Podcasts about Birdy

This week we discuss entrepreunership with Amanda Colom, aka Bad Birdy—the tattooed bartender, CEO, and global cocktail creative shaking up Los Angeles! With a massive Instagram following, Amanda shares her vibrant work and life, proving she's a force in the industry. Dubbed by *Inked Magazine* as the ‘Tattooed bartender taking over LA,' she's redefining hospitality with bold creativity. Amanda's Bar: https://kuduowl.com/kuduowl-menu BCB: https://linktr.ee/Bartenderatlarge?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwKYNv1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABpxQXKrMJx1fMvwrHYnk-mLVEhm-0XQ-ImKqZBqd5ZN6_w5nhWVrbLw_BejiP_aem_rDrfqHqrX2L49kNrt8ZqdA ____________________________________ Join us every Monday as acclaimed bartender, Erick Castro, interviews some of the bar industry's top talents from around the world, including bartenders, distillers & authors. If you love cocktails & spirits then this award-winning podcast is just for you. SUPPORT US ON PATREON: Get early access to episodes, exclusive bonus episodes, special content and more: https://www.patreon.com/BartenderAtLarge WATCH OUR VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/bartenderatlarge FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Erick Castro: www.instagram.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.instagram.com/BartenderAtLarge FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK: Erick Castro: https://www.tiktok.com/@hungrybartender?_t=ZT-8uBekAKOGwU&_r=1 Bartender at Large: www.tiktok.com/BartenderAtLarge FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: Erick Castro: www.twitter.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.twitter.com/BartendAtLarge

