Podcasts about blind spots

Most therapists can rattle off every diagnostic code without blinking, but ask about their break-even number and things get quiet. Those are exactly the financial blind spots we're unpacking in this episode of The Traveling Therapist Podcast. I sit down with Rob Freels, founder of FreeRivers CFO Advisory, who spent 25 years across banking, auditing, and 16 years as a CFO before turning his attention to healthcare and mental health practice owners.Rob breaks down where money actually disappears before it ever hits your bank account, why those losses hit harder the bigger your practice gets, and the one number he says matters more than revenue or profit. If you've ever felt like your finances are a mystery you don't have time to solve, this conversation gives you a place to start.In This Episode, We Explore…The invisible fees eating into your revenue before it ever hits your account.Why those percentages get more expensive the bigger your practice grows.The one financial metric Rob says matters more than revenue or cash flow.How to know when it's time to bring in more than a bookkeeper.A free calculator that shows you exactly where you stand.Connect with Robert Freels:Website: https://freeriverscfo.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robfreels/ Free Break-even Calculator: https://freeriverscfo.com/tolson Are you ready to take the plunge and become a Traveling Therapist? Whether you want to be a full-time digital nomad or just want the flexibility to bring your practice with you while you travel a couple of times a year, the Portable Practice Method will give you the framework to be protected! ➡️ JOIN NOW: www.portablepracticemethod.com/Connect with me:www.instagram.com/thetravelingtherapist_kymwww.facebook.com/groups/onlineandtraveling/www.thetravelingtherapist.comThe Traveling Therapist Podcast is Sponsored by:Berries: Say goodbye to the burden of mental health notes with automated note and treatment plan creation! www.heyberries.com/therapistsAlma: Alma is on a mission to simplify access to mental health care by focusing first and foremost on supporting clinicians www.helloalma.com/kym

One fire, one ransomware click, one product claim, or one auto accident can turn a growing company into a cash-flow crisis overnight and most founders don't find out they're underinsured until the day they need the policy to perform. We sit down with Art Sordo (VP) and Joe Stroot (Client Advisor) from Centered Partners to talk about how business owners can protect what they're building without treating insurance like a once-a-year box to check.We get practical about the blind spots that show up as you scale: coverage that never updates after the startup phase, business interruption limits that lag behind real revenue, and property or inventory values that quietly drift out of sync. Art and Joe break down what business interruption insurance actually does, what can trigger it, and why e-commerce operators should also consider contingent business interruption when a key third-party provider goes down.Then we dig into two pressure points for modern operators: product liability and cyber insurance. If you private label, import, distribute, or even think you “never touch” the product, you may still be in the chain of custody when a claim hits. On cyber, we talk about why a bundled endorsement can fall short, how sublimits can surprise you, and what to ask for in a standalone policy. We also cover manufacturing realities like workers' comp, commercial auto exposure, and how an umbrella policy fits into a smarter liability strategy, plus why proactive quarterly reviews make renewals and potential M&A much less painful.If you want fewer surprises and a clearer risk plan as you grow, subscribe, share this with a fellow founder, and leave a review so more business owners can find it.Connect with Art Sordo and Joe Stroot https://www.centeredpartners.com/Ready to scale your Amazon business? Click here to book a strategy call. https://calendly.com/firingtheman/amazon Support the show

✨ Join our FREE upcoming Masterclass – Board-Ready Marketing KPIs with AI: https://www.passetto.com/ai-marketing-kpi-masterclassMarketing is increasingly accountable for revenue while being asked to rely on data it doesn't control and often can't validate. In this episode, Amber breaks down the main revenue data blind spots that often undermine marketing's ability to explain performance, defend spend, and make decisions with conviction and real evidence..It starts with an old mindset: that once a deal moves to sales, marketing's job is done. It's not. Marketing has a role throughout the opportunity cycle, but most teams are missing the data they need to understand what happens after handoff.Sales activity is scattered across systems. Buying committees disappear from marketing's view. Critical fields are manually set or overwritten. And system migrations can wipe out the historical context you need to understand performance over time.The result? Marketing is held accountable to pipeline and revenue numbers it can't fully explain.Amber walks through a real client example: pipeline suddenly spiked, the CEO wanted to know why, and the marketing leader couldn't confidently answer. The problem wasn't a lack of data. It was what the data couldn't tell her.What this episode covers:The old mindset that convinces marketing its role ends at handoff and why that's increasingly dangerousWhy sales activity is one of the biggest untapped data sources for marketingThe buying committee data most marketing teams lose once an opportunity is createdWhy manually set and overwritten CRM fields make seemingly simple metrics difficult to defendHow CRM and marketing automation migrations quietly destroy historical visibilityA real client story: a pipeline spike marketing couldn't confidently explain to the CEOThe specific CRM red flags to look for before building your next board narrative-----------------------------------------------------

