a poetry course from a wonderful guy in LA called Jack grapes, who had been an actor and a football player and come to Hollywood and did some TV, episodics and and some some episodic TV, and taught poetry. It was a poet in the schools, and I took his class of adults and got a poem published. And thought, wait a minute, these aren't even 750 words. They're like 75 words. I mean, you could write a 10,000 word poem if you want, but some people have, yeah, and it was complex, and there was so much to read and so much to learn and so much that was interesting and odd. And a daughter of a friend of mine is a poet, said, Mommy, are you going to read me one of those little word movies before I go to sleep?   Michael Hingson ** 57:23 A little word movie, word movie out of the   Bill Ratner ** 57:27 mouths of babes. Yeah, and so, so and I perform. You know, last night, I was in Orange County at a organization called ugly mug Cafe, and a bunch of us poets read from an anthology that was published, and we sold our books, and heard other young poets who were absolutely marvelous and and it's, you know, it's not for everybody, but it's one of the things I do.   Michael Hingson ** 57:54 Well, you sent me pictures of book covers, so they're going to be in the show notes. And I hope people will will go out and get them   Bill Ratner ** 58:01 cool. One of the one of the things that I did with poetry, in addition to wanting to get published and wanting to read before people, is wanting to see if there is a way. Because poetry was, was very satisfying, emotionally to me, intellectually very challenging and satisfying at times. And emotionally challenging and very satisfying at times, writing about things personal, writing about nature, writing about friends, writing about stories that I received some training from the National Association for poetry therapy. Poetry therapy is being used like art therapy, right? And have conducted some sessions and and participated in many and ended up working with eighth graders of kids who had lost someone to death in the past year of their lives. This is before covid in the public schools in Los Angeles. And so there's a lot of that kind of work that is being done by constable people, by writers, by poets, by playwrights,   Michael Hingson ** 59:09 and you became a grief counselor,   Bill Ratner ** 59:13 yes, and don't do that full time, because I do voiceovers full time, right? Write poetry and a grand. Am an active grandparent, but I do the occasional poetry session around around grief poetry.   Michael Hingson ** 59:31 So you're a grandparent, so you've had kids and all that. Yes, sir, well, that's is your wife still with us? Yes?   Bill Ratner ** 59:40 Oh, great, yeah, she's an artist and an art educator. Well, that   Michael Hingson ** 59:46 so the two of you can criticize each other's works, then, just   Bill Ratner ** 59:52 saying, we're actually pretty kind to each other. I Yeah, we have a lot of we have a lot of outside criticism. Them. So, yeah, you don't need to do it internally. We don't rely on it. What do you think of this although, although, more than occasionally, each of us will say, What do you think of this poem, honey? Or what do you think of this painting, honey? And my the favorite, favorite thing that my wife says that always thrills me and makes me very happy to be with her is, I'll come down and she's beginning a new work of a new piece of art for an exhibition somewhere. I'll say, what? Tell me about what's, what's going on with that, and she'll go, you know, I have no idea, but it'll tell me what to do.   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:33 Yeah, it's, it's like a lot of authors talk about the fact that their characters write the stories right, which, which makes a lot of sense. So with all that you've done, are you writing a memoir? By any chance, I   Bill Ratner ** 1:00:46 am writing a memoir, and writing has been interesting. I've been doing it for many years. I got it was my graduate thesis from University of California Riverside Palm Desert.   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:57 My wife was a UC Riverside graduate. Oh, hi. Well, they   Bill Ratner ** 1:01:01 have a low residency program where you go for 10 days in January, 10 days in June. The rest of it's online, which a lot of universities are doing, low residency programs for people who work and I got an MFA in creative writing nonfiction, had a book called parenting for the digital age, the truth about media's effect on children. And was halfway through it, the publisher liked it, but they said you got to double the length. So I went back to school to try to figure out how to double the length. And was was able to do it, and decided to move on to personal memoir and personal storytelling, such as goes on at the moth but a little more personal than that. Some of the material that I was reading in the memoir section of a bookstore was very, very personal and was very helpful to read about people who've gone through particular issues in their childhood. Mine not being physical abuse or sexual abuse, mine being death and loss, which is different. And so that became a focus of my graduate thesis, and many people were urging me to write a memoir. Someone said, you need to do a one man show. So I entered the Hollywood fringe and did a one man show and got good reviews and had a good time and did another one man show the next year and and so on. So But writing memoir as anybody knows, and they're probably listeners who are either taking memoir courses online or who may be actively writing memoirs or short memoir pieces, as everybody knows it, can put you through moods from absolutely ecstatic, oh my gosh, I got this done. I got this story told, and someone liked it, to oh my gosh, I'm so depressed I don't understand why. Oh, wait a minute, I was writing about such and such today. Yeah. So that's the challenge for the memoir is for the personal storyteller, it's also, you know, and it's more of a challenge than it is for the reader, unless it's bad writing and the reader can't stand that. For me as a reader, I'm fascinated by people's difficult stories, if they're well   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:24 told well, I know that when in 2002 I was advised to write a book about the World Trade Center experiences and all, and it took eight years to kind of pull it all together. And then I met a woman who actually I collaborated with, Susie Florey, and we wrote thunder dog. And her agent became my agent, who loved the proposal that we sent and actually got a contract within a week. So thunder dog came out in 2011 was a New York Times bestseller, and very blessed by that, and we're working toward the day that it will become a movie still, but it'll happen. And then I wrote a children's version of it, well, not a children's version of the book, but a children's book about me growing up in Roselle, growing up the guide dog who was with me in the World Trade Center, and that's been on Amazon. We self published it. Then last year, we published a new book called Live like a guide dog, which is all about controlling fear and teaching people lessons that I learned prior to September 11. That helped me focus and remain calm.   Bill Ratner ** 1:04:23 What happened to you on September 11,   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:27 I was in the World Trade Center. I worked on the 78th floor of Tower One.   Bill Ratner ** 1:04:32 And what happened? I mean, what happened to you?   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:36 Um, nothing that day. I mean, well, I got out. How did you get out? Down the stairs? That was the only way to go. So, so the real story is not doing it, but why it worked. And the real issue is that I spent a lot of time when I first went into the World Trade Center, learning all I could about what to do in an emergency, talking to police, port authorities. Security people, emergency preparedness people, and also just walking around the world trade center and learning the whole place, because I ran an office for a company, and I wasn't going to rely on someone else to, like, lead me around if we're going to go to lunch somewhere and take people out before we negotiated contracts. So I needed to know all of that, and I learned all I could, also realizing that if there ever was an emergency, I might be the only one in the office, or we might be in an area where people couldn't read the signs to know what to do anyway. And so I had to take the responsibility of learning all that, which I did. And then when the planes hit 18 floors above us on the other side of the building, we get we had some guests in the office. Got them out, and then another colleague, who was in from our corporate office, and I and my guide dog, Roselle, went to the stairs, and we started down. And   Bill Ratner ** 1:05:54 so, so what floor did the plane strike?   Michael Hingson ** 1:05:58 It struck and the NOR and the North Tower, between floors 93 and 99 so I just say 96 okay, and you were 20 floors down, 78 floors 78 so we were 18 floors below, and   Bill Ratner ** 1:06:09 at the moment of impact, what did you think?   Michael Hingson ** 1:06:13 Had no idea we heard a muffled kind of explosion, because the plane hit on the other side of the building, 18 floors above us. There was no way to know what was going on. Did you feel? Did you feel? Oh, the building literally tipped, probably about 20 feet. It kept tipping. And then we actually said goodbye to each other, and then the building came back upright. And then we went,   Bill Ratner ** 1:06:34 really you so you thought you were going to die?   Michael Hingson ** 1:06:38 David, my colleague who was with me, as I said, he was from our California office, and he was there to help with some seminars we were going to be doing. We actually were saying goodbye to each other because we thought we were about to take a 78 floor plunge to the street, when the building stopped tipping and it came back. Designed to do that by the architect. It was designed to do that, which is the point, the point.   Bill Ratner ** 1:07:02 Goodness, gracious. And then did you know how to get to the stairway?   Michael Hingson ** 1:07:04 Oh, absolutely. And did you do it with your friend? Yeah, the first thing we did, the first thing we did is I got him to get we had some guests, and I said, get him to the stairs. Don't let him take the elevators, because I knew he had seen fire above us, but that's all we knew. And but I said, don't take the elevators. Don't let them take elevators. Get them to the stairs and then come back and we'll leave. So he did all that, and then he came back, and we went to the stairs and started down.   Bill Ratner ** 1:07:33 Wow. Could you smell anything?   Michael Hingson ** 1:07:36 We smelled burning jet fuel fumes on the way down. And that's how we figured out an airplane must have hit the building, but we had no idea what happened. We didn't know what happened until the until both towers had collapsed, and I actually talked to my wife, and she's the one who told us how to aircraft have been crashed into the towers, one into the Pentagon, and a fourth, at that time, was still missing over Pennsylvania. Wow. So you'll have to go pick up a copy of thunder dog. Goodness. Good. Thunder dog. The name of the book is Thunder dog, and the book I wrote last year is called Live like a guide dog. It's le

Ann Wood@Woodlucker is a paper botanical artist who graduated from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1986. She also earned a two year degree from Hawkeye Institute of Technology in photography. Before creating botanical pieces, she was an exhibitor at craft shows with her husband, Dean Lucker, all over America. Some of the shows include the Smithsonian Craft Show, The Philadelphia Museum Show, and many of the American Craft Expo venues such as the Baltimore Craft Show. She started an Instagram account 10 years ago creating paper botanicals that currently has 375,000 followers. Her work focuses on creating flowers, food, mushrooms, and even some paper animals all paper. During the pandemic, her paper botanical wall was shown with Royal Delftware at a museum in the Netherlands. Ann has been featured in many national and international magazines, including Martha Stewart Living and Better Homes & Gardens. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/woodlucker/ Website: www.woodlucker.com