In this episode of Building Texas Business, I speak with Brian Birdy, the CEO of PMI Birdy Properties and a regional developer for Dill Dinkers. Brian shares insights about managing his family business, which his father started in 1979. He discusses the complexities of succession planning and how involving family members can strengthen the business for future generations. Brian's latest venture, an indoor pickleball facility, highlights his ability to identify emerging trends and foster a unique business culture. We explore effective strategies for business growth as Brian emphasizes the importance of a solid foundation. He talks about the need for a strong team, comprehensive training, and well-documented processes to navigate unexpected challenges. Additionally, we discuss the hiring landscape post-COVID, where Brian advocates for a proactive approach to recruitment and the importance of adapting to new employment trends. As we move into the topic of franchising, Brian shares his experiences with Dill Dinkers and the potential of using repurposed industrial spaces for pickleball courts. He reflects on the benefits and challenges of setting up a franchise in this fast-growing market. His connection to San Antonio adds a personal touch, as he expresses his passion for the local community and its cultural vibrancy. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS I discussed with Brian Birdy, CEO of PMI Birdy Properties, about managing a family business founded by his father in 1979 and his strategies for succession planning and family involvement. Brian shared insights on the importance of building a resilient business foundation through strategic planning, comprehensive training, and process documentation, emphasizing adaptability to technological advancements. We explored the post-COVID hiring landscape, where Brian highlighted the significance of a proactive hiring approach, prioritizing candidates with a positive attitude and aligning with changing employment trends. The conversation delved into the burgeoning pickleball market, with Brian expressing enthusiasm for his new venture in opening an indoor pickleball facility and the potential of franchising with Dill Dinkers. Brian revealed the challenges and opportunities in the residential property management industry, particularly in differentiating oneself in a competitive market and adapting to shifts in housing demand. We examined the process of opening a pickleball franchise, discussing the benefits of franchising for newcomers, the importance of choosing the right franchise, and the potential for repurposing industrial spaces for pickleball courts. Brian emphasized the value of surrounding oneself with capable people, investing in staff, and being open to new ideas and changes to drive business success, while reflecting on his connection to San Antonio and the local community. LINKSShow Notes Previous Episodes About BoyarMiller About PMI Birdy Properties GUESTS Brian BirdyAbout Brian TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Chris: Brian, welcome to Building Texas Business. Thanks for taking the time to come on the podcast hey thanks for having me. So you know, let's dive right in and talk about some of the things that you're doing as an entrepreneur and business owner and just introduce your companies to the audience. Brian: Sure. So I'm the broker and owner of Birdie Properties, which is a real estate company that specializes in residential property management. It has been in business for over 46 years. My dad actually started that business back in 1979. I've been running it and working at it and eventually running it since about 97 and have grown it to one of the largest residential property managers in South Texas, learned a lot of lessons in growing that business and the newest adventure is Dilldinker's Indoor Pickleball, which I'm sitting in, and I'm very excited that we will be opening our first location here in about a week and a half. Chris: Well, that's great. So two full-time jobs, it sounds like. Brian: Yeah, Well, the other one's a family-owned legacy business. It's three generations deep. Like I said, my dad started it. My brother and I both worked in it. I've owned it and run it for 20, 28 years and currently all of my three adult children and my daughter-in-law all work there and do the heavy lifting. With a little bit of guidance from me, that gave me the ability that could run effectively without my daily requirement, gave me the ability to actually continue that entrepreneurial spirit and try something completely different, which is indoor pickleball. I saw a true need in my city for this. There wasn't anybody delivering it. I saw it as an up and growing and when I actually started on it, less people knew what pickleball was. In the last 18 months it has really come to the forefront and so I got on. I started riding the wave at the right time and I hope it just keeps rolling, yeah well, it's certainly taken the last couple of years. Chris: It's taken on like a life of its own, it seems like. So let's go back to, I guess, Birdy Properties and maybe the unique part of what it's like in a family business to do the succession from your dad, who was the founder, to you and your brother then taking over that business. What were some of the maybe the pain points and lessons learned about doing that and what maybe advice you might give to someone that's in the process or thinking about it, of what to do or not do? Brian: Yeah, running a family business it's wonderful and it's tough, both hand in hand. The wonderful part about it is their name is on that business. Their future is tied into that business. Their commitment generally if they really care about it is they're a lot more committed than just an individual employee. But at the same time it's problematic in that you can't separate yourself from business. Family meals are filled with business. Taking an entire family vacation becomes almost an impossibility. And then succession is an issue. I bought the business from my father and it was clearly me. I own it. So my brother continued to work there but was not in ownership of it. That has its own problems. We found a way for him to actually build a business out of this and he's actually gone out on his own, is specializing in short-term management and is running his own business now, and so that was a way to kind of figure out how that could work. So he is the owner, sole owner, of Birdy Vacation Rentals. But I've got three kids that work for me. Each of them have unique qualities. They own all own a very important part of the business and they really can't survive without them working together, which works great now, but it's going to be. I'm going to wonder, I keep wondering and trying to figure out how, what is the best way to pass this on? And I don't have the right answer for it, but continuing to work at it, you know, giving them all individual pieces that they could own and be the masters of, and then by doing that, everyone needs each other kind of helps with that whole process. You can't no one of them can survive without the others. Chris: Well, it seems, if that's the case, right then you've set it up well for success because that fosters that team environment and team mentality. And you know we love talking about culture. So obviously you have the unique relationship with your children. How have you tried to take that beyond the family relationship with the other employees so that they feel the same engagement with the organization and tied to the organization's success? Brian: So we've gone through lots of that and growing and basically anybody who works for us can see that. I mean their last name isn't Birdy, they're not in the succession plan but we treat everyone within our business as if it was a big family. We believe in family. We believe in quality time. Individuals who work for us recognize we want them to do a great job for us but when they need time, when they need something they know they can ask for it, they can get it and just building that kind of culture has allowed us to have. Number of people who have worked for us for 15, 13, 12, I think is my current people that are out there have been here for a very long time. They're part of the family even though they're not. You know, their last name doesn't say birdie on it, but we work really hard in building a core that can. You know, property management is a tough business. I've said all along one of our core values is that we're going to have fun, and so one of the things we've always built is if we can have fun doing the worst part of that business, then we got it made. So we have a lot of fun when we're doing the fun parts of the business and when we go out of our way to make sure people are going to have fun. But we also find ways just to have fun and to really own that. There are tough parts of that business also. Chris: Sure, well, true for any business, right. There's always, yeah, the piece that you don't enjoy doing. But you know you have to right, it's a necessary piece but it may not be the most fun. I think you're right. If you can bring joy and fun into that, then the rest should be easy. Brian: right, because it's the stuff you like to do and want to do and, as I think about, I've been doing that for 28 years and I love going to work there. I love people that I work with and even though it's in a very tough and stressful because I mean, at times I have to evict people from their homes, I mean that isn't something that's fun, you know. But it has encouraged me that I'm waiting to see how much fun is running a pickleball facility going to be, where we have a core value of bringing joy to everyone through the sport of pickleball. And I'm like, if I can have fun doing property management, I think I should find it a little easier to have fun running a pickleball facility. But I don't know yet. We haven't opened our doors yet, we're going to find out, but it's. I mean, I'm just it feels like it's going to be fun, but you know, I don't know what, I don't know yet. Chris: So going back to Birdy and property management is anything innovative? Or you know how? Has technology or innovation kind of helped you be more efficient in what you do and maybe more profitable? Brian: Yeah, so we've. We have challenged ourselves to chase technology. You know, if you go all the way back to probably, I mean, and we've done this for a long time and we've had a website since 1998 when it didn't do anything and most people didn't have it, I mean we have a five letter URL. I mean we are www.birdy.com, you know, and people have wanted to pay a lot of money to buy that name, but it's just something. Fortunately, my dad said I think this might be something someday, let me just get our name now. He was lucky, he did that. But from that we've continued to chase the changes. Every business has had major changes. I will tell you that, coming out of the 07, 08 mortgage industry collapse and all the problems that happened, property management got brought way up into the forefront and technology, of course, coming on strong at that time saw this as an open lane that nobody was in and they have been chasing after us like crazy. And we have said all along if we want to continue to be relevant, if we want to be a hundred-year-old business, the only way we're ever going to get there is we have to embrace technology, embrace change, figure out the ways to do that, race to it, understand it and apply it. You know however that is, and so we've dramatically changed our business from where we first I mean when we first started, you know everything was on paper. It was all in a folder. The folder was in a cabinet. You know, you met people face to face. I mean, everything has changed and you know, at our last national event, the big thing that was there was all AI driven. Not only have we used technology and we use computers and we've automated some things, but now we're having the computer starting to figure out what can they really do for us in the industry, and I see that being big changes coming forward as to what can it really do for us. Coming out of COVID, we learned we can do a lot and we don't really need an office to do it anymore. We can have remote team members. We can do a lot on Zoom. We can do everything with computers. I think AI is just going to push that, and that even runs into this business. Bill Dinkers has changed a lot and it's only a couple of years old, but it's incorporated on court cameras that film the sessions for the players, and now that company is building AI, so it's going to be able to tell them automatically. You know some statistics from their match, you know counting things for them and I'm like, and so again, very early stages open landscape that technology and AI development is just stepping into, and I'm just curious and excited to see what can that take us to. I mean, because that's the future of our business, all of our businesses. Chris: Oh for sure, I mean, technology is not going anywhere. I think I had someone tell me one time never bet against technology. Technology always wins right Eventually it continues to evolve and you may not be an early adopter, but you better pay attention and learn how to integrate it sooner rather than later, or you're going to get left behind. Brian: Well, right, and it'll show you ways that you can like. We can manage more properties with less people. Because of technology, we can have individuals working for us now all over the world and we have been embraced that for a long time and we're about a 50-50 business. Half of our employees are here in town. The other half are all remote team members and primarily in Mexico, because I'm in South Texas, so I need people that can speak Spanish, and what greater way to have somebody work for me whose primary language is Spanish? So that part has been a significant change in the property management side of it. And that comes with technology. Right, because they have a computer. They can do everything. They have a phone line, so you call my office and you hit the phone. It's calling them Because phone is now what? A computer? Everything is a computer. If you can learn how to adapt the changes in your business to automation, you find ways to grow and to make money when you're doing it right. Chris: So you mentioned the 08 kind of market crash. What were some of the lessons you learned? I think that's a pretty important or severe impact on your business business and we always learn, kind of through some of those crises. So what were some of the things that you learned, maybe about your company or, more importantly, about yourself that kind of helped pull the company through to continue on a path of success? Brian: Well, if you think about it, most people saw that as a crash, as a problem. In my world it was actually a good thing. Besides the fact that people were losing their houses to foreclosure, that was certainly a negative. That didn't help me at all. But what came behind that was investors, and investors were buying those properties and turning them in to single family rentals and they needed management behind it. People who wanted to hold onto their house but had to leave them could not sell them Again. Another thing we were ready for growth. We were prepared for growth and we were not scared to grow as fast as we possibly could In those years. We doubled in size in both 07 and 08. And I think a lot of that was we were preparing for growth and then something happened that we didn't expect. But we were ready and I don't think anybody else was, so we benefited from that. We exploded over about a two or three year visit and really skyrocketed us up that. We've never lost that position since. Chris: That's amazing. So you talked about you were preparing for growth before those events happened. What was it you were doing to be preparing yourself for that growth? Brian: Making sure I have the right staff, all my training, all my processes, systems, policies and procedures. You know, you, when you first start and you're an entrepreneur, you have this great idea. You know how to do it all in your head, you make sure it can work right. What a lot of entrepreneurs aren't great at is writing it all down, systematizing it all and teaching people how to do it. And so, as you're growing, you're just throwing things trying to fill in these holes and you have to learn there's got to be a better process to your business and growing your business, and an individual who is forward thinking and really crazy ideas and just really interested to go do all these wonderful things can come up with some great stuff, but they're not the person that's going to carry it the long-term, step-by-step and so, understanding what you're good at, learning who you need around you to fill in those pieces where you're not and luckily for me, you know I have children who are from me but not really like me and so and they're not really like each other and so, collectively, the four of us and others that we've built into that start to create more of a complete package, and we learned and we're continuing to learn. We are forever changing and we are forever growing. It never stops, and that's, I think, it. I think at that time, what we wanted was I wanted to grow. We were talking about growing and I was trying everything to be visible because, remember, technology hadn't taken over. You know, people weren't finding you online. You had to. You know, I was still paying for ads and newspapers and the yellow pages because I wanted people to find me. But I found technology earlier than anybody else. I found a program called allpropertymanagementcom when it first opened and it was the first marketplace for property managers on the internet and I raced to it. I was the only one there in 2007. And that's when everyone started freaking out what am I going to do with my property? They looked and they found me, and that was a big part of so just the little steps like that was like not, I mean, that was an investment, I was paying money to do that, but I thought there would be a payoff. I didn't expect the tremendous payoff I got, but it really was a lot about just making sure you know what you have around you and a lot of times, what happens is we don't hire for growth, right, we want growth, then growth happens and then we get squished by the work. Everyone gets overworked, everyone gets stressed, nobody's happy, culture starts to get hurt and you can't sometimes, can never hire fast enough to catch up to train them all. So, knowing your business, watching closely, investing in growth by investing in your people, those are some of the lessons I learned because I did all that wrong at first and I suffered because of it and I've learned to do it differently because of that. Chris: Yeah, that's a beautiful point. I mean to your point about if you start to grow you haven't, excuse me, hired for it then you start making hiring decisions out of desperation and that's a recipe for disaster, as opposed to being able to follow that process. As you mentioned, that process is in place, that you stick to that. You follow that. You're always looking to evolve and change and tweak as times change. But if you're behind the curve, if you will, then it's hard to catch up. Brian: You also have to change with times. I mean when you can be hiring, when you don't need to hire someone, you're not in a hurry. During your interview process you don't settle for okay, this person's good enough, right? You're like, if none of them are good enough, well then they're none. Keep looking right. But if you're in a hurry, if you're in a need, then anyone close you're going to take and it may not be a good fit for you. And I would tell you, before COVID you had people in large numbers applying for jobs, but after COVID that changed dramatically and it became a point. I mean I used to say if I could get 10 people to interview, five of them would show up, or maybe six, and one or two or three potentially could be good opportunities there and you'd be able to windle it down to possibly one good quality candidate. After COVID you were lucky if one person showed up, and I don't think that's really changed dramatically even yet today. Chris: That was my question. It feels, like in the last, say, 12 months or so, there's starting to be a little bit of a maybe it's slow, but a swing back towards people realizing. You know you hear the bigger companies saying five days back in the office and you know that you know where we had the quiet quitting going on in 21, 22. It seems to me there's a little less of that and it's coming back. There are maybe more people out there and you hear that you know new college graduates are having, you know, really difficult times finding jobs because it seems like it's tightening a little bit Well. Brian: Luckily I'm in a season in which I've not needed to hire and I've got everything placed out right, and so I hope when I start hiring again in that space I do see that change, because I've noticed a big difference there and even had to change my whole process of what's really important when I interview people I mean I have put you know the number there are two things that are at the top of the list, and that is an overwhelmingly positive attitude and an undeniable desire to work. And if people come in with those two things, I can take them from there with anything else, because I can't give them either one of those. I can't culture that to anyone, I can't teach that to anybody. They have to have those two things If they have those, if they have those two things clearly, and you can find figure that out pretty quick. Chris: So I have a chance to identify with that, because the words I use are we look for effort and attitude Right. And I like your desire to work. You would think that would come natural, but you and I both know it doesn't. You're interviewing people. They just want a job sometimes or a paycheck, and they don't really have a desire to work or work hard. So I agree, you have to have an interview process that can kind of figure that out. Brian: That's true and we've, and that's something you have to learn and experience and get through and continue to tweak because, as you think you have the best experience, your market of applicants change and then you have to change and adapt with them. BTXBAdvert Hello friends, this is Chris Hanslick, your Building Texas business host. Did you know that Boyer Miller, the producer of this podcast, is a business law firm that works with entrepreneurs, corporations and business leaders? Our team of attorneys serve as strategic partners to businesses by providing legal guidance to organizations of all sizes. Get to know the firm at boyermillercom. And thanks for listening to the show. Chris:So we kind of look at the landscape out there. What are some of the headwinds that you either are dealing with now or that you think may be coming around the corner, that you're trying to prepare for to kind of not let them slow you down? Brian: I think that in the residential property management space, when times are good we do well, when times are bad, we do even better. So generally making sure that we're running the best business that we can, that we're providing what people need, figuring out a way to be being better Everyone wants to say they're better, but being better doesn't really necessarily draw anyone's attention anymore because it's like are you really better? You're just saying you're