Hidden blind spots, ego, and unexamined assumptions quietly sabotage trust, culture, and growth for even the smartest leaders. Today's guest, Bill Miller, veteran executive, advisor, and author of “What Every CEO Must Know: 37 Secrets to Lead with Confidence and Power” and “The Rookie CEO: You Can't Make This Stuff Up,” helps founders and CEOs uncover the costly leadership mistakes everyone else can see but no one feels safe enough to say out loud. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Bill breaks down the concept of CEO blind spots, those invisible gaps in thinking and decision-making that show up in hiring, restructuring, communication, and strategy. Drawing on nearly 40 years as a senior executive across startups, venture-backed companies, and multibillion-dollar enterprises, he explains why even brilliant founders and technical leaders get stuck when they step into the CEO role for the first time. From the Peter Principle to imposter syndrome, Bill shows how smart leaders can still make disastrous choices if they don't build the right habits of reflection and feedback. You'll learn Bill's simple but powerful practice called the “mirror meeting,” a 15–20 minute weekly check-in with yourself to review what you accomplished, what you missed, who's still waiting on you, and what's truly keeping the business from moving forward. Bill reveals how pairing this ritual with tools like ChatGPT or Claude can turn journaling into a practical system for better decisions, accountability, and follow-through. Instead of letting tasks, worries, and strategic priorities live only in your head, the mirror meeting creates a written record that keeps you aligned, honest, and focused on what only you as CEO can do. Bill also shares a real-world story of a CEO who announced a major restructuring moving marketing offshore without first speaking to the leader most affected. That single blind spot triggered fear, confusion, and lost momentum across the company. From this and other hard-earned lessons, Bill explains why ego “feels like strength, but is a trap,” and why difficult conversations and one-on-ones are non-negotiable if you want real psychological safety and committed teams. https://youtu.be/p8jNfT2__rc?si=tXSvLH4V6cugvB7e To help founders, first-time CEOs, and “stuck” long-time leaders know where to begin, Bill introduces his CEO Navigator System, a free online assessment at BeelineBill.com that pinpoints the top two or three areas where a CEO needs support. Based on decades in the trenches, not just theory, this assessment and Bill's Blind Spot Intensive are designed to give leaders a clear starting point, practical routines, and language to recognize and resolve their blind spots before they become company-breaking problems. If you're a founder-CEO, technical leader, or long-time business owner who feels overwhelmed, stuck, or quietly unsure what you're missing, this conversation will give you frameworks, questions, and habits to see what you can't see, make better decisions, and lead with more confidence and clarity under pressure. Quotes: “Blind spots are gaps at decision points. People around you see them, but you can't necessarily see them yourself.” “Some of the biggest challenges CEOs have come from preconceived notions about how they make decisions.” “Every CEO's plate is overflowing. Your job is to get to the things that only you can do, and let others handle the rest.” Contact Details: Find The Blind Spots Holding Your Business Back: Take The Free CEO Assessment Today Connect With Bill On LinkedIn For Practical Business Growth Strategies Subscribe To Bill's YouTube Channel For Actionable Strategies And Real-World Business Wisdom What Every CEO Must Know: 37 Secrets to Lead with Confidence and Power on Amazon The Rookie CEO: You Can't Make This Stuff Up on Amazon