Neil Vogel, CEO of People Inc., has done something remarkable in an industry that's been writing its own eulogy for years. He's made legacy media look relevant and publishing thrive. As the head of America's largest magazine publisher—home to People, Travel & Leisure, Better Homes & Gardens and more—he's navigated one of the most turbulent periods in magazine, let alone media, history with a perspective that's refreshingly unsentimental and, frankly, bullish on publishing. The Mindset That Matters What becomes clear quickly is that Neil operates from a different premise than a lot of industry vets. Neil Vogel, CEO, People Inc. He doesn't see change as something to fear or fight. Instead, he sees it as the operating environment: "We're going to happen to things. Things are not going to happen to us." It's a subtle shift, but it changes everything about how you approach strategy. He also refuses to accept the tired narrative that media is dying. "Media is a fantastic business," he told me. "People are on media more now than ever before, and there's more money being spent against media in various ways." The problem isn't media; it's when companies cling to old business models instead of adapting the execution while keeping the core mission intact. The Search Reality Check One of the sharpest insights from our conversation centered on the collapse of search dominance. When Dotdash was independent, 70 percent of traffic came from search. That was their "mall." But the mall blew up. Search traffic dropped to 30 percent of total traffic over time. The expected outcome? Disaster. What actually happened, thanks to Neil's approach? Total traffic grew. They built. They diversified into direct traffic, email, social platforms, Apple News, and owned properties like recipe lockers. A key lesson: "We're not entitled to search traffic, just like we're not entitled to Facebook traffic. You have to earn it." The People Magazine Blueprint The restructuring of People, Inc. offers a masterclass in letting go of control. Before, one print editor-in-chief made every decision across every platform. But these days he wondered how a print editor could understand everything and all platforms, like TikTok. They couldn't. So they decentralized. Execs like Charlotte Triggs now set the brand direction—the ethos that drives all teams—and then fully independent editorial teams handle the magazine, website, Apple News, the app, and yes, Instagram and TikTok. There's no forced repurposing. Each platform team creates natively for their audience. The result: People grew from six or seven million daily visitors to ten million, with explosive growth on social. The Data-Driven Philosophy Neil's Wall Street background shaped how People Inc. approaches analytics, but he's careful not to let math override instinct, noting: "If you don't make stuff people love, it doesn't matter what your math says." The real insight is this: strategic ad placement and clean design mean you can generate more revenue with fewer intrusions on the audience. Better experience. Better margins. That's the math he wants to do.  The Bigger Picture What makes this conversation valuable is that Neil isn't selling a complicated theory. He's demonstrating a mindset: stay forward-looking, embrace change, remain unsentimental, and never stop making things people genuinely want.  Key Moments and Highlights 00:38 From Dotdash to acquiring Meredith: becoming America's largest publisher 01:25 Why media remains a fantastic business despite industry pessimism 04:15 The search shift: 70% dependence became 30%, yet total traffic grew 06:29 Restructuring People magazine with independent platform teams and no forced repurposing 09:41 Data and creative working together: how math serves, not dictates, content decisions Connect with E.B. Moss and Insider Interviews: With Media & Marketing Experts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.

In this episode of Echoes Through Eternity, Dr. Jeffery D. Skinner addresses the challenges of discouragement faced by church planters and pastors. He emphasizes the importance of understanding spiritual seasons, the necessity of preparation, and the value of faithfulness in ministry. Through biblical examples and personal anecdotes, he encourages listeners to remain steadfast in their calling, even during difficult times, and to trust in God's promises for the future. Luxurious bamboo sheets, pajamas, & moreCozy Earth redefines luxury sleep with its best-sellingBamboo Sheet Set, made from 100% premium viscose from bamboo, and its ultra-comfortable Pajamas. Known for cooling and moisture-wicking properties, Cozy Earth'sbamboo bedding is perfect for hot sleepers seeking a restful night's sleep. The oversizedfit and incredibly soft drape of these sheets only improve with each wash, making them astandout in luxury bedding. Their pajama set brings a touch of elegance to relaxation,combining style and supreme comfort for nights in.Cozy Earth's products are a favorite among celebrities. Kris Jenner praises their bamboosheets as her nightly essential, raving about their softness and cooling comfort. For sevenconsecutive years, Oprah has included Cozy Earth on her Favorite Things list, and thebrand has been featured on Good Morning America, InStyle, and Better Homes & Gardens.Customers echo this love with thousands of 5-star reviews, describing the sheets as"buttery soft" and the pajamas as the ultimate cozy treat. With free shipping on ordersover $50, a 100-night sleep trial, and a 10-year warranty, Cozy Earth will bring lastingluxury and comfort into your home!Listeners Get a 41% off Any product.https://cozyearth.com/products/bamboo-sheet-set?variant=42626556395700TakeawaysEvery planter hits this wall of discouragement.Discouragement is a weakness, showing investment in something eternal.Church planting is seasonal work, with cycles of preparation and waiting.The season of discouragement is a spiritual winter, not death.Kingdom work is done in generations, not just months or years.Failure is a classroom of grace, not the end.Practical steps include returning to your call and seeking connection.Rest is loyalty, allowing God to run His church without you.Discouragement is part of discipleship, leading to hope.God is faithful, and the harvest will come in time.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/echoes-through-eternity-with-dr-jeffery-skinner--5523198/support.Echoes Through Eternity Guiding church planters and pastors to plant seeds of prayer, holiness, and courage that outlast a lifetime. contact drjefferydskinner@protonmail.com

Margaret Osborne and Josh Scott from Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Central on their 14th annual Kickin' Cancer Event, Morganne Tenney of the Putnam County Development Authority, today representing the West Virginia Economic Development Council  on their policy priorities, and Susan Lewfew, Associate State Director of AARP.

If your house feels like one big to-do list, this episode is your permission slip to stop hustling and start systemizing your home design. Interior designer Jan Odesanya is here to show you how to create a functional, beautiful space you actually love—in just 30 minutes a day.  Through her signature R.A.D.I.A.T.E.™ Method, Jan helps overwhelmed moms ditch the chaos, decision fatigue, and Pinterest overwhelm. She's walking you through how to reset your home without shopping, and giving us a powerful behind-the-scenes look at how your design choices are impacting your family's mood, energy, and function. This one's equal parts practical and inspiring—you're going to love it. xoxo, Chelsi Jo . . . . .   Free Resource from Jan Download the 30-Minute Home Reset Guide – The R.A.D.I.A.T.E.™ Method Get a step-by-step plan to uncover the real reason your home feels off and fix it fast — no shopping required. → bit.ly/30minhomesystem Want to skip the guesswork entirely? Download the Mondän App to browse professionally designed rooms, shop curated looks, and finally love where you live — without the stress. → Available in the Apple App Store + Google Play  Special Offer for SYL Listeners Get 25% off any Pre-Designed Room System with code CHELSI25 → mondan.co/design-on-demand — Jan Odesanya is the Principal Interior Designer and founder of Mondän, a revolutionary design platform helping overwhelmed moms create homes that actually work for real life. Her work has been featured in Better Homes & Gardens, The Spruce, Business Insider, and Yahoo! Finance, and she was recently named 2025's Residential Interior Design Innovator of the Year.

The fall real estate market is here, and it may be the best season for homebuyers. This week on Real Estate Today, we explore why autumn often gives buyers an edge—from reduced competition to unique opportunities not seen in the spring and summer markets. Discover whether there really is a “perfect week” to buy a home, how to land the lowest mortgage rate, and the latest lending trends shaping today's market. Guests include Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com; Alexa Kebalo, REALTOR® with eXp Realty; Janet Ramirez, real estate broker with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate; and John Hummel, executive vice president and head of retail home lending at U.S. Bank. Plus, in our Hot or Not segment, we look at two surprising lifestyle trends in communities across America: golf carts cruising the neighborhood and backyard chicken coops.

The fall real estate market is here, and it may be the best season for homebuyers. This week on Real Estate Today, we explore why autumn often gives buyers an edge—from reduced competition to unique opportunities not seen in the spring and summer markets. Discover whether there really is a “perfect week” to buy a home, how to land the lowest mortgage rate, and the latest lending trends shaping today's market. Guests include Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com; Alexa Kebalo, REALTOR® with eXp Realty; Janet Ramirez, real estate broker with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate; and John Hummel, executive vice president and head of retail home lending at U.S. Bank. Plus, in our Hot or Not segment, we look at two surprising lifestyle trends in communities across America: golf carts cruising the neighborhood and backyard chicken coops.