better. But when you're different and you can show someone why you are different, that's what really changes it, and I and so we focus on how are we different, why are we different, how can we be different and what differences are going to be important in the next five years that may not have been important in the last five years. Chris: That's really good. Yeah, I could see where and I would think even the lots have been written about it how difficult it is for people to purchase a home. Now, right, the interest rates, one thing, maybe the lack of accumulated wealth or down payments because of the lending markets. I can see where that would boost your business. Brian: I would tell you that in 2024, nationwide the market said that rental markets should have been skyrocketing and doing well, but for a variety of reasons it was not the best year. 2025 has started out as a much better year. Last year was a rough year on most residential property managers and when we look at that it came back to a tremendous amount of apartment complexes that were built coming out of COVID that opened and it drew a lot of the market space away People not buying, not moving, families coming together in one location, which reduces right. But we've seen a big change this year at probably one of our busiest first quarters in a while, so we're hoping that just continues. Chris: Very good. So, shifting gears a little bit Sounds like a company that you love. You said you love to have fun doing it. I guess we're in it for most of your life, bought it from your dad. All things going well, Kids are in it, Kids are thriving and against that backdrop you decide to step out and take on the pickleball business, which there's certainly some competition there. Maybe San Antonio's market was a little lacking. There's certainly some competition there. Maybe San Antonio's market was a little lacking, but there's all kinds of people doing pickleball courts now. So what was it that inspired you or drove you to make that decision and take on that risk? Brian: Well, so I started playing pickleball for the first time coming out of COVID in 2020, when our mayor said, okay, you can go and gather, but it has to be outside. And so there was a tennis place that had converted on a tennis court. Still, they converted and made these makeshift pickleball and I went out and said, hey, this is a lot of fun. Eventually, chicken and Pickle opened in San Antonio. I went inside to that and I thought, hey, I really like this, and started playing there. Quite regularly. My wife and a non pickleball related injury broke her ankle and we were out for about a year. When I came back one year later, everything had changed. It was almost impossible to book a court. The age of the players had dropped 20 years in a year. It used to be forties and fifties and I walk in and now it's twenties and thirties and I was like, okay, something has really happened here. So I did a lot of research, looked at all the numbers and then I started saying, okay, we don't have enough courts and we don't have any indoor courts, and I was like I think we could do a good job at this. I was first trying to find a place to go play, and what it led me to is there's a need. Maybe I can solve that need. And then, in researching it in the state of Texas, san Antonio was lacking in indoor courts In the country. We're doing awful. Houston was the only city in Texas even on the radar for the number of pickleball courts, and the number of indoor pickleball courts they have more than anyone in Texas. They have more than almost any other city in the country. So that city had figured it out and I'm like we hadn't yet. And I'm like we hadn't yet and I'm like, hey, if you're going to do something and you're going to be different, one of the greatest ways of being different is be first, because if you're first, you're different. There's nobody else, right? And so so I dove in, found a great Dill. Dinkins is a national franchise and I believed in what they put together and and so I'm one of their first franchisees. I'm going to be opening up my first club here in about 10 days here in San Antonio, and I'm a regional developer, so I have the right to develop up to 20 clubs. Whether I open them or help somebody else who wants to run their own pickleball location here, I will be supporting them and getting them open, and I can open all of my clubs. Other entities can open all theirs. There will not be enough pickleball, because if I fill all my clubs up all 20 clubs open and they're all completely full that would only represent a fraction of 1% of the Bexar County population, and so there's room for everybody and there's room for growth. And that's kind of one of the reasons why I got into this is that I'm like hey plus, I love it. I have so much fun, and I'm going to tell you what running a property management business has been a lot of fun, but I really hope that running a pickleball business is going to be even a lot easier to have fun. We'll see. I don't know yet. Chris: Yeah Well, in 10 days you'll start to figure it out. Brian: Well, that's free, that's free week, everyone's coming for free, so they're going to love me for at least a week, for sure. We'll see what happens after that. Chris: Good strategy there. Yeah, I know. Look, we've worked with some entrepreneurs and developers here in the Houston area doing this right, developing pickleball venues with the bars and the food service, and that's where they did the market research. And even in Houston it's interesting to hear your numbers on the covered courts in Houston, kind of leading all cities but there is a lack of courts in light of the demand especially, you're certainly private clubs have taken converted tennis courts or extra space where they put in pickleball courts, but if you're not a member of that club you don't have access. And so for the general public to have access, things like what you're doing and chicken, chicken pickle, et cetera, and some of the maybe non-national brands just worn off local things there's still a ton of demand for that. Brian: Yeah, if you look at it, lifetime Gyms and LA Fitness have both decided they're going away from basketball and they're going all in on pickleball. And I talked to their national developer and I said why are you making this change? And they said well, basketball has led to altercations and fights and problems and pickleball equals new membership and so they're all in and you can see, most of them are converting them. I have a couple of Gold's Gyms in San Antonio that have converted into pickleball in their courts. It's just there's such a need, there's such a desire. A lot of people say they find a way to play, they'll play anywhere. A lot of people haven't played because they say it's too hard to find a place to play. So we're hoping we can be part of the solution to that and start giving lots and lots of options for people to come out and play and see how easy it is, how fun it is. The community that's built around this is unlike other sports is the community that's built around this is unlike other sports? It is. It is a unique game in which it is the most gender equal and age equal. I can go out on any given day and lose to an eight-year-old or an 80-year-old, and both of them could be a male or a female. It doesn't matter, because this is. It is the equal sport amongst all sports. Chris: Yeah, well, I'll say you know, given the timing when you're opening and the fact that you know we're in Texas, being covered courts is going to be a nice added bonus, because I don't think you want to be in the middle of summer outside on a pickleball court for too long. Brian: Well, they've been doing it for years. What I have to do is get them in here so they can see, and that's the thing about being different. So some things that are different with us is we have pro cushion courts. They're all individually fenced. We have special LAD court lighting that's designed specifically for pickleball. Of course, it's not windy in here. There's no rain, there's no heat, there's no humidity and, as you can see behind me, all the walls are black in the playing surface, and that's so. When you're standing on your court and your opponent hits the ball pops, you know it's coming outside. You don't see that. You got wind, you got heat, you got sweat, you got movement, you got craziness, and so that's where we've dove into being different and we're hoping it'll pay off. Chris: No, all true. I mean having played myself. You're right, if you're outside and depending on where the sun is, you may, it's sometimes hard to see the ball. Brian: Yeah, true, not in here. Perfect lighting, perfect temperature, perfect courts. And the one thing I get annoyed I'm a spoiled. I'm a pickleball snob. Now. I cannot stand playing on a court where the court right next door is not separated and their ball keeps coming into mine. I'm like I can't even play that way anymore. I'm, I've become a. I've become a pickleball snob. I expect to be able to get on my court and play my game and not be disrupted by anybody else. Chris: There you go, as every man and woman should have a right to right. That's right. So so you kind of bit this off as a franchisee. Let's talk a little bit about that. What are some of the things that you learned about that process that maybe you weren't expecting that you could share with some listeners, and maybe a lot of people look at franchise opportunities. Brian: So I tell people all the time. So I've been involved in franchising in a couple of other ways. I went for about a four-year period and worked for a nationwide property management franchising company called Property Management Incorporated and I was up at the corporate level seeing. So I learned about franchising itself and people go why are you doing this, why should I do this? And I would give them reasons why. If you're already running your business, you already know what you're doing. You don't need a franchise when you're starting out from brand new and you have no idea what you're doing and you're not really sure how you're going to do it. You have to consider that Anyone can do the business on their own right. Even me, I could have opened this on my own. But do you know how much stuff I didn't know about pickleball that I learned from my franchise organization and the attention that it has drawn me? You have to figure out when that might be right for you. I think that there's been a lot of benefit of doing that. But you got to examine them all. I went and looked at every existing franchise when I started to do this Now. Since then, there are five new Pickleball franchises available and I'm sure there'll be five more in the next six months. So there are a lot of choices. I looked at them all, I checked into their history, I interviewed, expect what they need to do, and then I went and did a discovery day in Columbia, maryland, to find out what was Dill Dinkers all about, and a big part of it is who is the leadership? Who's going to be guiding you? Who are you going to be working with? And I absolutely loved the people that were involved, and that's a big part of this. You're going to be in business with them at the same time, and so this made a lot of sense for me. They were structuring in a very smart way of doing it, and they're the fastest growing Pickleball franchise that's out there, and they've sold 27 regions across the country. They've made great strides at improving everything that we do the play site cameras that we talked about earlier, with the AI involved that's something that's new. The pro cushion courts that's new from when we first started, and now all of our pro shops are powered by Pickleball Central, which, again, is also something new. So when you look at a franchise, it's like, yeah, they exist, but what are they doing to evolve? What are they doing to be different, because you're going to rely on that and work with them to show them how else they can be different. I decided this was the way for me to go and by being a regional developer here in town, I have my first one opening, I have my second one already under construction and I've got 18 more to go, but I'm probably not going to open all 18 of those. So there are opportunities right now and the way Jill Dinkers is, they have your corporate staff, but I'm the local representative. I'm here to help develop anyone locally. So anyone who wants to open one here has me helping them, and I've already gone through all the pain and suffering of what does it take to open a place. I know all. I know what you need to do to have it happen. They taught me what they knew. Now I've experienced here locally in San Antonio. I know what's going to happen here. Those are some of the advantages when you start looking at franchising and say, hey, I want to do a business, I don't want to do it alone, I don't want to start and it's tough. There's things you've got to know to be successful right out of the gun and you may not know everything on your own, it makes sense. Chris: And I said there's the franchisors got to show that value right. The why you're going to be making payments and getting the benefit of some of their things. It occurs to me too, one of the advantages, at least to what you're doing with these indoor courts and just kind of looking behind you is that you could take advantage of some of the big box locations that have been abandoned right that there's every city has those where there was some store that has either now gone to a bigger complex but left that space behind it looks like that's what you can kind of take advantage of from a real estate perspective. Brian: Right and I figured, with my real estate background, that this was going to be a piece of cake. But let me just tell you, san Antonio is a healthy city. We don't have big boxes just sitting around empty. Finding the location was the biggest challenge for me, and that isn't true everywhere else. That's why I'm franchise number one, but I'm not the first franchisee to open, because there are people who found it much quicker. The gentleman up in Pennsylvania went on his very first visit and found two locations and has opened both of them. One of them has 17 courts inside with 75 foot ceilings and no columns. Wow, I think it was like an aircraft hangar at some point. It was an indoor soccer facility for a while and it is like the perfect layout for indoor pickleball. But he found it in one visit, found one landlord, signed two leases and opened them both up. I have been to hundreds of places because I have to have the right hype, I have to have space between columns. I got to have air conditioning, I got to have bathrooms and I got to figure out, you know what's it going to cost to convert the place? And in San Antonio we don't have a lot of space just sitting around empty. Well, that's a good problem, it's good, it's good for the city. I mean, I found this one and I found my second one and I'm continually looking and there will be more opportunities and there will be more opportunities and there will be. Yeah, I think the strange thing in my city is we have probably the most vacant space in our city is industrial space. There's industrial warehousing all over and it's all empty and they don't want to talk to me yet. But they're going to one day they're going to say you know what I'm tired of being empty. Maybe we should talk to these pickleball guys, because it's the perfect layout giant empty buildings just sitting around empty. One day, when I can start turning them into pickleball, then the life's going to be real good. Chris: For sure. So just real quick, though, I want to ask about you kind of just as a leader right, your leadership style and how you think that's evolved over time, and kind of what you've learned maybe about yourself and about leadership in the process, in that journey. Brian: You know I learned leadership pretty young. I mean I go back and think about it and say you know, my dad was in the military. I was a military brat. We were all part of scouting. That was you start learning leadership and scouts right. I joined the Air Force myself, I served time in that and that the leadership is pretty well defined there. I mean, you know you can grow into being a good leader through that process. But in the military leaders comes with rank. Sometimes you don't really you haven't earned it, but you get it because you wear the rank and there's a difference in just knowing and understanding. And in that I learned I'm like if I want to be a leader, I've got to earn the right to be the leader of other people. As I started growing my own business, the challenge was I know how I want everything done. I like it done. A certain way. Most entrepreneurs are type A personalities we got an idea, we're going to run with it, we want to do it and no one could do it as good as we can. Well, you're going to be awful lonely and awful small if you think you can grow business all by yourself. So lesson you have to learn is how do I surround myself with people who make me better, who fill in the gaps of the things I'm not, and how do I let go and let them lead? So I've learned to invest in my staff and invest in them being leaders and letting it go. And remember, if you get from point A to point B and it doesn't cost any more money and it isn't illegal, does it really? And it doesn't use up any more time, does it really matter if they got there different than I would have? And honestly, it doesn't. But that's a lesson I had to learn. I was not very good at it, so my wife and my kids pulled things out of my gripped hands because they were like you got to let this go or we're never going to grow. And then you look back later and go wow, I'm so glad I did that. I mean, they're doing a better job at it than I ever did. And then you just have to make sure you're continually watching over what you're doing right, building good systems, checking on what you're doing, investing in your people, which means spending money on them, spending money to educate them, spending money for them to go out and try things, and also, don't be scared to try something. It's probably one of the biggest lessons I've learned Don't be scared to try something new that no one else has tried, because they're not all going to work, and I can tell you some of mine that were absolute failures. You figure it out, you go eh, switch back, we're done. But the ones that didn't work grew the business, made me money right, made us more efficient, and not being fearful to just change, adapt and be different is a big part, and when your staff sees that you're willing to do that and you're encouraging them and you're investing in them and you're giving them the ability to lead, you'll be surprised what they can do for you. Chris: Right. Well, so first, thank you for your service and second, yes, I think part of that for me is you can't be scared to fail, nervous. And second, yes, I think you know part of that for me is you can't be scared to fail. Uh. So if you don't take any chances, you won't learn, you won't grow. So you've got to be willing to do that and be observant of is it going well, is it not? Do I need to pivot, do I not? For your business and for yourself? Right? Brian: and you have to listen to your staff around you, because at certain point when you grow a business effectively, you start to get out of the day to day, and so you've got to check on it, you've got to hear from them, you've got to build on it and you've got to give them the ability to tell you maybe it is time to pivot, maybe we need to do something different, maybe there is a need out there, even though you didn't recognize it. They need to know. They can bring it to you and you'll listen Doesn't mean everything is going to change, but you give them a chance to speak it up and then it's out there and then you talk about it, and we do that regularly and it really changes the business when people have the freedom to bring up ideas and not be afraid of it. Chris: So let's move from the business side of things to just personal. Tell me what's your favorite part about San Antonio and why you decided to call it home. Brian: I moved here with my dad. He got stationed here when I was 13 years old and this has been my hometown almost ever since I joined the Air Force and I did leave here and I missed it all while I was gone. There's something about the community here in San Antonio the people, the events, the city that I missed. I've lived in other places. I don't think I ever missed not being there as much as I missed being here, and so this is truly my hometown. I love the city, all that we have going on, the fact we continue to grow and get big but we still feel like a small town Never and there's something for everyone. There's everything you possibly can want to do. You can do it here. I mean, we're in the middle of Fiesta. It's been going on forever, but there's still something in Fiesta that I still probably haven't even done. As many times I've gone out and done things and it's exciting just to be involved in that. I've been a Spurs fan since I moved here. I actually saw the Spurs as soon as I came back. We were coming back from Italy, moving to San Antonio, and the Spurs. I was 13 years old. The Spurs were in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Washington Bullets and they were up three games to one and I watched them lose the next three games and then not, and then I followed them and we didn't make it back to a conference championship for 20 years in 99. And then the next 20 years was a good payoff. We had a lot of fun and won a lot of games. Chris: So this is my town. Brian: I love my city. I love all that we do here. Chris: Yeah well, it's definitely spent enough time there to get a feel a very unique and welcoming culture and vibe. You mentioned Fiesta, but I don't see any badges on you. Brian: They're on sale at the front counter. Gotcha yeah, I actually was we made one, we've made one, we've traded some. A few people have bought them and it's a fun part to be part of that when you run a business in San Antonio. Chris: For sure. I've had the benefit of being there for a week on business during Fiesta and learned the whole thing about the badges and the trading and still have them with me. That's a lot of fun. Brian: Yeah, last weekend one of my managers took them all, went down and was down there handing out badges and also handing out flyers about our business Just getting the word out and getting connections to both people and other businesses. It's a unique time when everyone's just willing to talk to you and get face-to-face and everyone wants everyone else's medals. The Fiesta medals are kind of a cool thing, yeah for sure. Chris: Okay, last question Do you prefer Tex-Mex or barbecue? Brian: Tex-Mex for sure. I'll tell you this in traveling the country. There are other places where you can get barbecue. Maybe not quite the same, but there's some good barbecue out there. There is no good Tex-Mex anywhere except here. Chris: Yeah, yeah, I think it's a pretty accurate statement. Well, brian, I really appreciate you taking the time to kind of share your story, both on the property management side and Pickleball. Good luck with the grand opening coming up and look forward to seeing you guys succeed in that industry as well. Brian: All right, well, hey, great Thanks for having me on Great conversation. All right, take care. All right, bye, and there we have it. Special Guest: Brian Birdy.