Viele Männer arbeiten an sich. Sie gehen ins Fitnessstudio, bauen Karriere auf, verbessern ihr Auftreten und versuchen, alles „richtig“ zu machen. Und trotzdem haben sie im Dating keinen Erfolg, bekommen kaum Dates oder finden keine passende Partnerin. Der Grund dafür ist oft nicht mangelnder Einsatz. Der Grund sind Blindspots. In diesem Video spreche ich sehr direkt und emotional darüber, warum Männer im Dating immer wieder an denselben unsichtbaren Fehlern scheitern. Fehler, die sie selbst nicht erkennen, weil sie an den falschen Stellschrauben drehen und glauben, dass sie nur noch „mehr“ brauchen, um erfolgreich zu sein. Mehr Status, mehr Geld, besseres Aussehen, mehr Wissen. Doch genau das ist oft nicht das Problem. Ich zeige dir in diesem Video, welche Denkfehler viele Männer haben, warum sie ihre Situation falsch analysieren und warum sie dadurch immer wieder an denselben Punkten im Dating scheitern. Du wirst verstehen: • warum Männer im Dating an ihren Blindspots scheitern • welche Dinge wirklich über Anziehung entscheiden • warum äußere Faktoren oft überschätzt werden • wie Frauen Männer im Dating tatsächlich wahrnehmen • welche Verhaltensweisen unbewusst unattraktiv wirken • wie du deine eigenen Blindspots erkennst und auflöst Viele Männer über 30 sind erfolgreich im Beruf, denken logisch und strukturiert, haben aber im Dating das Gefühl, dass sie trotz aller Bemühungen nicht vorankommen. Sie arbeiten an sich, investieren Zeit und Energie, aber sehen keine echten Ergebnisse. Genau hier liegt das Problem. Wenn du an den falschen Dingen arbeitest, wirst du trotz Einsatz keine Veränderung sehen. In diesem Video bekommst du eine klare Perspektive darauf, worauf es im Dating wirklich ankommt, wie du deinen Fokus neu ausrichtest und wie du die Dinge erkennst, die dich aktuell zurückhalten. Dieses Video richtet sich besonders an Männer über 30, Unternehmer, Akademiker, ITler, Ingenieure und Männer mit wenig Zeit, die eine passende Partnerin finden wollen und endlich verstehen möchten, warum es bisher nicht funktioniert hat. Wenn du verstehen willst, warum du im Dating immer wieder scheiterst, obwohl du an dir arbeitest und was du konkret verändern musst, um Frauen anzuziehen und eine erfüllte Partnerschaft aufzubauen, dann bekommst du in diesem Video eine ehrliche und klare Analyse. Über Hendrik Mati Hendrik Mati ist Dating Coach für Männer in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz. Er hilft Männern dabei, Frauen wirklich zu verstehen, natürliche Anziehung aufzubauen und eine erfüllte Partnerschaft zu finden. Ohne Pickup Artist Tricks, ohne Manipulation und ohne Spielchen.

Are you unknowingly robbing your team of opportunities to grow? In this episode, Dennis and Lisa explore four common coaching mistakes that keep people from reaching their full potential. You'll discover practical frameworks to personalize your coaching, address your own fears, and develop team members who take ownership and initiative.The Leadership Development Group is a consulting firm led by Dennis and Lisa McIntee that exists to help you create a better work culture through drama free strategies, leadership coaching, and training. Since 2005, they have helped over 2,000 companies become drama free and significantly increase their productivity as a result. Discover the freedom of a better work culture today at leadershipdevgroup.com.Resources Mentioned in the Episode: Free Download: 10 Blind Spots When Leading Teams™⁠When Dealing With Me™The Frustration Reducer™ Keynote SpeakingThe 8 Qualities of Drama Free Teams

By Peter T Burchard - We have visual blind spots that point to a deeper possibility that we may lack undrstanding because of subconscious false beliefs about ourselves or others. This sermon explores the physical, neurological and learnt behaviors that enable a lack of insight to reality. The Holy Bible gives examples

- Join David's email list, RECEIVE 7 FREE GIFTS!!- https://www.DavidCBarnettList.com In this "best-of" interview, I sit down with financial expert Ed Patton to discuss the financial fundamentals every small business owner needs to understand. We explore the difference between accounting and finance, why focusing only on your profit and loss statement can create dangerous blind spots, how to understand liquidity, and why expenses like taxes, capital expenditures, debt payments, and working capital can catch business owners by surprise. We also discuss how to make smarter decisions about borrowing, investing, growth, and where to deploy your limited business capital. **** Do Business with David using these incredible internet links... - David's Blog where you can find hundreds of free videos and articles, https://www.DavidCBarnett.com - Book a call with David and let him help you with your project, https://www.CallDavidCBarnett.com - Learn how to buy a successful and profitable business in a risk-controlled way https://www.BusinessBuyerAdvantage.com - Get help selling your business, https://www.HowToSellMyOwnBusiness.com ----- #SmallBusiness #BusinessFinance #CashFlow #FinancialLiteracy #BusinessOwner #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #FinancialManagement Special Xero offer: Get 90% off for 6 months using this link: https://referrals.xero.com/DavidCBarnett_xero . Terms & Conditions apply.* See the video of my Xero story here: https://youtu.be/LfaGUfwStqo Youtube music licensing code: 5PJWQOE5ZZHTQSRY