Johanna Griggs has lived a life in the spotlight, but it's the story behind the cameras, her family, that truly defines her.In this episode of How Motherhood Changed Me, Joh talks to us about navigating single motherhood, raising two boys while juggling a busy career, and then finding love again… and she shares how each experience has shaped her as both a mum and a TV presenter.You'll come away from this chat reminded that there's no one way to do motherhood, and that's a good thing.Follow Joh on Instagram.This season of How Motherhood Changed Me is made possible with the support of ⁠⁠⁠⁠Fertility SA⁠⁠⁠⁠ powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Genea⁠⁠⁠⁠ - walking alongside families through the very first steps of their journey to parenthood.This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KX Pilates,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Australia's leading reformer Pilates studio. Because taking time for yourself isn't selfish, it's essential. Try KX with 5 reformer Pilates classes for just $60 and discover dynamic 50-minute full-body workouts that fit your life.Hosted by journalists Kerrie Turner & Jenna Yates.We'd love you to be part of the conversation by connecting with us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our community chat group on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Send us an ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Executive Summary: The Dawn of a Real Estate Behemoth   The definitive merger agreement between Compass, Inc. (NYSE: COMP) and Anywhere Real Estate Inc. (NYSE: HOUS), announced on September 22, 2025, represents a landmark event in the residential real estate sector. Structured as an all-stock transaction, the deal is set to create a combined company with an enterprise value of approximately $10 billion, including assumed debt.1 This strategic union is not merely an acquisition but a fundamental realignment of the industry's competitive landscape, driven by the ambition to unite Compass's sophisticated, technology-centric platform with Anywhere's expansive, global network of agents and its diversified business operations.1 The new entity will emerge as the largest brokerage platform in the United States, boasting a network of approximately 340,000 real estate professionals spanning over 120 countries.1 From an investor standpoint, the transaction promises significant financial efficiencies, with Compass anticipating more than $225 million in non-GAAP OPEX synergies.1 Furthermore, the deal is expected to add over $1 billion in diversified revenue from Anywhere's established franchise, title, and escrow businesses, providing a more resilient financial foundation in a challenging market.1 However, the initial market reaction, characterized by a 16% slide in Compass's stock price while Anywhere's shares soared over 48%, signals a degree of investor apprehension about the deal's valuation and the complexities of its execution.2 For real estate professionals, the combined platform offers an unprecedented scale of technology tools, a broader range of service offerings—including mortgage, title, and relocation services—and a vastly expanded referral network.4 The success of this union hinges on the delicate process of cultural integration and the critical task of retaining Anywhere's agents, who are the core assets in this transaction.7 For the wider industry, this merger represents a powerful consolidation that challenges the established power dynamics held by third-party portals like Zillow and the traditional Multiple Listing Service (MLS) model. The combined entity's control over a massive volume of listings could reshape the flow of information and commerce in the residential real estate market.9   The Transaction: A Detailed Financial and Structural Analysis   The merger of Compass and Anywhere Real Estate is a testament to the strategic use of financial and structural engineering to achieve transformative scale. The mechanics of the deal and its stated financial objectives provide a clear window into the companies' long-term vision.   Deal Mechanics and Valuation   The transaction is structured as an all-stock merger, a mechanism that aligns the interests of both companies' shareholders by deferring immediate cash payouts in favor of a shared stake in the future enterprise.1 Under the terms of the agreement, each share of Anywhere common stock will be exchanged for 1.436 shares of Compass Class A common stock.1 This share exchange ratio was determined based on Compass's 30-trading-day volume-weighted average price as of September 19, 2025, and represents a per-share value of $13.01 for Anywhere shareholders.1 This valuation is a major component of the transaction, as it translates to an approximate 84% premium over Anywhere's closing stock price on the Friday preceding the merger announcement.2 The total acquisition value for Anywhere is cited at about $1.5 billion, or $1.6 billion in other reports, which contributes to the combined company's total enterprise value of roughly $10 billion, inclusive of debt assumption.2 The ownership structure of the new entity reflects the strategic power balance. Upon completion, current Compass shareholders will hold approximately 78% of the combined company on a fully diluted basis, while Anywhere shareholders will own the remaining 22%.1 This allocation grants Compass a controlling interest and solidifies its leadership, with Compass CEO and Founder Robert Reffkin designated to lead the new organization.3 The market's initial reaction to these terms was bifurcated. While Anywhere's stock experienced a significant surge, Compass's shares fell sharply, indicating a degree of market apprehension.2 This response suggests that investors may be weighing the strategic benefits against the potential costs. A significant area of concern for the market appears to be the assumption of Anywhere's substantial debt burden of $3.34 billion, a liability that Compass will inherit.12 The market's apprehension suggests that the valuation, while seemingly a windfall for Anywhere, may be perceived as an overpayment for an acquiring company that still faces significant operational hurdles.   Financial Projections and Synergies   A central tenet of the merger's financial rationale is the realization of meaningful operational efficiencies and the diversification of revenue streams. Compass anticipates achieving over $225 million in non-GAAP OPEX synergies, a figure that is a key component of the deal's value proposition.1 These efficiencies are expected to be realized by integrating redundant operations and leveraging the new scale to lower costs across the board. The acquisition of Anywhere's business units—specifically its franchise, title, escrow, and relocation operations—is projected to add more than $1 billion in revenue to Compass's top line.1 This represents a crucial strategic move to diversify Compass's revenue away from its commission-heavy model, which is highly susceptible to the cyclical nature of the housing market.14 By acquiring businesses that generate revenue from various stages of the real estate transaction, Compass is building a more resilient and stable financial profile. The combined company's anticipated 1.2 million transactions annually present a significant opportunity to cross-sell these ancillary services, creating a more seamless and integrated experience for clients while boosting revenue per transaction.1 The combined company is also projected to generate significant free cash flow and strengthen its balance sheet.1 To support its financial strategy, Compass has secured a $750 million financing commitment from Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., with a stated goal to deleverage to a net leverage of approximately 1.5x Adjusted EBITDA by the end of 2028.1 This aggressive deleveraging plan indicates a commitment to long-term financial health and suggests that the company is keenly aware of the debt it is assuming.   Strategic Rationale: A Symbiotic Combination of Strengths   The merger is fundamentally a move to create a new kind of real estate platform by combining the distinct and complementary strengths of two industry leaders. The strategic logic transcends a simple consolidation play; it is about combining a technology-first model with a vast, established network to create a dominant market presence.   Compass's Strategic Imperative   Compass has long positioned itself as a property technology company, investing over $1.8 billion to build an end-to-end platform for its agents.4 The company's business model revolves around empowering real estate professionals with sophisticated tools for customer relationship management (CRM), marketing, and transaction management.14 This technology-driven approach has enabled Compass to attract a network of approximately 40,000 agents and focus on high-margin, high-end properties.2 The Anywhere acquisition represents an opportunity to accelerate this strategic vision on a massive scale, instantly expanding its network to approximately 340,000 professionals and broadening its geographic and demographic reach.2   Anywhere's Strategic Value   Anywhere Real Estate, a legacy player in the industry, brings a wealth of brand equity, a globally recognized footprint, and a diversified business model to the table. Its portfolio of leading brokerage brands—including Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Better Homes and Gardens, and Sotheby's International Realty—provides a powerful foundation of consumer trust and a massive agent network.2 Anywhere's business model is a mix of franchise operations and company-owned brokerages, which allows for expansive growth without the overhead costs of a fully centralized model.4 Furthermore, its ancillary businesses in relocation, title, and escrow provide a stable, recurring revenue base that complements Compass's more transaction-dependent business model.1   The Combined Value Proposition   The central value proposition of the merged entity is to create a "premier real estate platform" by integrating Compass's technology with Anywhere's scale and brands.1 The stated goal is to create a seamless, all-digital, end-to-end platform that streamlines agent workflows and enhances the consumer experience.6 This merger is an attempt to execute what has been referred to as the "Apple playbook" within the real estate industry.14 Just as Apple controls the entire value chain from hardware to software and services, the new Compass seeks to control every stage of the real estate transaction, from lead generation and marketing to the closing process itself. This is not just a growth strategy; it is a fundamental move to build a vertically integrated ecosystem that captures a larger share of the total revenue generated from each transaction, making the business more resilient to market fluctuations and increasing profitability.   Market Implications and the Redrawing of the Competitive Map   The merger is a profound example of the strategic consolidation taking place in the residential real estate sector. It occurs at a time of significant market stress, with a multi-year U.S. housing slump and elevated mortgage rates putting pressure on all industry players.2 This transaction is part of a broader trend, as evidenced by other recent, large-scale deals like Rocket Cos.' acquisitions of Mr. Cooper and Redfin.2 This consolidation is a direct response to a challenging macroeconomic environment, with companies betting that scale, diversification, and technology can unlock efficiencies and strengthen their competitive position.   The New Power Dynamics   The combined Compass-Anywhere entity, with an estimated market share of approximately 18% of U.S. transactions, creates a powerful new "Goliath" in the industry.2 This new scale has significant implications for key industry players and the traditional real estate ecosystem. A major strategic element of this merger is the power it grants the new entity in its ongoing disputes with online portals, particularly Zillow. Compass has been embroiled in a lawsuit against Zillow over its policy banning "Private Exclusives," or off-market listings shared only within a brokerage's network.9 The combined company's control over a massive amount of "content," in the form of listings and transaction data, provides unprecedented leverage.10 By normalizing off-MLS inventory at a national scale, the new Compass could bypass Zillow's portal and the traditional MLS, creating a self-contained ecosystem that forces consumers to go through a Compass agent to access a critical mass of listings.9 The deal is not just about agent count; it is a strategic bet on controlling the flow of data and the attention of buyers and sellers, a battle for who will ultimately "rewrite the rules of how homes get marketed".9 This industry shift also poses a long-term challenge to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), whose historical strength was built on a fragmented network of independent brokers.13 As power consolidates into a handful of large entities, the influence of a trade group designed to serve a decentralized industry may diminish.   Critical Challenges and Risks to Execution   Despite the compelling strategic rationale, the success of this merger is not assured. The integration of two such different organizations presents a number of significant and complex challenges, from regulatory hurdles to the intangible risks of cultural alignment.   Regulatory and Antitrust Hurdles   The merger is subject to regulatory approval by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act.1 Given the combined company's significant market share of approximately 18%, the deal will almost certainly face intense regulatory scrutiny.2 A key precedent for this risk is Compass's previous acquisition of @properties, which required the divestiture of certain assets to satisfy regulatory compliance.18 The scale of the Anywhere transaction amplifies the risk of similar divestiture obligations, which could force the new company to restructure the deal and potentially undermine its strategic vision.18 Compass has proactively addressed this risk by hiring a former DOJ antitrust leader as its Chief Legal Officer, a move that underscores the seriousness with which the company is approaching this issue.19   Cultural Integration and Agent Retention   Perhaps the most significant risk to the merger's success is the challenge of uniting two fundamentally different corporate cultures. Compass is a technology-driven, centralized organization with a focus on high-end, high-margin transactions.14 Anywhere Real Estate, in contrast, is a long-established, decentralized franchise network with a vast portfolio of independent brands.16 Robert Reffkin has stated his intent to "preserv[e] the unique independence of Anywhere's leading brands" 2, but the very purpose of the merger is to bring agents onto a "shared network" and a common technology platform.1 This creates a fundamental tension that could lead to a culture clash, a factor that has derailed past mergers, as seen in the cautionary tale of Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods.20 The ultimate assets in this deal are the real estate agents, who are independent contractors and can easily migrate to competing brokerages if they are dissatisfied with the integration process, a change in their commission splits, or a cultural misalignment.8 Successfully retaining Anywhere's 300,000 agents will be the true test of the merger's viability.   Financial and Operational Risks   In addition to the assumed debt, the integration of technology platforms is a complex and costly endeavor.7 Compass's proprietary software must be seamlessly integrated with the disparate systems and workflows of Anywhere's many brands. This is a monumental operational task that carries the risk of delays, cost overruns, and a negative impact on agent productivity during the transition. The financial projections of over $225 million in synergies are predicated on the successful navigation of these complexities. Any shortfall in realizing these efficiencies could jeopardize the company's deleveraging plan and its long-term financial health.   Conclusion and Forward Outlook   The merger of Compass and Anywhere Real Estate is a watershed moment for the residential real estate industry. It is a bold, strategic bet that in an era of market contraction and technological disruption, a combination of scale, brand recognition, and a sophisticated platform is the key to long-term survival and dominance. The strategic synergies are compelling, particularly the opportunity to diversify revenue, increase profitability through operational efficiencies, and gain significant leverage against third-party players like Zillow and the MLSs. However, the path to success is fraught with significant execution risks. The ability to successfully navigate regulatory scrutiny, integrate two vastly different corporate cultures, and retain the massive agent network it has acquired will be the primary determinants of the deal's ultimate success. If Compass can overcome these hurdles, the new company will be poised to lead a new era of "platform-driven" real estate, fundamentally reshaping how homes are marketed and sold in the U.S. and beyond. If it fails, the merger will serve as another costly lesson on the complexities of combining disparate business models in a rapidly evolving market. BONUS LINK: To celebrate this historical moment in organized real estate, you are invited to join a powerful new real estate referral club created for all those who are part of this new merger. Here is the invite link. Be sure to invite those you may want to include.  This podcast was AI produced.