Hi angels,Welcome back to the overshares podcastThis week we speak with another Duo Hamza and Birdy from Abti Podcast we have the funniest discussion answering juicy scenarios discuss life creating content etc As always send any dilemmas to our email and we'll do our best to answer them: kallyandhodo@gmail.comSupport and followinstagram: @oversharerspodcast@Abtipodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ein Fest - und so plauschig: wir haben OLLI SCHULZ zu Gast. Und er hat 20 Filme mit dabei, über die wir reden wollen. Denn die haben ihn schwer geprägt. Nachdem wir erst nur über unsere jeweiligen Sendungen kommuniziert haben, kam dann doch ein direkter Kontakt und schließlich eine tolle Folge zustande, in der der Musiker, Entertainer, Podcaster und Unterwasser-Detektiv endlich mal all das loswerden konnte, was er bei den anderen Kollegen sonst nicht loswerden kann. Infolgedessen geht es mit Eddie, Thilo und Schröck unter anderem um Spielbergs DUELL, um POPEYE - DER SEEMANN MIT DEM HARTEN SCHLAG, CAP UND CAPPER oder WESTWORLD. Wir reden über Justizfilme, der 70er und 80er, steigen beim TAXI DRIVER ein und landen kurz bei Scorsese, bevor es in der Zeit zurück geht, damit der TERMINATOR erstmal für alle Actionfilme der Dekade zur Gallionsfigur werden kann, bevor wir noch einmal William Friedkin und seinem LEBEN UND STERBEN IN L.A. huldigen. Und so geht es heiter weiter, wie auch drunter und drüber mit dem TANZ DER TEUFEL, mit NIGHTMARE - MÖRDERISCHE TRÄUME, mit Horror-Ikonen, die auch mal absichtlich ausgelassen werden und DAS DING AUS EINER ANDEREN WELT schaut auch noch mal auf ‘ne Petrischale voll Blut vorbei. Daneben lauschen wir den Geschichten und Erfahrungen eines jungen Filmfans, der in Hamburg groß und filmisch sozialisiert worden ist, der bei Horror-Nächten im Alabama Kino Preise abgeräumt hat und auch schon mal eine Faust für seine Meinung zu Carpenters DIE KLAPPERSCHLANGE einstecken musste. Einer, den das Kino WILD AT HEART gemacht hat, ein ARIZONA JUNIOR von der Waterkant, ein BIRDY, der zum Barden wurde. Ob wir wirklich alle 20 Filme schaffen? Findet es heraus. Es lohnt sich, bei all diesen Erinnerungen aus ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD. Wir hatten zumindest so viel Spaß, dass Olli noch mal vorbei kommen möchte. Und mindestens ebenso viel Vergnügen wünschen wir Euch nun auch bei diesem Spezial. Frohe Ostern. Rocket Beans wird unterstützt von fritz-kola. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and Birdy the Wonder Dog discuss the state of local sports. [00:27] Evan, aided by his latest canine acquisition, makes a case for Nathan Eovaldi as the Rangers' second-best free agent signing ever, behind only Adrian Beltre. Eovaldi's complete-game, 99-pitch shutout of the Reds stopped the bullpen bleeding after an awful first game in Cincinnati and may have fueled Jack Leiter's excellent performance the next day in another 1-0 win. [24:45] Kevin wonders if the Cowboys ought to trade Micah Parsons after Jerry Jones dissed Parsons' agent at the owners' meetings and said he'd rather pay top dollar and get it right than screw it up. [43:05] And, last but not least, the guys make their title picks for the men's bracket and Kevin tells old Phi Slama Jama stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and Birdy the Wonder Dog discuss the state of local sports. [00:27] Evan, aided by his latest canine acquisition, makes a case for Nathan Eovaldi as the Rangers' second-best free agent signing ever, behind only Adrian Beltre. Eovaldi's complete-game, 99-pitch shutout of the Reds stopped the bullpen bleeding after an awful first game in Cincinnati and may have fueled Jack Leiter's excellent performance the next day in another 1-0 win. [24:45] Kevin wonders if the Cowboys ought to trade Micah Parsons after Jerry Jones dissed Parsons' agent at the owners' meetings and said he'd rather pay top dollar and get it right than screw it up. [43:05] And, last but not least, the guys make their title picks for the men's bracket and Kevin tells old Phi Slama Jama stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode I'm joined by Grace Lee Chan of Birdy Grey, the direct-to-consumer bridal brand that's shaking up the wedding industry. Grace Lee Chen, co-founder of the brand, shares how she and her best friend Monica Ashauer launched Birdy Grey in 2017, turning a simple idea into a company that hit $80 million in revenue in just a few years. With no outside funding, they bootstrapped the business from the ground up, facing the challenges of a competitive market and the disruption of COVID. Grace walks us through the evolution of the brand, from their early days of fulfilling orders from her living room floor to now expanding into suits and growing rapidly. Make sure to check out Birdy Grey: https://www.birdygrey.com/   Check out my new book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4kRKGTX   Register for Starting Small Summit 2025: https://betheluniversity.edu/event/starting-small-summit-2025/ Sign up for Starting Small University to join our interviews LIVE and ask questions: https://startingsmallmedia.org/startingsmalluniversity Visit Starting Small Media: https://startingsmallmedia.org/ Subscribe to exclusive Starting Small emails: https://startingsmallmedia.org/newsletter-signup   Follow Starting Small: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingsmallpod/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Startingsmallpod/?modal=admin_todo_tour LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/cameronnagle   