Every leader has blind spots.The problem is, if you could see them yourself, they wouldn't be blind spots.In Episode 226 of the Fly on the Wall Podcast, I sat down with my good friend Pastor T.W. Norman for a practical conversation about leadership, team development, and how to keep your church from drifting back into old patterns.Because healthy leadership requires more than making the right decisions.It requires surrounding yourself with people who are willing to tell you what you can't see.T.W. and I talk about why pastors need coaches and trusted leaders who have permission to speak honestly into their lives. We also unpack how to recognize whether someone on your team is truly in the right seat and what it takes to create lasting change in your church.Here's some of what we unpack:-Why every leader has blind spots-How coaches and trusted leaders can help you see what you're missing-Why defensiveness can keep leaders from growing-How to know whether someone on your staff is in the right seat-The connection between effort, results, and passion-Why great leaders bring out the best in the people around them-How to keep your church from drifting back into old routines-Why cultural change requires more than a one-time conversation-How attaching a positive outcome to change helps people embrace itOne of the most important reminders from our conversation was this:“Organizations don't rise to the occasion near as often as they fall back to their routines.”That's why leadership requires intentionality.We have to keep inviting honest feedback. We have to keep evaluating whether our people are positioned to thrive. And when we make healthy changes, we have to keep reminding people why those changes mattered in the first place.Otherwise, drift happens.If you want to become a more self-aware leader, build a stronger team, and create a healthier culture that lasts, I believe this conversation will give you some practical tools to do it.

Three patterns kept showing up across every founder, operator, and investor James spoke to this season. The ones that quietly cost the most, because the person inside them couldn't see them.This episode names all three, with the moment from a guest that proves each one, and ends with exactly what to do about whichever one lands hardest. Pick the one that makes you wince. That's the right place to start.Find out more about working with JamesMore from James:Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com 

Why This Conversation Matters Most conversations about AI in sales are really just conversations about speed. This one isn't. Marcus sits down with Dave Pender and Dan Simmons, co-founders of YourSalesEdge, to ask a harder question: is AI making salespeople think better, or just making their existing thinking louder? The answer, it turns out, depends entirely on how you use it. About the Guests Dave Pender has spent 27 years in sales and sales leadership, building business development, account management and key account teams across SaaS businesses globally. Dan Simmons has spent roughly 15 years working alongside Dave, with a similar background leading SaaS sales teams.  What They Discuss The conversation opens with a genuine disagreement. Dave argues that sales has always been, and remains, a numbers game. Marcus pushes back hard, arguing it's more accurately an evidence game, and that volume without qualification just produces expensive noise. They find common ground: quality of conversation matters more than count, but only once a minimum bar of relevance is met. From there the conversation moves into how AI is actually being used, and misused, in sales. Dan is blunt about the obvious failures: AI-flavoured emails with the prompt still attached, people asking AI to think instead of asking it to help them think. Dave describes voice-dictating full context into AI rather than typing short prompts, and setting a permanent "critical friend" instruction so the tool never simply agrees with him. Marcus introduces the idea of a human-AI-human loop, building on something Dan describes: start with human intent, bring in AI to assist, run an evidence check, and return to human accountability before anything is acted on. It becomes the spine of the episode. They cover the danger of triangulating across multiple AI models and mistaking agreement for proof, given that most large models are trained on overlapping data and carry similar cultural assumptions. And they discuss the discipline of deliberately switching AI off, in Dan's case for days or weeks at a time, to protect the ability to think independently. Practical Takeaways Feed AI full context by talking to it, not typing at it. A voice memo produces richer, more usable output than a rushed prompt. Set a standing instruction telling AI to challenge you, not flatter you. Most tools default to agreement unless told otherwise. Use the human-AI-human loop. Start with a person, bring in AI to assist and stress-test, then return to human judgement before deciding anything. Ask AI what you missed, both before and after a call. That question does more work than asking it for answers. Triangulating across multiple AI tools is not the same as evidence. Most models share training data and similar biases. Run weekly red-teaming exercises with your team, one side attacking a call, one side defending it, to surface what a seller alone never would. Build in deliberate AI-free periods to keep independent thinking sharp. Memorable Quotes Marcus challenges the framing of sales as a volume exercise, arguing instead that it's about the quality of evidence gathered before a conversation ever happens. Dan is candid about the risk of overreliance, warning that people are using AI to do their thinking for them rather than to sharpen it. Dave admits that at this point, his AI tool knows more about his working life and thinking than the people closest to him do, a comment that says as much about the pace of adoption as it does about the tool itself. Resources Mentioned YourSalesEdge, Dave and Dan's company: yoursalesedge.co Dave Pender and Dan Simmons on LinkedIn YourSalesEdge on YouTube Guest Biographies Dave Pender has led business development, account management and key account teams in SaaS environments globally over a 27-year sales career. He is co-founder of YourSalesEdge and Blind Spots. Dan Simmons has spent around 15 years working alongside Dave in SaaS sales leadership. Based in London, he describes himself as endlessly curious, particularly about how AI can genuinely improve people's working lives rather than simply speed them up. Listen to More If this conversation challenged how you think about AI in your own sales process, explore more episodes of TheInquisitor Podcast, where Marcus Cauchi questions conventional thinking about selling, buying and leadership.