Karen BenjaminShe is Associate Professor and Director of First-Year Seminars Department of HistoryElmhurst UniversityShe talks about her new book

Cookies are out, context is in. People Inc.'s Jonathan Roberts joins The Big Impression to talk about how America's biggest publisher is using AI to reinvent contextual advertising with real-time intent.From Game of Thrones maps to the open web, Roberts believes content is king in the AI economy. Episode TranscriptPlease note, this transcript  may contain minor inconsistencies compared to the episode audio.Damian Fowler (00:00):I'm Damian Fowler, and welcome to this edition of The Big Impression. Today we're looking at how publishers are using AI to reinvent contextual advertising and why it's becoming an important and powerful alternative to identity-based targeting. My guest is Jonathan Roberts, chief Innovation Officer at People Inc. America's largest publisher, formerly known as Meredith. He's leading the charge with decipher an AI platform that helps advertisers reach audiences based on real time intent across all of People Inc. Site and the Open Web. We're going to break down how it works, what it means for advertisers in a privacy first world and why Jonathan's side hustle. Creating maps for Game of Thrones has something for teachers about building smarter ad tech. So let's get into it. One note, this episode was recorded before the company changed its name. After the Meredith merger, you had some challenges getting the business going again. What made you realize that sort of rethinking targeting with decipher could be the way to go?Jonathan Roberts (01:17):We had a really strong belief and always have had a strong belief in the power of great content and also great content that helps people do things. Notably and Meredith are both in the olden times, you would call them service journalism. They help people do things, they inspire people. It's not news, it's not sports. If you go to Better Homes and Gardens to understand how to refresh your living room for spring, you're going to go into purchase a lot of stuff for your living room. If you're planting seeds for a great garden, you're also going to buy garden furniture. If you're going to health.com, you're there because you're managing a condition. If you're going to all recipes, you're shopping for dinner. These are all places where the publisher and the content is a critical path on the purchase to doing something like an economically valuable something. And so putting these two businesses together to build the largest publisher in the US and one of the largest in the world was a real privilege. All combinations are hard. When we acquired Meredith, it is a big, big business. We became the largest print publisher overnight.(02:23):What we see now, because we've been growing strongly for many, many quarters, and that growth is continuing, we're public. You can see our numbers, the performance is there, the premium is there, and you can always sell anything once. The trick is will people renew when they come back? And now we're in a world where our advertising revenue, which is the majority of our digital revenue, is stable and growing, deeply reliable and just really large. And we underpin that with decipher. Decipher simply is a belief that what you're reading right now tells a lot more about who you are and what you are going to do than a cookie signal, which is two days late and not relevant. What you did yesterday is less relevant to what you need to do than what you're doing right now. And so using content as a real time predictive signal is very, very performant. It's a hundred percent addressable, right? Everyone's reading content when we target to, they're on our content and we guaranteed it would outperform cookies, and we run a huge amount of ad revenue and we've never had to pay it in a guarantee.Damian Fowler (03:34):It's interesting that you're talking about contextual, but you're talking about contextual in real time, which seems to be the difference. I mean, because some people hear contextually, they go, oh, well, that's what you used to do, place an ad next to a piece of content in the garden supplement or the lifestyle supplement, but this is different.Jonathan Roberts (03:53):Yes. Yeah. I mean, ensemble say it's 2001 called and once it's at Targeting strategy back, but all things are new again, and I think they're newly fresh and newly relevant, newly accurate because it can do things now that we were never able to do before. So one of the huge strengths of Meredith as a platform is because we own People magazine, we dominate entertainment, we have better homes and gardens and spruce, we really cover home. We have all recipes. We literally have all the recipes plus cereal, seeds plus food and wine. So we cover food. We also do tech, travel, finance and health, and you could run those as a hazard brands, and they're all great in their own, but there's no network effect. What we discovered was because I know we have a pet site and we also have real simple, and we know that if you are getting a puppy or you have an aging dog, which we know from the pet site, we know you massively over index for interest in cleaning products and cleaning ideas on real simple, right?Damian Fowler (04:55):Yeah.Jonathan Roberts (04:55):This doesn't seem like a shocking conclusion to have, but the fact that we have both tells us both, which also means that if you take a health site where we're helping people with their chronic conditions, we can see all the signals of exactly what help you need with your diet. Huge overlaps. So we have all the recipe content and we know exactly how that cross correlates with chronic conditions. We also know how those health conditions correlate into skincare because we have Brody, which deals with makeup and beauty, but also all the skincare conditions and finance, right? Health is a financial situation as much as it is a health situation, particularly in the us. And so by tying these together, because most of these situations are whole lifestyle questions, we can understand that if you're thinking about planning a cruise in the Mediterranean, you're a good target for Vanguard to market mutual funds to. Whereas if we didn't have both investipedia and travel leisure, we couldn't do that. And so there's nothing on that cruise page, on the page in the words that allows you to do keyword targeting for mutual funds.(05:55):But we're using the fact that we know that cruise is a predictor of a mutual fund purchase so that we can actually market to anyone in market per cruise. We know they've got disposable income, they're likely low risk, long-term buy andhold investors with value investing needs. And we know that because we have these assets now, we have about 1500 different topics that we track across all of DDM across 1.5 million articles, tens of millions of visits a day, billions a year. If you just look at the possible correlations between any of those taxonomies that's over a million, or if we go a level deeper, over a hundred million connected data points, you can score. We've scored all of them with billions of visits, and so we have that full map of all consumers.Damian Fowler (06:42):I wanted to ask you, of course, and you always get this question I'm sure, but you have a pretty unusual background for ad tech theoretical physics as you mentioned, and researcher at CERN and Mapmaker as well for Game of Thrones, but this isn't standard publisher experience, but how did all that scientific background play into the way you approached building this innovation?Jonathan Roberts (07:03):Yeah, I think when I first joined the company, which was a long time ago now, and one of the original bits of this company was about.com, one of the internet oh 0.1 OG sites, and there was daily data on human interest going back to January 1st, 2000 across over a thousand different topics. And in that case, tens of millions of articles. And the team said, is this useful? Is there anything here that's interesting? I was like, oh my god, you don't know what you've got because if you treat as a physicist coming in, I looked at this and was like, this is a, it's like a telescope recording all of human interest. Each piece of content is like a single pixel of your telescope. And so if somebody comes and visit, you're like, oh, I'm recording the interest of this person in this topic, and you've got this incredibly fine grained understanding of the world because you've got all these people coming to us telling us what they want every day.(08:05):If I'm a classic news publisher, I look at my data and I find out what headlines I broke, I look at my data and I learn more about my own editorial strategy than I do about the world. We do not as much tell the world what to think about. The world tells us what they care about. And so that if you treat that as just a pure experimental framework where this incredible lens into an understanding of the world, lots of things are very stable. Many questions that people ask, they always ask, but you understand why do they ask them today? What's causing the to what are the correlations between what they are understanding around our finance business through the financial crash, our health business, I ran directly through COVID. So you see this kind of real time change of the world reacting to big shocks and it allows you to predict what comes next, right? Data's lovely, but unless you can do something with it, it's useless.Damian Fowler (08:59):It's interesting to hear you talk about that consistency, the sort of predictability in some ways of, I guess intense signals or should we just say human behavior, but now we've got AI further, deeper into the mix.Jonathan Roberts (09:13):So we were the first US publisher to do a deal with open ai, and that comes in three parts. They paid for training on our content. They also agreed within the contract to source and cite our content when it was used. And the third part, the particularly interesting part, is co-development of new things. So we've been involved with them as they've been building out their search product. They've been involved with us as we've been evolving decipher, one of the pieces of decipher is saying, can I understand which content is related to which other content? And in old fashioned pre AI days when it was just machine learning and natural language processing, you would just look at words and word occurrence and important words, and you'd correlate them that way. With ai, you go from the word to the concept to the reasoning behind it to a latent understanding of these kind of deeper, deeper connections.(10:09):And so when we changed over literally like, is this content related to that content? Is this article similar in what it's treating to that article? If they didn't use the same words but they were talking about the same topic, the previous system would've missed it. This system gets deeper. It's like, oh, this is the same concept. This is the same user need. These are the same intentions. And so when we overhauled this kind of multimillion point to point connection calculation, we drastically changed about 30% of those connections and significantly improved them, gives a much reacher, much deeper understanding of our content. What we've also done is said, and this is a year thing that we launched it at the beginning of the year, we have decipher, which runs on site. We launched Decipher Plus Inventively named right? I like it. We debated Max or Max Plus, but we went with Plus.(10:59):And what this says is we understand the user intent on our sites. We know when somebody's reading content, we have a very strong predictor model of what that person's going to need to do next. And we said, well, we're not the only people with intent driven content and intent driven audiences. So we know that if you're reading about newborn health topics, you are three and a half times more likely than average to be in market for a stroller. We're not the only people that write about newborn health. So we can find the individual pages on the rest of the web that do talk about newborn health, and we can unlock that very strong prediction that this purchase intent there. And so then we can have a premium service that buy those ads and delivers that value to our clients. Now we do that mapping and we've indexed hundreds of premium domains with opening eyes vector, embedding architecture to build that logic.Damian Fowler (11:56):That's fascinating. So in lots of ways, you're helping other publishers beyond your owned and operated properties.Jonathan Roberts (12:02):We believed that there was a premium in publishing that hadn't been tapped. We proved that to be true. Our numbers support it. We bet 2.7 billion on that bet, and it worked. So we really put our money where our mouth is. We know there's a premium outside of our walls that isn't being unlocked, and we have an information advantage so we can bring more premium to the publishers who have that quality content.Damian Fowler (12:24):I've got lots of questions about that, but one of them is, alright. I guess the first one is why have publishers been so slow out of the starting blocks to get this right when on the media buying side you have all of this ad tech that's going on, DSPs, et cetera.Jonathan Roberts (12:42):I think partly it's because publishers have always been a participant in the ad tech market off to one side. I put this back to the original sin of Ad Tech, which is coming in and saying, don't worry about it, publishers, we know your audience better than you ever will. That wasn't true then, and it's not true today, but Ad Tech pivoted the market to that position and that meant the publishers were dependent upon ad Tech's understanding of their audience. Now, if you've got a cookie-based understanding of an audience, how does a publisher make that cookie-based audience more valuable? Well, they don't because you're valuing the cookie, not the real time signal. And there is no such thing as cookie targeting. It's all retargeting. All the cookie signal is yesterday Signal. It's only what they did before they came to your site, dead star like or something, right? The publisher definitionally isn't influencing the value of that cookie. So an ad tech is valuing the cookie. The only thing the publisher can do to make more money is add scale, which is either generate clickbait because that's the cheapest way to get audience scale or run more ads on the page.