Matthew Modine "is one of the best, most adaptable film actors of his generation," says The New York Times. Modine's iconic portrayals in films such as Alan Parker's BIRDY, Louden Swain in VISION QUEST, Stanley Kubrick's FULL METAL JACKET, and Dr. Martin “Papa” Brenner in Netflix's global phenomenon STRANGER THINGS have cemented his legacy in the entertainment industry. Modine recently starred in the Netflix political thriller series "Zero Day," where he plays the Speaker of the House. If you watch this Cybercrime Magazine video interview with Modine, then you might also call him an expert on the good, the bad, and the ugly that artificial intelligence (AI) brings to society. Our host Sam White dives deep into AI, the Internet, cybercrime, privacy, surveillance, and a whole lot more with Modine. Modine draws parallels between George Orwell's “1984”, the famous dystopian novel and cautionary tale, and what we are living through now in the age of AI. Despite his concerns around AI, Modine touts the benefits of it, namely its potential for sharing medical information during epidemics, helping to feed starving people around the globe, and more. If AI could play a role in taking down the U.S. power grid, then Modine helps us imagine what that might be like. Modine gets personal with Cybercrime Magazine and shares his love for New York City, his experience working with Robert De Niro, and a deepfake song involving George Michael and Wham! This interview may be Modine like you've never seen him before. Visit the Official Matthew Modine Website at https://matthewmodine.com. For more on cybersecurity, visit us at https://cybersecurityventures.com. For all of our podcasts, visit us at https://cybercrime.radio