In this week's Business Bite, Sara covers the Johari Window, a model used to help professionals understand their relationship with themselves and others. Using four quadrants, the model helps highlight blind spots and inform what information individuals choose to share. The Johari Window has been widely adopted in organizations for enhancing teamwork and self-awareness. Sara provides a few tips for how to start using the model in your own organization to improve communication. Stream more episodes on your favorite podcast app! Business Bites is a production of MOD Network and Evergreen Podcasts

TJ and Sam open the mailbag for a three-part conversation on the issues coaches wrestle with most. First, they explore self-improvement and blind spots — why identifying trusted voices, dropping the ego, and getting out of the weeds are essential to your leadership. Next, they get into parent culture: communicating expectations, consistent communication, and relationships built on trust rather than avoidance. Finally, they deliver a recruiting update for a landscape reshaped by NIL, the transfer portal, eligibility rulings, and roster crunches — landing on the truths that still hold: if you're good enough you'll get found, fit matters more than the destination, and real connections still open doors. It's a wide-ranging episode with something for coaches at every level.Send us a Message. If you'd like us to reply, include your contact info.After analyzing over 100 million shots, basketball data scientists at Noah Basketball have uncovered the formula of the perfect shot, helping players on 28 of 30 NBA teams improve their accuracy faster than ever before.This same patented shot-tracking technology is now available to you in the Noah Backboard for a fraction of the cost. Learn more today at noahbasketball.com. Inquire while supplies last!

Leave a text or voice message so we can respondHave you ever felt like you're doing everything "right" to heal, but somehow you still feel stuck?Maybe you've read the books, listened to the podcasts, gone to therapy, or spent countless hours trying to understand what happened in your relationship. Yet you keep finding yourself replaying conversations, questioning your decisions, or wondering why moving forward feels so difficult.What if the problem isn't what you think it is?In this episode of the Be a Better You Podcast, we're exploring the hidden blind spots that often keep survivors of emotional abuse stuck long after the relationship has ended. These aren't mistakes or flaws—they're the subconscious beliefs and survival strategies that once protected you but may now be preventing you from experiencing the freedom you're looking for.We'll explore why you may be solving the wrong problem, why wanting "closure" isn't always what it seems, how the need to be chosen can become confused with self-worth, and why healing isn't about becoming someone new—it's about seeing yourself more clearly.If you've ever wondered why you keep repeating patterns, struggle to trust yourself, or feel like you've made progress but still aren't where you want to be, this conversation will help you look beneath the surface and discover what might really be keeping you stuck.In this episode, you'll learn:Why the biggest obstacle to healing is often something you can't yet see.The difference between symptoms and the real problem.Common subconscious beliefs that develop after emotional abuse.Why insight alone doesn't create lasting change.That curiosity leads to deeper healing.If this episode resonates with you, please consider following the podcast, leaving a review, and sharing it with someone who may need this message today.REFLECTION QUESTIONS FROM THIS EPISODE:"What problem have I been trying to solve for years?""What if that isn't the real problem?""What belief would have to exist for this struggle to make perfect sense?""What have I accepted as true...that I've never actually questioned?""If someone watched my life...what belief would they think I have?" Set up your Free Call Today! Support the showReady to stop overthinking your past relationship and start feeling like yourself again?Visit www.radiatenrise.com and explore coaching programs, self-paced courses, resources, and tools designed to help you break free from emotional abuse, rumination, and self-doubt.✍