(13:57):Cookies as a currency for advertising and targeting is the reason we currently have the internet We deserve, not the internet we want because the incentive is to cheap scale. If instead you can prove that the content is driving the value, the content is driving the decision and the content is driving the outcome, then you invest in more premium content. If you're a publisher, the second world is the one you want. But we had a 20 year distraction from understanding the value of content. And we're only now coming back to, I think one thing I'm very really happy to see is since we launched a cipher two years ago, there are now multiple publishers coming out with similarly inspired targeting architecture or ideas about how to reach quality, which is just a sign that the market has moved, right? Or the market moving and retargeting still works. Cookies are good currency, they do drive performance. If they didn't, it would never worked in the first place. But the ability to understand and classify premium content at web scale, which is what decipher Plus is a map for all intent across the entire open web is the thing that's required for quality content to be competitive with cookies as targeting mechanism and to beat it atDamian Fowler (15:15):Scale. You mentioned how this helps you reach all these third party sites beyond your properties. How do you ensure that there's still quality in the, there's quality content that match the kind of signals that makes decipher work?Jonathan Roberts (15:32):Tell me, not all content on the internet is beautiful, clean and wonderful. Not allDamian Fowler (15:36):Premium is it?Jonathan Roberts (15:36):I know there's a lot of made for arbitrage out there. Look, we, we've been a publisher for a long time. We've acquired a lot of publishers over the years, and every time we have bought a publisher, we have had to clean up the content because cheap content for scale is a siren call of publishing. Like, oh, I can get these eyeballs cheaper. Oh, wonderful. I know I just do that. And everyone gives it on some level to that, right? So we have consistently cleaned up content libraries every time we've acquired publishers. Look at the very beginning about had maybe 10 to 15 million euros. By the time we launched these artists and these individual vertical sites were down to 250,000 pages of content. It was a bigger business and it was a better business. The other side is the actual ad layout has to be good,Damian Fowler (16:29):ButJonathan Roberts (16:29):Every time we've picked up a publisher, we've removed ads from the site. Increase, yeah, experience quality,Damian Fowler (16:33):Right?Jonathan Roberts (16:36):Because we've audited multiple publishers for the cleanup, we have an incredibly detailed understanding of what quality content is. We have lots of, this is our special skill as a publisher. We can go into a publisher, identify the content and see what's good.Damian Fowler (16:54):Is that part of your pitch as it were, to people who advertisers?Jonathan Roberts (16:58):We work lots of advertisers. We're a huge part of the advertising market because we cover all the verticals. We have endemics in every space. If you're trying to do targeting based on identity, we have tens of millions of people a day. It'll work. You will find them with us, we reach the entire country every month. We are a platform scale publisher. So at no point do we saying don't do that, obviously do that, right? But what we're saying is there's a whole bunch of people who you can't identify, either they don't have cookies or IDs or because the useful data doesn't exist yet. It's not attached to those IDs. So incremental, supplementary and additional to reach the people in the moment with a hundred percent addressability, full national reach, complete privacy compliance, just the content, total brand safety. And we will put these two things side by side and we will guarantee that the decipher targeting will outperform the cookie targeting, which isn't say don't do cookie targeting, obviously do it. It works, it's successful. This is incremental and also will outperform. And then it just depends on the client, right? Some people want brand lift and brand consideration. They want big flashy things. We run People Magazine, we host the Grammy after party. We can do all the things you need from a large partner more than just media, but also we can get you right down to, for some partners with big deals, we guarantee incremental roas,Damian Fowler (18:26):ActualJonathan Roberts (18:26):In-store sales, incremental lift.Damian Fowler (18:29):So let's talk about roas. What's driving advertisers to lean in so heavily?Jonathan Roberts (18:34):Well, I think everybody's seen this over the last couple of years. In a high interest or environment, the CMOs getting asked, what's the return on my ad spend? So whereas previously you might've just been able to do a big flashy execution or activation. Now everybody wants some level of that media spend to be attributable to lift to dollars, to return to performance, because every single person who comes through our sites is going to do something after they come. We're never the last stop in that journey, and we don't sell you those garden seeds. We do not sell you the diabetes medication directly. We are going to have to hand you off to a partner who is going to be the place you take the economic action. So we are in the path to purchase for every single purchase on Earth.(19:19):And what we've proven with decipher is not only that we can be in that pathway and put the message in the path of that person who is going to make a decision, has not made one yet. But when we put the messaging in front of it of that person at the time, it changes their decisions, which is why it's not just roas, which could just be handing out coupons in the line to the pizza store. It's incremental to us, if you did not do this, you would have made less money. When you do this, you'll make more money. And having got to a point where we've now got multiple large campaigns, both for online action and brick and mortar stores that prove that when we advertise the person at this moment, they change their decision and they make their brand more money. Turns out that's not the hardest conversation to have with marketers. Truly, truly, if you catch people at the right moment, you will change their mind.Damian Fowler (20:10):They'll happily go back to their CFO and say, look at this. This is workingJonathan Roberts (20:15):No controversially at can. During the festival of advertising that we have as a publisher, we may be the most confident to say, you know what? Advertising works.Damian Fowler (20:27):You recently brought in a dedicated president to leadJonathan Roberts (20:30):Decipher,Damian Fowler (20:30):Right? So how does that help you take what started out as this in-house innovation that you've been working on and turn it into something even bigger?Jonathan Roberts (20:39):Yeah, I think my background is physics. I was a theoretical physicist for a decade. Theoretical physicists have some good and bad traits. A good trait is a belief that everything can be solved. Because my previous job was wake up in the morning and figure out how the universe began and like, well, today I'll figure it out. And nobody else has, right? There's a level of, let's call it intellectual confidence or arrogance in that approach. How hard can it be? The answer is very, but it also means you're a little bit of a diante, right? You're coming like, oh, it's ad tech. How hard can it be? And the just vary, right? So there's a benefit. I mean, I've done a lot of work in ad tech over the last couple of years. Jim Lawson, our president of Decipher, ran a publicly listed DSP, right? He was a public company, CEO, he knows this stuff inside a and back to front, Lindsay Van Kirk on the Cipher team launched the ADN Nexus, DSP, Patrick McCarthy, who runs all of our open web and a lot of our trade desk partnerships and the execution of all of the ways we connect into the entire ecosystem.(21:38):Ran product for AppNexus. Sam Selgin on the data science team wrote that Nexus bitter. I've got a good idea where we're going with this and where we should go with this and the direction we should be pointed in. But we have seasoned multi-decade experience pros doing the work because if you don't, you can have a good idea and bad execution, then you didn't do anything. Unless you can execute to the highest level, it won't actually work. And so we've had to bring in, I'm very glad we have brought in and love having them on the team. These people who can really take the beginnings of what we have and really take this to the scale that needs to be. Decipher. Plus is a framework for understanding user intent at Webscale and getting performance for our clients and unlocking a premium at Webscale. That is a huge project to go after and pull off. We have so many case studies proving that it will work, but we have a long way to go between where we are and where this thing naturally gets to. And that takes a lot of people with a lot of professional skills to go to.Damian Fowler (22:43):What's one thing right now that you're obsessed with figuring outJonathan Roberts (22:46):To take a complete left turn, but it is the topic up and down the Cosette this summer. There isn't currently any viable model for information economy in an AI future. There's lots of ideas of what it would be, but there isn't a subtle marketplace for this. We've got a very big two-sided marketplace for information. It's called Google and search. That's obviously changing. We haven't got to a point to understand what that future is. But if AI is powered by chips, power and content, if you're a chip investor, you're in a good place. If you're investing energy, you're in a good place of the three picks and shovels investments, content is probably the most undervalued at the moment. Lots of people are starting to realize that and building under the hood what that could look like. How that evolves in the next year is going to really determine what kind of information gets created because markets align to their incentives. If you build the marketplace well, you're going to end up with great content, great journalism, great creativity. If you build it wrong, you're going to have a bunch of cheap slop getting flooded the marketplace. And we are not going to fund great journalism. So that's at a moment in time where that future is getting determined and we have a very strong set of opinions on the publishing side, what that should look like. And I am very keen to make sure it gets done. You soundDamian Fowler (24:17):Optimistic.Jonathan Roberts (24:19):A year ago, the VCs and the technologists believed if you just slammed enough information into an AI system, you'd never need content ever again. And that the brain itself was the moat. Then deep seek proved that the brain wasn't a moat. That reasoning is a commodity because we found out that China could do it cheaper and faster, and we were shocked, shocked that China could do it cheaper and faster. And then the open source community rebuilt deep to in 48 hours, which was the real killer. So if reasoning is a commodity, which it is now, then content is king, right? Because reasoning on its own is free, but if you're grounding it in quality content, your answer's better. But the market dynamics have not caught up to that reality. But that is the reality. So I am optimistic that content goes back to our premium position in this. Now we just have to do all the boring stuff of figuring out what a viable marketplace looks like, how people get paid, all of this, all the hard work, but there's now a future model to align to.Damian Fowler (25:23):I love that. Alright, I've got to ask you this question. It's the last one, but I was going to ask it. You spent time building maps, visualizing data, and I've looked at your site, it's brilliant. Is there anything from that side of your creativity that helped you think differently about building say something like decipher?Jonathan Roberts (25:42):Yeah. So I think it won't surprise anyone to find out that I'm a massive nerd, right? I used to play d and d, I still do. We have my old high school group still convenes on Sunday afternoons, and we play d and d over Discord. Fantasy maps have been an obsession of mine for a long time. I did the fantasy maps of Game of Thrones. I'm George r Martin's cartographer. I published the book Lands of Ice and Fire with him. Maps are infographics. A map is a way of taking a complex system that you cannot visualize and bringing it to a world in which you can reason about it. I spent a lot of my life taking complex systems that nobody can visualize and building models and frameworks that help people reason about 'em and make decisions in a shared way. At this moment, as you're walking up and down the cosette, there is no map for the future. Nobody has a map, nobody has a plan. Not Google, not Microsoft, not Amazon, not our friends at OpenAI. Nobody knows what's coming. And so even just getting, but lots of people have ideas and opinions and thoughts and directions. So taking all that input and rationalize again to like, okay, if we lay it out like this, what breaks? Being able to logically reason about those virtual scenario. It is exactly the same process, that mental model as Matt.Damian Fowler (27:12):And that's it for this edition of The Big Impression. This show is produced by Molten Hart. Our theme is by loving caliber, and our associate producer is Sydney Cairns. And remember,Jonathan Roberts (27:22):We do not as much tell the world what to think about. The world tells us what they care about. Data's lovely, but unless you do something with it, it's useless.Damian Fowler (27:31):I'm Damian, and we'll see you next time.