Amanda McNulty shares a poem to prompt bird-lovers to set up their hummingbird feeders as these lovely little creatures return from their winter retreats.

Jake is going is going on a skiiing holiday. Mum is like a "swan on skiis" and Dad is like a Giraffe on stilts. What could possbily go wrong? And will Jake's best friend Birdy, the black crow, find is way out to the skii resort to help? Check out the Kaboom! Podcast too.

Watch This Episode On YouTubeThis is as close as I've ever been to going Joe Rogan style, four hour interview.I've never talked with someone so willing to discuss the history of cinema (in this case, Taiwanese) than my guest today, Birdy Wei-Ting Hung. She directed the brilliant film, A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY FOR THE LADY AVENGERS (2024), which screened at Slamdance.In order to make the film, she drew on years of reading history and watching cinema. If you loved school, or even if you didn't, prepare for the best class ever with Birdy.In this episode, we discuss:how she became a subject matter expert on Taiwanese cinema and learned to love horror films;how Edward Young and other filmmakers influenced her film;if a critic can take their own biases out of their judgment on a particular film and whether students of film can see that in others' works;Sean Baker's influence on her type of filmmaking and the bravery to take on subjects like sexual awakening, which is a theme of her film;who she thinks are female directors taking similar steps and her thoughts on labels;what her first screening at Fantastic Fest and in Taiwan was like;why Slamdance? it's her first time at the festival;does she consider herself a California filmmmaker?her work on music videos and what her first feature looks like -- "I'm not one of those people that has to be working on a feature"Birdy's Indie Film Highlights: MAULED BY A DOG (2024) dir. by Sion Owens; THE STAG (2023) dir. by An ChuLinks:Follow Birdy Wei-Ting Hung On InstagramVideo Essay For A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY FOR THE LADY AVENGERS (2024)Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content

Join us as Ocean House owner and author Deborah Goodrich Royce moderates a conversation with New York Times bestselling authors Meghan Riordan Jarvis and Catherine Newman as they discuss their novels End of the Hour and Sandwich.  About Meghan Riordan Jarvis is a podcast host (Grief Is My Side Hustle), two-time TEDx Speaker, and psychotherapist specializing in trauma and grief and loss. After experiencing PTSD following the deaths of both of her parents, Jarvis founded Talking Point Partners to help employers address complex emotions such as grief in the workplace. Jarvis is currently at work on Can Anyone Tell Me Why: 25 Essential Questions About Grief and Loss, which publishes with Sounds True Media in 2024. Originally from New England, Jarvis currently lives in Maryland with her husband and their three children, where competing piles of LEGO bricks and books cover most surfaces of their house. About End of the Hour “A frank chronicle of healing.”—Kirkus Reviews Esteemed trauma therapist Meghan Riordan Jarvis knew how to help her patients process grief. For nearly twenty years, Meghan expected that this clinical training would inoculate her against the effects of personal trauma. But when her father died after a year-long battle with cancer, followed by her mother's unexpected passing while on their family vacation, she came undone. Thrown into a maelstrom of grief, with long-buried childhood tragedy rising to the surface, Meghan knew what she had to do―check herself into the same trauma facility to which she often sent her clients. In treatment, trading the therapist's chair for the patient's couch, Meghan took her first steps toward healing. A brave story of confronting life's hardest moments with emotional honesty, End of the Hour is for anyone who has experienced the unpredictable, lasting power of grief―and wondered how they'd ever get through it. About Catherine Newman has written numerous columns, articles, and canned-bean recipes for magazines and newspapers, and her essays have been widely anthologized. She is the author of the novel We All Want Impossible Things; the memoirs Waiting for Birdy and Catastrophic Happiness; the middle-grade novel One Mixed-Up Night; and the bestselling kids' life-skills books How to Be a Person and What Can I Say? She lives in Amherst, Massachusetts. About Sandwich “Sandwich is joy in book form. I laughed continuously, except for the parts that made me cry. Catherine Newman does a miraculous job reminding us of all the wonder there is to be found in life.”–Ann Patchett, New York Times bestselling author of Tom Lake. “A total delight.”–Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man and Welcome Home, Stranger. From the beloved author of We All Want Impossible Things, a moving, hilarious story of a family summer vacation full of secrets, lunch, and learning to let go. For more information about author Meghan Riordan Jarvis, visit meghanriordanjarvis.com, and for Catherine Newman, visit www.catherinenewmanwriter.com. For details on Deborah Goodrich Royce and the Ocean House Author Series, visit deborahgoodrichroyce.com

Episode 170 features a conversation with Brian Birdy who is launching a Dill Dinkers pickleball franchise in San Antonio ,Texas. Learn about Brian's story as an entrepreneur and what his pickleball facility will offer. https://dilldinkers.com/franchise-territory-sanantonio-texas/ Podcast music by www.bensound.com

I love Paris in the Springtime, and all the time.

Ewa Wisnierska wurde 2007 von einem Gewitter bis in 10.000 Meter Höhe gerissen. Wie hat das ihr Leben verändert? +++ Ewa Wiśnierska-Lubawska ist eine der erfolgreichsten Gleitschirmpilotinnen. Vier Jahre lang flog die Deutsch-Polin von Podium zu Podium und errang 2008 schließlich den Europameistertitel. In die Geschichtsbücher des Paraglidens ist sie aber mit einem unglaublichen, wenn auch unfreiwilligen Rekord eingegangen. 2007 geriet sie bei einem Trainingsflug im Vorfeld der Gleitschirm-Weltmeisterschaft in Australien in ein Gewitter. Mit Aufwinden von mehr als 40 Meter pro Sekunde wurde sie nach oben gerissen – bis in rund 10.000 Meter Höhe. Eigentlich gilt das als Todeszone, in der ein Mensch wegen der Kälte und ohne Zusatz-Sauerstoff keine 30 Sekunden überlebt. Ewa hat aber überlebt – wohl auch weil sie im Flug ohnmächtig geworden war und ihr unterkühlter Körper längere Zeit auf absoluter Sparflamme lief. Die unglaubliche Geschichte dieses Gewitterfluges wurde schon häufiger erzählt und wird bis heute in Medien immer wieder aufgegriffen. Mich hat für diese Podcast-Folge eine andere Frage interessiert: Was hat dieses zwangsläufig erschütternde Erlebnis mit Ewa gemacht? Und so erzählt die heute 54-jährige in dieser Episode 151 von Podz-Glidz von den Jahren vor dieser Zäsur – und von dem, was danach folgte. Es geht um Träume, Freiheit, Ehrgeiz, Erfolg und schließlich Ewas größte Lektion: zu sich zu stehen, auch mal Nein zu sagen und gerade damit für andere ein Vorbild zu sein. +++ Wenn Du Podz-Glidz und den Blog Lu-Glidz fördern möchtest, so findest Du alle zugehörigen Infos unter: https://lu-glidz.blogspot.com/p/fordern.html +++ Musik dieser Folge: Track: Frolic | Künstler: E's Jammy Jams Youtube Audio Library https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xasb1I0Mxss +++ Lu-Glidz Links: + Blog: https://lu-glidz.blogspot.com + Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luglidz + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luglidz/ + Whatsapp-Kanal: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaBVs05CHDynzdlJlU34 + Youtube: https://youtube.com/@Lu-Glidz + Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/lu-glidz + Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZNvk83xxGHHtfgFjiAHyJ + Apple-Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/de/podcast/podz-glidz-der-lu-glidz-podcast/id1447518310?mt=2 + Linktree: https://linktr.ee/luglidz +++ LINKS zu Ewa Wisnierska: + Ewas Homepage: http://www.ewawisnierska.com/ + Ewa auf Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ewa.wisnierska + Wikipedia-Eintrag zu Ewa: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ewa_Wi%C5%9Bnierska + Galileo-Filmbeitrag: Gefangen in einer Gewitterwolke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIZ5e1G_vBw + Spiegel-TV Reportage: Flug in die Todeszone: https://www.spiegel.de/video/wendepunkte-todeszone-video-99012447.html + Wondery-Podcast: Gefangen über den Wolken | Nomadin der Lüfte: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Dc6IuSzw06rW9sHuzTWHz

Join Tamara for an interview (actually, we're calling it a conversation!) with notable movie producer Andrew Meyer. What exactly does a movie producer do? You better believe we cover that in the first few minutes!  Andrew spent years in Hollywood, where he served as the President of Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss' A&M Films, Robert Redford's Wildwood Productions, and Norman Lear's Act All Productions. For the past 20 years, he has lived in Savannah and worked as a Professor of Film and Television at SCAD. Notable among the many films Andrew has produced are Fried Green Tomatoes, nominated for two Academy Awards; The Breakfast Club, which Entertainment Weekly named “The Best High School Movie of all Time;” Birdy, which won the Grand Prix Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival; and the iconic fan favorite Better Off Dead. He recently published his second book, Walking In the Fast Lane - purchase it online here for now, and it will come out in print later in January! https://tinyurl.com/3rdrcnku   Check out more of Andrew's work and follow him here: https://andrewmeyerentertainment.com/ https://www.instagram.com/andyhmeyer839/    Topics in their chat include: The different types of producers; how Andrew's best advice to become a producer is to option a book (acquire the rights); his early career as a music producer and a story of how the Police had to fight for "Roxanne" to be a single; his sabbatical year of traveling around the world, which ended when he received a telegram (!); the usefulness of learning the "Movie Magic" software; how The Breakfast Club went from being a small indie movie to a much larger-budget movie with a much better set; why authors are frequently not great at adapting their own work into a screenplay; the 2 different types of screenwriters; the fact that Stephen King sells the rights to some of his short stories for just $1, allowing aspiring filmmakers and students to adapt them into movies; and his job interview with Robert Redford that involved him traveling to Sundance and then being asked to ride horses through mountain territory together. Tune in and get all the details!