Next time you're hankering for a slice of apple pie, try this recipe for a twist on that all-American favorite — it includes pineapple! This chilled pie recipe is from a Better Homes and Gardens recipe card from 1981. Pineapple-Glazed Apple Pie 1-1/2 c. unsweetened pineapple juice 3/4 c. sugar 7 tart medium apples, peeled, cored, and cut in wedges (7 cups) 3 Tbsp. cornstarch 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/4 tsp. salt 1 baked 9-inch single-crust pie shell, cooled Macadamia nuts or sliced almonds (optional) Whipped cream (optional) In large saucepan, combine 1-1/4 cups of the...Article Link

How can mentoring lead to a whole new career? How do dinner conversations and AI come together to drive entrepreneurship? How are some people changing the world as they change gears? Talk about REINVENTION! Well, I did. Meet two more honorees of the Folio: awards named to the Hall of Fame, in this "two-fer" episode on Doug Olson and David Adler, both of whom have gone from being presidents of publishing companies to reinventing themselves...and parts of the industry. First up: Doug Olson. Doug went from a career in the tech side to the publishing side, ultimately running Meredith Magazines (think: "Time," "People," "Better Homes & Gardens"...) to NOW hangin' with the digital natives doing bling-meets-social media, as Co-CEO of "Bomb Party," with its TikTok-famous jewelry reveals! Bet you didn't see THAT coming. Creating Partnerships He discusses the evolution of Meredith, its major acquisitions, the partnership he headed with Walmart, and how Meredith navigated its own transition -- adding digital to print media. "Reveals" on TikTok Doug also describes his transition to #BombParty, a thriving and unique jewelry company that uses social media to engage customers.    Then there's David Adler. I cannot even keep track of all the ways David has reinvented himself: from launching a magazine on DC society back in the 70s, which he sold 10 years later for a handy profit -- and is now turning those archival images into songs and content! I kid you not. But wait, there's more. He helmed big PR shops, but is perhaps best know for founding one of the best magazines on events, called "BizBash." And now? SO MUCH -- from recently launching an online events mag, "GatheringPoint.news" to yet another startup. gatheringoint.news He highlights how he is an unabashed #AI acolyte and explains how it has revolutionized his latest ventures, supporting creative storytelling and increased efficiency. But David is also stopping to smell "The Roses", making the most of his author father's legacy by helping enable that current box office hit! from "The Roses" Like roses themselves, these guests exemplify the concept of 'perennials,' described by David as individuals who continuously evolve and remain curious, regardless of generational labels. Their stories illustrate the importance of adaptability, lifelong learning, and embracing new technologies in media or just for mental well-being! KEY MOMENTS: 00:00 Meet Doug Olson and David Adler 02:44 Doug Olson: From Tech to Media Mogul to... 05:36 The Better Homes & Gardens / Walmart Omnichannel Strategy 08:03 The Future of Print Publications 11:20 Golfing or Jewelry? Doug Olson's New Venture: Bomb Party 14:56 David Adler: A Perennial Journey Through Media 19:55 Adler on AI and Innovation 24:09 Washington Insider, A Big Screen Legacy and MORE Current Projects Please add a "like" or share this episode to encourage MORE "reinventionists!" And see you at the Folio: Hall of Fame 10/6. Here's Doug's info: LinkedIn Bomb Party Here's David's info: LinkedIn Managing Director- Living Room Labs (start-up) Founder- BizBash www.bizbash.com Author- Harnessingserendipity.com Partner- AdlerEntertainmentTrust.com Owner- Dossierhistoricalphotos.com Connect with E.B. Moss and Insider Interviews: With Media & Marketing Experts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mossappeal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insiderinterviews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsiderInterviewsPodcast/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@insiderinterviews If you enjoyed this episode, follow Insider Interviews, share with another smart business leader, and leave a comment on @Apple or @Spotify… or a tip in my jar to help me tip my producer, Jim Mullen!: https://buymeacoffee.com/mossappeal! 

Thinking about remodeling your home? Before you grab a hammer, find out which projects actually boost your home's value and which ones could drain your budget. In this week's episode, we explore where to splurge, where to save, and how to plan a remodel that works for your lifestyle and your bottom line. You'll also hear how to preserve historic character while adding modern updates, tips for finding a reliable contractor, and whether two-toned kitchen cabinets are in or out. Guests include Joshua McGrath, broker-owner of Better Homes and Garden Real Estate; Adam Pretorius, luxury real estate agent; Stacie Staub, co-founder and CEO at West + Main; and Justin Johnson, owner of The House Master.

In this episode of CRE with CBC Worldwide, host Josh Best sits down with Ginger Wilcox, President of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, to explore her leadership philosophy grounded in trust, adaptability, and relevance. Discover how Ginger's journey from a real estate family to leading a lifestyle-driven brand is shaping the future of the industry. Learn about her approach to guiding teams through change, the importance of storytelling in leadership, and how trust plays a pivotal role in her success. Tune in for insights on building a strong organizational culture and the power of mentorship in fostering growth. Don't miss this engaging conversation on leadership and innovation in real estate.

Gregory, and guest co-hosts, Patti Beery from It Is What It Is and host of The Talk of the Town Saugatuck/Douglas Bast from the Past, and Sherry White from Spectators, discuss the goings on in the Saugatuck/Douglas area. Show guests today include: Tony Schippa from HeartSafe Tri-County of Saugatuck area; Don Joseph, Tammy Kerr, and Leah Denson from Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Connections; and Erin Wilkinson from Douglas Halloween. Happy Sunday Funday! 8-24-25See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the podcast, hosts Rachel and Lynne chat with Megan Osborne, editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Megan shares her career journey from food writing to leading large-scale content strategies at prominent brands and now to editing Australia's largest circulation (paid) magazine.  She discusses: the evolving role of a magazine editor the integration of print and digital content why you need to understand audience data leveraging social media to engage younger audiences what she's looking for from freelance contributors (and even shares her email address!) Megan offers invaluable advice for freelancers aiming to get published and shares her favourite productivity tools and tech tips. Connect with Megan via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/osbornemegan/  Visit The Content Byte website for a transcription of this episode: https://thecontentbyte.com/episodes/ Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au  for the details.  Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

In today's episode of Inside Kingston, we talk about Better Homes Kingston, a change to the Illumination Policy, a preview of the upcoming council meeting, a reminder about Giveaway Day and the annual Kingston Sheep Dog Trials Festival.  You can learn more about everything mentioned in this week's episode here:  ✨Better Homes Kingston - https://getinvolved.cityofkingston.ca/better-homes-kingston-program-relaunch  ✨Illumination Policy - https://www.cityofkingston.ca/news/posts/changes-coming-in-2026-for-requests-to-light-up-city-hall/  ✨Giveaway Day - https://www.cityofkingston.ca/garbage-and-recycling/collection-calendar/  ✨Sheep Dog Trials Festival - https://www.cityofkingston.ca/arts-culture-and-events/city-calendar-and-events/feature-events/sheep-dog-trials-festival/

Jessica Turner is a content creator and taste maker for busy moms looking for hacks to live life with more intention and less stress. Jessica is trusted by beloved brands and services that help make life easier for busy women. She is also the best selling author of the Wallstreet Journal best selling book, The Fringe Hours and Stretched too Thin. How working moms can lose the guilt, work smarter and thrive. In her newest book, I Thought it Would be Better than This, she also speaks at events nation-wide on work-life balance and blogging best practices.  She has been featured in numerous media outlets including the Today Show, the Tamron Hall show, Hallmarks Home and Family, Oh magazine, People magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, Time.com and Ink.com.  Jessica lives with her three children in Nashville, TN. Make sure you listen all the way through because the ending is a really great taco hack. Great parenting, and great taco advice, you're going to love this one! Follow Jessica Turner  Instagram  Check out the work she's doing here Jessica Turner . . . . .  Owen Learns He Has What it Takes: A Lesson in Resilience Lucy Learns to Be Brave: A Lesson in Courage⁠ Grab your tickets today for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Raising Capable Kids Conference⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with David Thomas, Sissy Goff and special guests! Sign up to receive the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠monthly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share! Connect with David, Sissy, and Melissa at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠raisingboysandgirls.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . . . . .  If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Advertise with us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ form. A special thank you to our sponsors: WAYFAIR: Shop a huge selection of outdoor furniture online. This summer, get outside with Wayfair. Head to Wayfair.com right now. QUINCE: Give your summer closet an upgrade—with Quince. Go to Quince.com/rbg for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.  THRIVE MARKET: Skip the junk without overspending. Head over to ThriveMarket.com/rbg to get 30% off your first order and a FREE $60 gift.  NIV APPLICATION BIBLE: Save an additional 10% on any NIV Application Bible and NIV Application Commentary Resources by visiting FAITHGATEWAY.COM/NIVAB and using promo code RBG.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About Lisa Haukom Lisa Haukom is a creative director and visibility strategist who helps founders and creatives do what they do best and be seen for it. As the founder of The Goldenbrand, Lisa has helped countless women define their personal brands, craft a presence that actually feels like them, and show up powerfully in their work and their lives. Known for her intuitive approach, she guides clients to the kind of clarity and confidence that makes their visibility sustainable and magnetic. Lisa pioneered the now widely adopted method of remote photography, using only an iPhone and her signature eye to help clients around the world tell their stories visually. But her genius goes far beyond the lens: through her creative direction, editorial sensibility, and signature method No More Bad Photos, Lisa teaches women to stop hiding, start showing up, and become the reference in their own stories. Her work and home have been featured in Better Homes & Gardens, Cottages and Bungalows, Sunset Magazine, Oregon Home, and the forthcoming fall issue of Where Women Create. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family.   Summary In this episode of the She Designs Podcast, hosts Desha Peacock and Christine Martin welcome Visibility Strategist Lisa Haukom to discuss the importance of visibility and collaboration for female entrepreneurs. They explore the challenges women face in being visible online, the innovative techniques of remote photography, and effective strategies for growing an email list. Lisa shares her insights on using Substack as a platform for community engagement and offers valuable advice for new business owners on how to design a life and business they love. Gold Nuggets Visibility is not just about showing up; it's layered and requires sustainability. Finding your unique voice and medium is crucial for effective visibility. Remote photography can help clients feel more relaxed and authentic. Collaboration can enhance visibility and create meaningful connections. Growing an email list requires genuine engagement and quality content. Substack offers a community-focused platform for writers and creators. It's important to enjoy the process of creating content for your audience. New business owners should focus on what feels true and exciting for them when choosing a platform. Building a community around your work can lead to organic growth and support. Show Notes 00:00 Introduction to She Designs Podcast 00:44 The She Designs Retreat Experience 01:54 Introducing Lisa Hocum: Visibility Strategist 02:45 The Importance of Visibility and Collaboration 05:46 Overcoming Visibility Challenges for Women 08:35 Finding Your Unique Voice and Medium 11:36 Innovative Remote Photography Techniques 14:46 Collaboration Case Study: The Porch Project 17:34 Growing Your Email List Effectively 20:35 Exploring Substack: A New Platform for Writers 23:48 Advice for New Business Owners 26:44 Final Thoughts and Golden Nuggets Where to find Lisa: Website Instagram Substack   Join our community! Follow this podcast and share with a friend! In the world of podcasts, reviews are everything! Please rate and review this episode on your favorite platform.  Visit our website to get the latest on episodes, behind the scenes info, and upcoming events & retreats.  Say hi on the gram!