It is time to settle the biggest and most controversial debate of the year, are you #TeamMooDeng or #TeamPesto?! To fight it out, I am joined by the Teen Programs Manager for the Lincoln Park Zoo, the host of the Birdy Bunch Podcast and one of the NAAEE 30 Under 30 – the incredible CJ Greco! CJ was here last week talking all about their favourite conservation stories of the year. This time, we don't just argue about hippos and penguins, we also talk about our personal nature highlights from 2024, our career and life goals for 2025, and we decide what the most underappreciated creatures of 2024 where! Happy Holidays from all of us here at Pangolin! Thank you so much for an incredible 2024, you have made it truly unforgettable!   Useful Links Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! We are @PangolinPodcast You can also follow Jack on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@theonlyjackbaker⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow CJ on Instagram at @cj.greco Listen to The Birdy Bunch here: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Pv0NiMp7VQ4U9d621PM1B?si=86444780a0f246ec Music Credits: Monkoto by Kevin MacLeod, Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4072-monkoto License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ AngloZulu by Kevin MacLeod, Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3372-anglozulu License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Christmas Rap" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License⁠⁠⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠ "We Wish you a Merry Christmas" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License ⁠⁠⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Gilian from Hi Ho and Birdy from Sweetie jumped in my car at the end of 2024 to talk about their free show at Schubas (also including Reckoner), happening on 12/30/24 (New Year’s Eve Eve). We’d originally planned to go food-less for this one, but to my surprise they arrived with freshly-baked cookies. They weren’t chocolate chip cookies, though, because Gillian’s not a fan (please don’t cancel her). Things discussed in the episode:*Birdy’s love for alliteration. She’s a fabulously fun, fervent francophile. *Gillian joins the “5 timers club,” while Birdy is right on the edge with her fourth appearance. *Gillian’s reemergence after “this non-musical and extremely medical year.” *The state of Hi Ho: New music on the way. *Birdy Vee is known to warmly greet her community of fans when Sweetie takes the stage. She’s demure. *Sweetie will release a new album (on vinyl!) in 2025. *Birdy plays rugby. Don’t mess with her. *The HOOF Fest, and why Gillian is such a fan of it. *Gillian’s secret to building a band (Sweetie has a similar road map). I don’t know if it was the holidays in the air, or just the combination of Gillian and Birdy, but holy shit, this episode was a lot of fun to record. Please support these fine bands (for ZERO POINT ZERO DOLLARS) on December 30! ## Car Con Carne is sponsored by Easy Automation: easy-automation.net Transform your living space with cutting-edge home automation. Experience seamless control over audio/video, lighting, climate, security, and more. Embrace the future of smart living – your home, your rules. Get a quote by visiting easy-automation.net, or give Dan a call at 630.730.3728 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is time for the annual PANGOLIN HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR! This year, I am joined by the Teen Programs Manager for the Lincoln Park Zoo, the host of the Birdy Bunch Podcast, and one of the NAAEE 30 Under 30, the incredible CJ Greco! We are going to talk a little bit about their work, their love of puns, and how they came to be one of the BEST environmental educators I know! We are of course also going to recap all of the best conservation and nature news of the year! So, we are talking Scottish Wildcats, Partula Snails, Snow Leopards, Siamese Crocodiles, Birds, Rhino IVF and SO MUCH MORE! I am so so so so so excited! Happy Holidays from all of us here at Pangolin! Thank you so much for an incredible 2024, you have made it truly unforgettable! Useful Links Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! We are @PangolinPodcast You can also follow Jack on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@theonlyjackbaker⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Follow CJ on Instagram at @cj.greco Listen to The Birdy Bunch here: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Pv0NiMp7VQ4U9d621PM1B?si=86444780a0f246ec Music Credits: Monkoto by Kevin MacLeod, Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4072-monkoto License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ AngloZulu by Kevin MacLeod, Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3372-anglozulu License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Christmas Rap" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License⁠⁠⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠ "We Wish you a Merry Christmas" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License ⁠⁠⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Check it out here: http://geni.us/birdy

On the day of his first fight since leaving prison, Mikey (Michael Pitt), once champion boxer, takes a redemptive journey through his past in Jack Huston's "Day of the Fight". As Mikey prepares for the most important fight of his life, he reconnects with the people he was closest to and tries to make things right. Mikey's coach, Stevie Ross, is played by my guest in this segment, the great Ron Perlman ("Hell Boy", "Sons of Anarchy"). "Day of the Fight" is currently screening in theaters. https://youtu.be/-dTA1vt8uLY Filmwax Radio welcomes —for their first visits— actor Anthony Rapp and filmmaker Vivian Kerr with their film "Scrap". Beth (Kerr) has recently been laid off and struggles to maintain the appearance of a successful middle-class lifestyle as she bounces around Los Angeles. Hoping to land a new job and change her situation before her estranged older brother Ben (Rapp) finds out, Beth must confront her own pride in order to reconnect with him and provide for her young daughter Birdy. Meanwhile, Ben and his wife Stacy (Lana Parrilla) consider a third round of IVF and Stacy, a successful attorney, must re-evaluate her own conflicted relationship with motherhood. "Scrap" is currently streaming on digital platforms. https://youtu.be/cyq8j5X3tfU

Ben Maller talks about Jalen Hurts & A.J. Brown attempting to clear the air on their relationship, Patrick Mahomes saying he doesn't have a good feeling about the Chiers upcoming schedule, Maller to the Third Degree, and more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Keep Your Eye On The Birdy | Can't Miss Moments https://www.audacy.com/989word The Charlie James Show Listen on Spotify : https://spoti.fi/3MXOvGP Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-charlie-james-show-podcast/id1547262821 Follow us on Social Media Join our Live Stream Weekdays - 3pm to 7pm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/989word Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2031096 X: https://twitter.com/989word Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/989word/ "Red Meat, Greenville." 12/12/24

Bereits 2023 begeisterte Marius Bear mit seiner Stimme am «Art on Ice» – erst wenige Tage vor dem Start der grossen Show sprang er kurzfristig für Rag'n'Bone Man ein. Im Februar 2025 tritt er nun erneut mit den Eiskunstlauf-Stars auf, zusammen mit Stress, Birdy und Paloma Faith. Hier sagt er, wie sehr er sich schon jetzt schon auf das Eislauf-und-Musik-Spektakel freut.

Birds are not only found in the wild; they are also taking flight in app design! Just take a look at your smartphone interface, and you will see them everywhere. From owls to penguins to magpies, bird-themed icons are transforming our device screens into a digital aviary! / RoundTable's Happy Place (19:41). On the show: Heyang, Steve Hatherly & Guo Yan.

Jake's best friend Birdy is away on an important mission. Meanwhile Jake's little sister has some friends over and they are playing with some pretend spells. They try to put a bad luck spell on Jake. He's not sure if the magic is real or not, but all too soon he starts to suffer from a spell of bad luck.

Beyond thrilled to welcome an incredible musician and a good friend of mine to Percussion Discussion Podcast - Ged Lynch. Ged has a remarkable list of household names on his CV including the likes of Peter Gabriel, Black Grape, Clannad, Tom Jones, Hanson, Electronic, The Icicle Works, Michael Hutchence, Joe Strummer, David Silvian, Dr John, Natalie Imbruglia, Cat Stevens, Suggs, Birdy, Seth Lakeman, Chrissie Hynde......i mean, where do you start? At the beginning of course, in Geds native Blackburn, we talk about his early days of playing in working mens clubs (these were staple gigs in northern towns and cities) playing all manner of gigs including backing strippers...... as a 14 year old! We pick through some of the many career highlights including waiting by the radio on a Sunday evening to find out where Black Grapes debut album had charted (number 3, later number 1!) through to getting the gig with the legendary Peter Gabriel, and some of the many amazing adventures that took him on, including a co headline tour of the US with Sting with none other than Vinnie Colaiuta occupying stings drum chair! Ged gives so many beautiful little nuggets as we go through our conversation, i really hope you enjoy it as much as i did doing it! He is one of the nicest and most gentle souls on this earth and i was very grateful for this oppurtunity to grab a very very rare interview with him! Cheers Ged! www.gedlynch.com

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Birdy Wei-Ting Hung, the director of the experimental short film "A Brighter Sunny Day for the Lady Avengers." The film looks at the experience of a young girl in 1980s Taiwan and was selected as a winner for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear how the film was inspired by two other films, how important formative film experiences are, and the importance of the sound to create the world of the film.Books mentioned in this episode include:Abject Pleasures in the Cinematic: The Beautiful, Sexual Arousal, and Laughter by Aaron KernerMinor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park HongFilms mentioned in this episode include:"A Brighter Summer Day for the Lady Avengers” directed by Birdy Wei-Ting HungThe Lady Avenger directed by Yang Chia-YunA Brighter Summer Day directed by Edward YangKill Bill Vol. 1 directed by Quentin TarantinoKill Bill Vol. 2 directed by Quentin TarantinoAmer directed by Hélène Cattet & Bruno ForzaniFemale Prisoner 701: Scorpion directed by Shunya ItōSuspiria (1977) directed by Dario ArgentoSuspiria (2018) directed by Luca GuadagninoLady Snowblood directed by Toshiya FujitaAll the Colors of the Dark directed by Sergio MartinoThe film showed at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX last month and can be seen this month at the Kaohsiung Film Festival in Taiwan from October 12-27.Read Birdy's essay about the two films that inspired her work at MaiFeminism.com.