What's up, dudes? Kim Cooper from Planning for Christmas and Holiday Seasons is with me to dive into the Better Homes and Gardens Christmas issue from December 1985! It's a Christmas across America, as the publication presents a treasury of Yuletide gifts, decorations, and traditions!Founded in 1922, the magazine became known as one of the Seven Sisters, geared towards married women and homemakers. This issue focuses on stylings from New England, the Midwest, the South, and the Southwest. Page after page is dedicated to Nativity piñatas, table settings, crocheted Christmas signs and more!Following that, all the food contest winners are announced one each category. Each contestant won a prize, with the winners hitting a $1000. In 1985 money, that's quite a haul. Meanwhile, a ton of cigarette ads adorn the pages of the magazine. We also get a look at quite a few families who work to better their neighborhoods and cities! Joy to the world, indeed!Recipes? Check. Grocery ads? Yep. Tips on keeping holiday weight off? Only if it's got a drawing of a skinny Santa! So grab your M&Ms, craft your own decorations, and prep for a Better Homes and Gardens Christmas party with this episode!Planning for ChristmasFB: @planningforchristmaspodcastIG: @planningforchristmaspodcastHoliday Seasons                                                     IG: @holidayseasonspodcastGive us a buzz! Send a text, dudes!Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Totally Rad Christmas Mall & Arcade, Teepublic.com, or TotallyRadChristmas.com! Later, dudes!

Can you believe THE Gretchen Rubin is on the show?? She's a 7x NYT bestselling author, and one of my professional heroes. Her work dives into human nature and happiness, which boils down to understanding ourselves better in order to discover areas for personal agency. From there, we can create lives we love. So much of her wisdom lends itself perfectly to decluttering our homes and lives, and you'll LOVE her "Secrets of Adulthood" - an apt title for her latest bestselling book. You'll finish this episode feeling excited about experimenting with your own happiness, and wiser for hearing her discuss some of my favorite aphorisms (similar to principles or proverbs) from Secrets of Adulthood. Paring Down Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@paring_down⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Paring Down Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The L.E.S.S. Express⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down Blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ GRETCHEN RUBIN Four Tendencies Quiz Five Senses Quiz Summer Reading Website Secrets of Adulthood Happier Podcast Newsletter YouTube Substack Instagram MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE Holderness Family Dumpster Parody Song PARING DOWN RESOURCES: ⁠Free Decluttering Checklist⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Treasures of the Heart: A 7-Day Bible Study on Breaking Free from Material Attachments (free)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Complete Guide to Decluttering Kid Stuff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free 15 Clutter-Free Gift Ideas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Gift Request Email Template⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Know Your Why Worksheet ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SPONSORS: Ethical, luxury women's clothing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! 10 Free Meals from Hello Fresh:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.hellofresh.com/paring10fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ $15/month 5G wireless with Mint Mobile: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mintmobile.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 20% off chic, soft closet staples from Splendid:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://splendid.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- use code PARING at checkout For Hers Hair Growth: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.forhers.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 15% off all Lume products like aluminum-free deodorant at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lumedeodorant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- use code PARING Only $1.99 per meal with EveryPlate meal service - code paring199: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.everyplate.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Go Gaddis Real Estate Radio, we're putting the spotlight on one of Suwanee's most desirable neighborhoods—Rivermoore Park. Known for its beautifully maintained homes, green spaces, and access to top-rated North Gwinnett schools, Rivermoore Park is a standout community in Metro Atlanta. We'll explore what's currently happening in the real estate market there, based on insights from SureMLS.com, and why buyers and sellers alike are paying attention. But we're not stopping with just market stats—this week, we're also diving into a surprisingly hot topic that's been making headlines and stirring up debates: gardening etiquette. Inspired by a pair of articles from Better Homes & Gardens, we're asking the questions many people have likely wondered but never asked out loud: Is it ever okay to pick flowers from someone else's yard? And is it ever appropriate to trim a neighbor's bushes, plants, or trees that might be creeping over your property line? We'll unpack the social and legal implications of these situations, explore how small actions can lead to big neighborhood conflicts, and share how something as simple as a disagreement over landscaping can affect property values and community harmony. You might be surprised at how strong the opinions are around these issues—and why it matters for homeowners and potential buyers. Of course, we also invite you to visit GoGaddisRadio.com to join the conversation. Whether you have a question, a comment, or a neighborhood you'd like us to feature, we want to hear from you. You can also subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a segment. And if you're preparing to sell your home or just want to explore your options, don't forget to ask us about our exclusive “You Get All the Upside” program. It's designed to help homeowners make smart decisions with the least amount of stress, offering multiple paths to success—including cash offers, listing enhancements, and home prep solutions. At Go Gaddis Real Estate Radio, we're all about helping you go from real estate novice to expert, so you can buy or sell your home with confidence and without the anxiety that often accompanies major financial decisions. Because you should never learn something at or after closing that you should've known before.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Kerrie Flanagan about ARTICLE WRITING FOR PLATFORM AND PROFIT, including practical strategies for finding paying markets—and why you should stop giving your work away for free. From her first paid piece in Better Homes and Gardens to her advice on researching and targeting the right outlets, Kerrie offers encouraging, actionable guidance to help writers turn their passion into income.   Interview video at https://bit.ly/TIAPYTPlaylist Show notes at https://www.theindyauthor.com/show-notes   If you find the information in this video useful, please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple   Kerrie Flanagan is the author of The Writer's Digest Guide to Magazine Article Writing and creator of the online course, Magazine Writing Blueprint. She has also published twenty other books, including three sci-fi/fantasy series' co-authored under the pen name C.G. Harris. Her expertise and passion for teaching writers have led her to present at writing conferences across the country and teach continuing studies classes through Stanford University. Her dedication to her writing is evident in her contributions to numerous publications, including The Writer magazine, Alaska Magazine, Writer's Digest, and six Chicken Soup for the Soul books.   Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she's learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors; her articles have appeared in "Writer's Digest" magazine. She serves as the Campaigns Manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Anna Wood, Editor at Startups Magazine, speaks to Tom Robins, CEO of Switchee all about Switchee's mission of improving the quality of life of people who live in rented homes, how founders can make or break businesses, and the lessons he has learned as a serial scaleupper. 

Mark had 11 Airbnb units, a full-time medical sales job, and barely any profit.Just 18 months later?He runs 37 listings, left his W-2, and built a profitable, freedom-filled business, all without using his own capital.In this episode, we break down exactly how he did it:The red flags in his arbitrage model that forced a pivotHow he turned losses into leverage with a co-hosting pitchA case study that took one property from $90K → $211KThe “Underserved Investor Method” for finding hidden gemsWhy volume doesn't matter, precision doesAnd the system he used to scale without capital or burnoutIf you're stuck, tired, or scaling blindly, this might be the episode that saves your business.00:00 - Burned Out at 11 Units, Freedom at 37: The Mark Story00:01 - Rising Rents and Saturation: Why Arbitrage Fails00:04 - Audit and Pivot: How a Simple Portfolio Audit Changes Everything00:05 - Switch to Co-Hosting: Scale with No Capital00:06 - The Design ROI Pitch: Turn $10K Into $33K Fast00:09 - Underserved Investor Method: Find Hidden Gems Others Miss00:12 - $30K Redesign → $211K Revenue: Real Numbers, Real Proof00:13 - Fire Bad Managers: Care Wins Big00:14 - Small but Mighty: Profit Without Massive Volume00:15 - Cohosting Margins: 50%+ With Full Teams00:16 - Don't Blame Pricing: Fix Your Offer and Model Instead00:17 - Raise the Bar: Better Hosts, Better Homes, Better IndustryGet FREE Access to our Community and Weekly Trainings:https://group.strsecrets.com

Mark had 11 Airbnb units, a full-time medical sales job, and barely any profit.Just 18 months later?He runs 37 listings, left his W-2, and built a profitable, freedom-filled business, all without using his own capital.In this episode, we break down exactly how he did it:The red flags in his arbitrage model that forced a pivotHow he turned losses into leverage with a co-hosting pitchA case study that took one property from $90K → $211KThe “Underserved Investor Method” for finding hidden gemsWhy volume doesn't matter, precision doesAnd the system he used to scale without capital or burnoutIf you're stuck, tired, or scaling blindly, this might be the episode that saves your business.00:00 - Burned Out at 11 Units, Freedom at 37: The Mark Story00:01 - Rising Rents and Saturation: Why Arbitrage Fails00:04 - Audit and Pivot: How a Simple Portfolio Audit Changes Everything00:05 - Switch to Co-Hosting: Scale with No Capital00:06 - The Design ROI Pitch: Turn $10K Into $33K Fast00:09 - Underserved Investor Method: Find Hidden Gems Others Miss00:12 - $30K Redesign → $211K Revenue: Real Numbers, Real Proof00:13 - Fire Bad Managers: Care Wins Big00:14 - Small but Mighty: Profit Without Massive Volume00:15 - Cohosting Margins: 50%+ With Full Teams00:16 - Don't Blame Pricing: Fix Your Offer and Model Instead00:17 - Raise the Bar: Better Hosts, Better Homes, Better IndustryGet FREE Access to our Community and Weekly Trainings:https://group.strsecrets.com

Robert Theiss is an internationally recognized artist, intuitive guide and the author of Living Inside your Passion, Straddling your Freedom, Awakening to your God Self and iSpirit - A New Story. His ability to function as a mentor has made him a highly valued resource to clients worldwide.Robert started his first business, Falcon Designs in 1979 as a custom furnituremaker. His work was featured in Fine Homebuilding, Woodwork Magazine, Fine Furniture Design Book #5, Old House Interiors, American Bungalow, Better Homes and Garden and in the Bellevue Art Museum.In 1989, Robert became interested in alternative healing modalities and in 1993, was initiated as a Reiki master. It was during this time that he created his second business - Ancient Wings. Over the next 5 years, he taught over a 1000 students the art of working with energy. It was in these classes that he became aware of a angelic presence and over time, began to develop a conscious relationship with this being called Michael.In 1998, he began to openly share this relationship. The tools and information presented within a variety of programs and services became know as the Teachings of Michael. In 2013, he retired as a custom furnituremaker to devote all of his time in service to being a conscious creator of his own experience.Please enjoy my conversation with Robert Theiss.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/next-level-soul-podcast-with-alex-ferrari--4858435/support.

Real estate powerhouse Sherry Chris joins us on RWorld Talk to share her inspiring career journey, from being a young agent in Canada to becoming the CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. Now a consultant for the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), Sherry discusses how trust and collaboration are shaping the future of the real estate industry. She offers practical insights on leadership, technology, and professionalism within the field. Tune in for actionable advice and inspiration to help propel your real estate career forward!You can watch the video of RworldTalk podcasts on YouTube.

Want to make your home look like a million bucks and actually profit from it? This week, we're diving into smart renovation strategies that can boost your home's resale value and help you sell faster. Michael Alladawi, CEO and founder of Revive Real Estate, shares how presale renovations can lead to bigger profits. REALTOR® Michelle Doherty breaks down which updates are worth it and which ones to skip. Dr. Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist and vice president of research at the National Association of REALTORS®, walks us through key findings from the 2025 Remodeling Impact Report. Ginger Wilcox, president of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, offers tips on zoning your backyard for both relaxation and entertaining. Plus, host Melissa Dittmann Tracey explores the latest home design trends, including wellness-focused bathrooms and whether spray-painted lawns are catching on with homeowners.

In this inspiring episode of What Moves Her, we sit down with Tammy Noll Adams, 2025 National President of the Women's Council of REALTORS® and Southern Regional Accelerator Coach at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers.Tammy shares her personal journey from uncertainty to leadership, crediting the Women's Council as the community that helped catapult her career. She opens up about the real challenges women face in balancing family and business, and why bringing your whole self, family included, into your career is a powerful move.Listeners will walk away with insights on mentorship, finding your authentic voice, and building a legacy rooted in teamwork, inclusivity, and “doing it together.” If you've ever questioned your path or needed a push to lean into leadership, this episode is for you.For more info, follow us on whatmovesher.com and ⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/whatmovesher.

Send us a textWelcome to Celebrate Poe - Episode 377 - The House is a Vampire!My name is George Bartley, and for the rest of this series, I want to really look into a house that might not make it into Better Homes and Gardens - but is often classified as Edgar Allan Poe's greatest work.  The story is definitely Gothic in tone, complicated from a psychological standpoint, and a great example of how Poe dealt with vampiric characters and themes.Madeline and Roderick Usher are both vampiric-like characters that seem to take the life out of each other.  And even the house in which they live - with its eye-like windows - can be seen as a vampiric character.Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Poe.

Want to boost your home's value before listing? Start here. This week, we spotlight the top home projects that increase value—from curb appeal and staging to creative listing strategies. Ginger Wilcox, president of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, shares quick curb appeal wins. REALTOR® Orion Moquin of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, reveals how a staged Bigfoot sighting grabbed buyer attention. Brandi Snowden, director of member and survey research at the National Association of REALTORS®, shares new data on how staging influences today's buyers. Michael Alladawi, CEO and founder of Revive Real Estate, explains how presale renovations can help sellers maximize profits—and how his company fronts the costs until closing. Then, Guest House CEO Alex Ryden discusses staging strategies that create beautiful, buyer-ready spaces, and which areas to prioritize to make a property shine. Plus, design expert Melissa Dittmann Tracey reveals whether air fresheners are helping or hurting your home's appeal during showings.

Organizational expert Amanda Jefferson returns to the podcast to reveal her ultimate decluttering secrets.Show Notes Info:Amanda Jefferson is the owner of Indigo Organizing, the creator of the Done-With-You Digital Organizing coaching program and the Get It Done Club, and one of the world's first KonMari consultants. A TEDx speaker and co-host of the Good Enough-Ish podcast, Amanda has been featured in Real Simple, Harpers Bazaar, the Wall Street Journal, and Better Homes & Garden, among others. She was recently named a Top 50 Women Speaker of 2024 by renowned speaker and author Jess Ekstrom. Known affectionately as the Tech Whisperer, Amanda helps busy people declutter their digital lives and talks to audiences about how to quiet the noisy shoulds of society.

Better Homes Part 3 Three Key Ingredients to a Better Marriage by North Valley Church

In this podcast it's time for an alternative perspective. Let's hear it for all the tidy men out there, including Tyler Moore AKA Tidy Dad. He shares how he started his tidying journey and how being tidy has helped him in other areas of his home and life as well. We chat about how crucial decluttering and organising has been while tidying up and how his family has embraced this process. Tyler Moore is the creator of the hugely popular “Tidy Dad” Instagram, TikTok, and website. A public school teacher in New York City, husband, and father of three young daughters, he has been featured on Good Morning America and in The Washington Post, The New York Times, New York Post, Better Homes & Gardens Secrets of Getting Organized magazine, Apartment Therapy, and many podcasts including HGTV and Minimalist Moms. During the school year, he lives with his wife, Emily, a paediatric occupational therapist, and daughters in Queens, New York. In the summer, they spend as much time as possible in their small but tidy cottage in the Poconos. Tidy dad website Tidy dad book Our book - Reset Your Home About the Declutter Hub Podcast We're Ingrid and Lesley and are super excited you're here! If you're sick to the back teeth of clutter dictating your home life then we are here to help you get control back and spend your valuable time doing the things you want and not shuffling piles of stuff around 24/7. We have been decluttering and organising homes face to face and online for over 28 years together and have helped thousands of members and clients to regain the home of their dreams. We have a passion for people, practicality, and piles of paper and love nothing better than to carve out solutions for anyone overwhelmed with clutter. If that's you, you're in the right place. Our podcast is packed with actionable tips, inspiration and motivation to get your decluttering done. We believe decluttering is all about emotions first, stuff second. Tune in, subscribe and enjoy! New episodes every Friday. Want more? We have so many ways that you can reach out to us for additional support on your decluttering journey. Free Facebook Group - for community, info and support - The Declutter Hub Community - emotions based decluttering. Instagram - daily reels and posts with decluttering hints and tips - @declutterhub Website - the best place to get access to all our free content - https://declutterhub.com/mp Membership - this is the best place to take your decluttering to the next level https://members.declutterhub.com/mp Book - you can order a copy of Reset Your Home, Unpack your emotions and your clutter, step by step here https://declutterhub.com/book/ Support - if you want signposting in the right direction support@declutterhub.com Can you spare 5 minutes of your day to leave us a review? Your reviews mean the podcast can be found more easily which will mean more people get the benefit of our decluttering advice. You can share a review on your chosen podcast player. Don't forget to hit follow or subscribe too. The Declutter Hub 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The sisters are finally successful at recording the episode with actual sound!  Karen tries out a recipe for Low Sugar Sweet Potato Bread and it turns out fluffy and nutty with warm spices.  It would make a delicious breakfast bread!  She found the recipe in a Better Homes and Garden magazine (Cut the Sugar issue) and then tweaked it to make it her own.  Of course she used Killa Vanilla! Anne unpacks the victimology of Samantha Burns and Alice Donovan and how a political decision made years later affects their families and community. You can buy Killa Vanilla by emailing us at: murder.sugarcoated@gmail.com You can watch this episode on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@sugarcoatedmurderpodcast724 You can listen to this and all other episodes on Bleav, Goodpods, Spotify, and anywhere else you get your podcasts. Stay Sweet and Don't Murder If you kill people, we will talk about you. This episode is Copyrighted.

Better Homes Part 2-Family Survival Skills by North Valley Church

Better Homes Part 1 - Guest Pastor_ Bob Lehman by North Valley Church

24 Apr 2025. More commercial space, more rental stock, but will prices follow? We speak to CRC’s Ben Bargh and Betterhomes CEO Louie Harding. Plus, PayPal opens its Middle East HQ in Dubai. We ask Suzan Kereere why now, and why here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Better Homes and Gardens' Amy Brightfield is sharing her best cleaning hacks. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you wonder why you tidy up and then it feels like hours later you're back in mess? You might like to blame ENTROPY! Entropy is the second law of thermodynamics and states that everything moves towards a state of disorder.Today I unpack how entropy affects your home, and explore the options - to surrender (I mean it's a universal law right!?), or what it takes to counteract the law to achieve your desired results.Better Homes and Gardens ArticleABC ArticleThis is week one in a two week series on DECLUTTERING MATHS

June and Jess are coming to you today from a bit of a tender spot. Phones have been lost, Better Homes and Gardens subscriptions have been purchased, and trauma responses have been forgiven. Plus, Jess comes HARD for June over a potential holiday party etiquette betrayal and June sets the record straight.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.