Welcome back to another Super Cool Radio interview! We have a special guest joining us for this episode. Birdy Vee is the creator of Hands Off Our Fest and the frontwoman for Sweetie. Hands Off Our Fest is an incredible event celebrating the Women, Femmes, and Thems of the Chicago Punk Scene. This year, HOOF takes place on October 19th at Blue Island Beer Co. in Blue Island, Illinois. In this interview, hear Birdy discuss the lineup for this year's event, selecting Blue Island Beer Co. for HOOF, the plans for Sweetie, favorite Sweetie songs to perform live, and much more! SCR and Matthew Thomas would like to thank Sweetie for the great interview. Links to check out: Ticket link for HOOF: LIVE MUSIC – H.O.O.F. (Hands Off Our Fest) – Blue Island Beer Company All links for Sweetie: Sweetie | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree Promo pictures courtesy of Birdy Vee Intro and outro music composed by Jonny Neville If you like this video, please consider heading over to our merch store and supporting us. Your support means so much! Link: Super Cool Radio's Artist Shop | Featuring custom t-shirts, prints, and more (threadless.com) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/supercoolradio/support

Jake wants three wishes - just like in a fairy tale. But although Birdy is no-ordinary bird, he is reluctant to grant Jake his wishes. You seek, real life isn't always so easy...

We're back with a listener question episode! We mention Project Phoenix—check out the details here. Subscribe to our newsletter and send us your questions below ⬇️⬇️Get more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com. Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast!

We're going back to some early Nicolas Cage in this episode about Birdy. Check in with us talking about boys with floppy hair, pigeons, and what those people that work in mental hospitals are called. We also discuss this announcement from Variety. This episode contains the song "I'm Like a Bird" by Nelly Furtado. Our theme music is by Alex O'Hagan.

Can we really live without chocolate? This is the question that Jake has when his mother bans sweets and chocolate. If only you could grow it in the garden... well with a little birdy magic, perahaps anything is possible.

What We've Been Watching - Sparkle Godzilla available on MaxThe Honey Pot available for rentalRobot Dreams available in some theatersTrio available on YouTubeDeadpool available on Disney+Wanda available on Criterion Paranoia Agent available on Crunchy RollTuca and Birdy available on MaxHouse of the Dragon available on MaxGravity Falls available on Disney+Bridgerton available on Netflix Joel Paris is Burning available on MaxShaft available on CriterionHot Fuzz available for rentalPickpocket available on Criterion RuPaul's Drag Race available Paramount+Shogun available on HuluBuffy the Vampire Slayer available on Hulu

Me and Erik go waaaaaay back, to when I taught a class on the IBA's elite John Whyte residential training course in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, before Erik moved to London to start his stratospheric ascent to the top of the bartending world. We sat down during Tales of the Cocktail to talk about all that: awards, scalpels vs. hammers, how cities like Mexico can suddenly appear on the cocktail map, bartenders telling bullshit stories during cocktail contests, creating the world's best bar tools by emailing with Google Translate, some of the madness of guest shifts and takeovers, and a lot more - enjoy!Erik on IG: https://www.instagram.com/eriklorincz/?hl=esKwānt on IG: https://www.instagram.com/kwantmayfair/?hl=esAntique American Bar on IG: https://www.instagram.com/antiqueamericanbar_bratislava?igsh=MTEycmlpZXpsc3A4dQ==Buy BIRDY bar tools: https://www.birdy-erik.com/shoplist.html Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we're only interested in having your client on if they can talk about OTHER things than their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is, for a few hours. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won't supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either.) Retain Philip's consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/oldduff...

Birdy mentioned having a second asshole at the top of the show and that kind of overshadowed everything else. This was recorded June 27th, 2024. Help support Death's Door Prods: https://www.ko-fi.com/deathsdoorprods Website: https://www.deathsdoorprods.com iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/deaths-door-prods/id688055687 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e609ee6e-fe5a-4958-9c5f-3a2396dada90/deaths-door-prods Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1CmcZL9pReluBPjKh9KiVS Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/DeathsDoorProds Dead Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/DeadMan_DDProds Birdy Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Birdy_Critic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeathsDoorProds YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DeathsDoorProds The song you heard was Alpha Noize & Dead Critic - "Double Tap." You can find more from Alpha Noize: SoundCloud: @alpha-noize Twitter: https://twitter.com/alphanoize Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alphanoizeofficial/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AlphaNoize1 Song released by Kill the Copyright. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtw0Q2TCW5KQfnzx4mQG1sQ

Jason and Brett talk to Catherine Newman (Sandwich) about ailments, weighted blankets, reproductive mayhem, peanut butter, queerness, and of course… sandwiches. Catherine Newman has written numerous columns, articles, and canned-bean recipes for magazines and newspapers, and her essays have been widely anthologized. She is the author of the novel We All Want Impossible Things; the memoirs Waiting for Birdy and Catastrophic Happiness; the middle-grade novel One Mixed-Up Night; and the bestselling kids' life-skills books How to Be a Person and What Can I Say? She lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.Gays Reading is sponsored by Audible. Get a FREE 30-day trial by visiting audibletrial.com/gaysreading**BOOKS!** Check out the list of books discussed on each episode on our Bookshop page:https://bookshop.org/shop/gaysreading | By purchasing books through this Bookshop link, you can support both Gays Reading and an independent bookstore of your choice!Join our Patreon for exclusive bonus content! Purchase your Gays Reading podcast Merch! Follow us on Instagram @gaysreading | @bretts.book.stack | @jasonblitmanWhat are you reading? Send us an email or a voice memo at gaysreading@gmail.com

To continue our Pride Month Assumptions episodes, we have bisexuals here to address all the stereotypes that come along with being attracted to their own gender and others.

To continue our Pride Month Assumptions episodes, we have bisexuals here to address all the stereotypes that come along with being attracted to their own gender and others.

This week on The Expired Podcast we speak to Ryan Ralston of You Are The Power. We were shocked to hear the horrifying stories of families being ripped from their medically fragile children and slapped with abuse charges. Georgia is not doing their due diligence for the children and families in the state. We are outraged and urge you  to donate and educate at YouAreThePower.net Ryan Ralston was born and raised in metro Atlanta. He works for the only organization in Georgia devoted to freeing the imprisoned innocent and correcting and preventing wrongful convictions. Ryan is the Southeast Regional Organizer for You Are The Power, a membership-based nonprofit founded by Spike Cohen. This organization's network has a collective social media reach of over 50 million and maintains working relationships with its members, other advocates, and organizations across all 50 states. Ryan is a steadfast advocate for effective reform within the criminal legal system. Ryan understands that grassroots activism and voluntarism yield more significant results for our communities than mandated government policies. He is committed to Human Respect and focuses on positive solutions that return power to the individual. Despite his serious professional commitments, Ryan dedicates time to his interests. He is a family man who did something truly punk rock: he married his high school sweetheart. They are blessed with three wonderful children. In his leisure time, Ryan writes short stories and essays, reads voraciously, follows Red Sox baseball, gets tattooed, and cherishes moments with his three Australian Shepherds, Mabel, Junie, and Birdy. His parents remain hopeful he will go to med school.Support the Show.

Tracklist: Obsession - MorganJ Anti-Hero - 4 Strings, Lucas & Steve, Lagique, Kungs Rush - Troye Sivan, Big Freedia You Know Why - Bingo Players Feel You - DJ Elmo Looking For Love - Disclosure, salute Good Love - Hannah Laing, RoRo Another Night - Gabry Ponte, Conor Maynard, jayover Head Up - Birdy, Cheat Codes After Midnight - Yves V, Lucas & Steve, Xoro  

Birdy is a rather special crow who can talk. He's befriended a boy called Jake, who thinks that Birdy is unique - a true one off - until, well listen to the story and find out. And at the end of the story we have a bonus, an excerpt from our friends at the Stories, Science and Secrets podcast.

Tracklist: Water - Tom Silver, Dead As Disko, Bornstar Dj Stop This Flame - MK, Celeste Ain't No Sunshine - Dubdogz, JØRD, Jasmine Pace Never Going Home - Kungs Love Goes (On & On) - Dubdogz, H. Kenneth, Ten Tonne Skeleton Give Some Love - Gotlucky Ride Out - Tchami, Born Dirty, Manny Torres Choose You - Soul Republik Obsessed - Pink Panda Head Up - Birdy, Cheat Codes

Jake is hoping to go to Lapland for Christmas to see Santa, but it all depends on some precarious family finances. The answer lies in a series of puzzles. Can Jake's best friend Birdy, a smart crow, help him and his family to go on this special treat?

This is a story about an old friend of ours. His name is Birdy. He's a crow who has lived for hundreds of years and known all sorts of important people, including kings and queens. In this story Birdy tells Jake that dinosaurs are not necessarily extinct. Birds, for example, are closely related to dinosaurs, and it's just possible that he and his sister might meet one or two.... Also, check out Kids Stories, Science and Secrets by Rockford's Rock Opera.