Great leaders don't always have the answers. But they know how to build teams that do. SUMMARY In this episode of Long Blue Leadership, Mitch Torrel '14 discusses the power of mentorship, constructive feedback, humility and creating an environment where everyone can contribute. His leadership lessons are just as relevant in the boardroom as they are on the battlefield.   MITCH TORREL'S TOP 10 LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS Lead Through Fear, Not Around It Even when you're anxious or scared, keep moving forward and executing the mission; courage is acting despite fear, not waiting for fear to disappear. Trust Your Preparation When you hit uncertainty, fall back on the work you've already put in — physical, mental, and technical — rather than spiraling about what's coming next. Focus on the Team to Get Out of Your Own Head Shifting your attention from your own anxiety to how you can support and elevate others makes hard environments more endurable and improves performance. Discover You Have “More in the Tank” Don't treat real missions or selections like workouts; push past your comfort ceiling and you'll find reserves of mental and physical capacity you didn't know you had. Break Big Fears into Small, Daily Gains You don't need to be the best today — just better than yesterday; attack weaknesses with small, consistent, incremental progress. Leverage Mentors and Learn Aggressively Assume you're not the first to face a challenge. Seek out people who've done it before and copy their mindset, preparation and frameworks to shorten your learning curve. Make Feedback Normal, Specific, and Frequent Build team habits where everyone gets clear strengths and weaknesses surfaced (even anonymously at first), then use trends in that feedback to drive personal change. Balance Urgency with Deliberate Planning In crises, don't rush in just because the situation is urgent. Pause to gather facts, build a simple plan and avoid making the emergency worse. Use Your Team's Brains — Don't Lead Alone As a leader, your job is to facilitate: Draw out the quiet voices, aggregate the best ideas, and delegate execution rather than trying to be the sole problem-solver. Set Clear Standards and Red Lines Early Explicitly communicate what you will and won't tolerate so you can enforce discipline fairly and consistently, protecting both people and mission over the long haul.   CHAPTERS 00:00:00 – Opening: Leading Through Fear 00:01:27 – Special Tactics Pipeline: Anxiety, Night Sweats and Uncertainty 00:03:50 – Trusting Preparation and Learning to Hate the Water Less 00:05:40 – Shared Hardship and Team Bonding in the Pipeline 00:07:27 – “More in the Tank”: Rucks, Mental Toughness and Selection 00:11:14 – Learning from Others, Mentorship and Owning Weakness 00:15:36 – Five Traits Torrel Looks for in Leaders 00:19:49 – Feedback Culture, Blind Spots and High-Performing Teams 00:25:34 – Thai Cave Rescue: First Mission and Leading Under Pressure 00:29:59 – New Leaders, Delegation and Facilitating the Team 00:36:34 – Failing, Standards and Command Red Lines 00:40:24 – Advice to Younger Self and Enjoying Each Season 00:43:25 – Transition to Business, Ongoing Service and Final Leadership Charge   ABOUT MITCH BIO Mitch Torrel, U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 2014, is a former Division I hockey player, Air Force Special Tactics officer, entrepreneur and founder of Sentry Operations. After beginning his Air Force career in pilot training, Torrel found his calling in special operations, completing the demanding Special Tactics training pipeline and serving in operational and leadership roles. While stationed in Okinawa, Japan, Torrel served as operations officer for the U.S. team supporting the 2018 rescue of 12 young soccer players and their coach from a flooded cave complex in Thailand. The experience, his first operational mission, became one of several defining chapters in a career shaped by high-stakes decision-making, teamwork, resilience and leadership under pressure.   CONNECT WITH MITCH LINKEDIN  |  SENTRY OPERATIONS   CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LINE PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor:  ted.robertson@usafa.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org   < ----- > Ryan Hall | Director:  ryan.hall@usafa.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  bryan.grossman@usafa.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  wyatt.hornsby@usafa.org     ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE AT USAFA.ORG/LONGBLUELEADERSHIP AND ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS     TRANSCRIPT OUR SPEAKERS:  Guest, Mitch Torrel '14 | Host, Lt. Col. (ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99 Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz 0:01 Sometimes leadership isn't about eliminating fear; it's about learning how to move forward, even if fear is sitting right next to you. I'm Naviere Walkowicz, Class of '99. Long Blue Leadership starts now. Today's guest is Mitch Teorrel, 2014 graduate of the Air Force Academy, former Division I hockey player, Air Force special tactics officer, also an entrepreneur near the founder of Century Operations. You know you've had a unique career. In fact, many probably know a lot of your work when it comes to an international rescue event, and we'll talk about that later on. But I think what's most exciting about this time with you, Mitch, is how you continue to lead, but you've done it through what some would call overcoming fear or maybe leading through fear. And so I think we're going to have a fantastic conversation today, and I welcome you to Long Blue Leadership. Mitch Torrel 0:53 Naviere, I appreciate you for having me out. Humbled to get the opportunity to kind of share some stories today, and so I'm looking forward to it. Thank you. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 1:01 Well, thanks for the time. We're going to jump right in with the time that you know when we had a chance to talk, Mitch. It was something that kind of surprised me, and I think others will really appreciate this. You know, when you're going through your Air Force special tactics training to kind of be in that role, you experience like night sweats and literally having to change your clothes at night. And I'm looking across to you. You're not sweating right now. You're looking pretty cool and calm. And so take me back to that experience, and let's just start there. Mitch Torrel 1:28 Yeah, pipeline is a pretty arduous process. It's two years; every day is a grind. It's difficult. You're not really sure what tomorrow holds, and they keep it that way, pretty close hold. You don't know what you got tomorrow. You just know it's going to be an early rise, and it's going to be really physically taxing. It's going to be mentally demanding, and you're not sure if. I think part of the anxiety is, do I mentally have what it takes to withstand and with withhold another day? Do I physically have what it takes to continue to drive on, and I think that unknown, the unknown on what's to come, am I going to be enough? The two years is a selection process, so you're getting assessed and selected every day, and it's a lot of anxiety to take on because you're not sure how you're going to perform. I think a lot of us have such internal pressures on ourselves to perform in and out every day that it makes it very difficult to get out of your mind and not worry about the anxiety of what's coming tomorrow. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 2:29 Well, it makes me think the closest thing that I can think of right at this moment is you know basic cadet training, which is six weeks, and you just talked about two years of uncertainty and not you know waking up early and not knowing what's next. You know, how did you kind of navigate through that? I think we all know how we navigated through BCT, but I think certainly this is much when it's something that's so enduring. I think that's a different situation. Mitch Torrel 2:51 I think a part of goes back to just trusting in your preparation. Did I do what it took to prepare? And if you did, if you didn't, there's not much you can change the night before, and so trusting in your abilities, your ability to adapt, your ability to withstand. I think I hated the water, and they always told you going through the pipeline. If you don't love the water, you're not going to make it through. And I'm a testament to I hated the water every day, dreaded it almost on a daily basis. But you know, learn to overcome and deal with that anxiety and just pressure that it brought. But every day is an opportunity to kind of build that wall up. Your ability to withstand, your ability to deal with anxiety, your ability to deal with the unknown, and I think the pipeline was a really good opportunity for me to kind of grow. I remember when we were in Mississippi, one of the earlier schools. It's three months. Every day was again very arduous. You didn't know it was coming. Are they going to put us in a pool tomorrow? Am I going to drown? You know, am I going to be able to make it through? Am I going to do a good job of leading the team? I think being able to focus on the team allowed me to not worry about myself and kind of focus on something else. And I think worrying about others allowed me to really make it through some of those arduous times, and that was very helpful to me. I remember I probably took a lot longer to grow to the point where you know you're not worried about tomorrow. I used to have to wake up at night, change my sheets, change what I was wearing, you know, and that happened every night because I would just wake up in a dead sweat and I was soaking wet, and eventually, you know, through exposure and through time, you learn to just exist and not worry about what's coming tomorrow. And it's a constant evolution. You know, that's not to say I don't get anxiety about things that are happening tomorrow today, but you start to learn to head off those thoughts early on and allow yourself to just take what comes tomorrow. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 4:57 So I'm thinking about you being in those moments, and when you said it was probably later on, I'm curious as how you know that every night you're changing your sheets, you're going through that. But I'm curious, were there others that were experiencing the same thing, or were others even helping you through navigating those thoughts that you had? Mitch Torrel 5:14 I think just being in a team environment makes things so much better. Sharing in in in the suffering, sharing in the stories, and getting to reflect on that. When I look back on the pipeline, what an amazing time and something that I think our entire team looks fondly about. We're very close still, and I think that shared hardship, that shared experience, is something that bonds you together for life. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 5:41 So that two-year journey, and obviously you graduated and became an Air Force Special Tactics Officer. You know what was, I guess, the moment that it clicked for you. You know, you said you got to that point. Do you remember that day? Do you remember what was different, or you just all of a sudden didn't sweat the same? Mitch Torrel 5:57 I think it probably lasted for me longer than a lot of people, and you know, it seems like I learned a lot of the lessons hard myself. You know, and but I think it's just something that gradually over time, you know, the way I remember it is one day it stopped, but I'm sure it was a little bit more gradual than that. Like I think over time you just learn to just, hey, tomorrow's going to be no different than it was today. Today was fine. We made it through. The team did great. You know, I performed up to my standard, or maybe if I didn't, tomorrow's another opportunity in which I can go back and get after it again. And there's plenty of times where I look back, and I think it's easy to learn and roll when you're being put in those situations each and every day. And so it was a very growth-oriented couple of years for me, and I really enjoyed it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 6:52 I would have loved to have been working with you on the day after you didn't have to wake up and change the sheets. Whatever you had, you know, you know, you were more alert that day. You actually had better sleep. Mitch Torrel 7:01 Yeah, I think definitely had to drink a substantially less amount of water each night before going to bed. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 7:09 Oh goodness! Well, let's talk about — I think you know, there was something that you shared before about kind of uncovering in yourself that you had more in your tank than you thought, and I'm curious that that was during pipeline in those moments that were like you know forced experiences, or if you found that at other times when you kind of surprised yourself in learning that about. Mitch Torrel 7:28 I think the entire 10 years was a constant lesson of you've got more in the tank, both physically and mentally. I think when I first decided today, I was going through pilot training, and I just felt like it was more of a hobby than a job. And I got to meet guys in special operations, and was very impressed by the camaraderie, by the caliber of guys that were there. And to me, it was like a hockey team, and I missed that. I missed that group because you wanted to be a pilot first, correct? Is that what you're planning? Yeah, I think my family wanted me to be a pilot. I think they kind of pushed me that direction. I always enjoyed flight, you know. But for me, I just thought that some of my skills and abilities would better translate, and I would have a more fulfilling career, getting to be around you know that type of environment. And I think too, there's always you know, can I make it through the training? Do I have what it takes? You know, what will I learn about myself? And so that was a little bit of kind of just the unknown was alluring, you know. But I think there's just so much every day. Where I remember one of the first selection events, you do a long ruck event, and leading up to training, I was so focused on passing the initial fitness test to just start the assessment that I didn't rock, I didn't do underwater stuff. I was just focused on can I do push-ups? Can I do pull-ups? Can I do the 3-mile run? You know, and that took all my time and energy. And when I got to the ruck, it's unknown time, unknown distance, and they just tell you to go. And I remember I was like, all right, I'm going to treat this like a workout, and I'm going to run for a couple minutes, and then I'll walk for a few minutes, and I'll run for a couple minutes, and that'll help get me through. And I remember Master Sergeant came up to me, and he's like, “Why, why are you walking? And I remember being embarrassed at that moment, where it's do I not have it in the tank where I could have just been running this whole time? Do I want it enough where I can just dig a little bit deeper and showcase that? And I remember that fed me through the next two years, where it's like, do I have the mental hardness? Do I have the toughness? Have I prepared physically, you know, for these events? And so I think that was kind of a good wake-up call. Where it's not a workout, you know, what do you have left in the tank? And I think throughout two years there, went through another direction halfway through my career, and that was another opportunity to kind of dig in the dig in the tank a little bit. Did you approach that one differently? I did, and very proud of you know what I had learned throughout the years, what I was able to showcase. We did a much longer rec event, and I ran the whole thing, and was pretty proud of myself about that. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 10:22 What a fantastic example! Because I'm thinking about you know in in in our work and our profession, we do we think about how can I create something to be distinct, right? How can I do something for the long haul? But you're right. If we don't, if we aren't thinking about how can we perform at our best as part of that, you know, that that equation, then we might not even get to the long haul, right? And so I think that's really powerful that you kind of shared, you know, giving your all and realizing that there was more in there than you originally were trying to like, you know, save. Yeah. Wow, that's a really cool story. I bet there are many examples of that. It was quite. Oh my Did you see others? You know, as you had these moments where you kind of learned these things about yourself, and obviously, I think you know in hockey you probably saw this as well. But have you been able to pull others along with you in these experiences that you've had that you've seen? Maybe others are struggling the same way. Mitch Torrel 11:15 I think everybody struggles in different areas, especially in the pipeline. You're learning a lot of different skill sets. You're working on a lot of different things. Cardio is a part of it. Strength is a part of it. Determination. I mean, just — and there's so much. I think you pick up some really good traits from others. Hey, I really like what you're doing, or how you having such success, or how do you navigate this portion? I was always terrible in the water, bad swimmer, horrible underwater. I think when I went through initial selection, somebody pulled me out of the pool after we did underwaters, which is you go down, do a completely underwater, you know, swim underwater, swim underwater for the distance of the pool, and then come back up at a 45-degree angle. And I remember one of the cadre. He pulled me out of the pool, and he said, "You are terrible. Like I wanted to pass out watching you.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 10:22 And you're like, "Thank you for that feedback.   Mitch Torrel 12:08 And so it's getting with people who are really good at it and getting advice. I think something throughout my career that I've been very blessed to have is really good mentorship. And you're typically not the first one to go through a process, find a new job, you know, and having a good network of people who, hey, how did you prepare? What set you up for success, or especially in business now, it's a completely new world for me. And having mentors who are able to help think of it this way, or there's a better way to orient your situation, or prepare yourself, and that's really important to surround yourself with people who, you know, are able to elevate you, make you rethink kind of your approach to things, and then give you tips and advice.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 12:52 So I have to ask, do you like the water today? Mitch Torrel 12:54 I like being on the water, you know, on a boat, you know? Just hanging out. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 12:59 There's some material between you and the water, so that leads me to this question. I know that was a little comical, but I'm curious when someone, as that's you know a developing leader or wherever they're at in their leadership journey, if they really want to be part of something, but there is something that is fundamentally part of that that they just don't like or they're just not good at, what would be the advice you give them? Because you know some people might be like, I just hate that so much, I won't pursue the thing that I love because that component's in there. Mitch Torrel 13:28 I think there's kind of two factors in that. If you hate something so much that you know in your heart that it's not something that you can overcome or you want to deal with on a day-to-day basis, then then maybe that that's not worth you know getting through. But I would also argue that until you give yourself the opportunity to progress and grow and learn to get through whatever that difficulty or whatever that is that you don't like, you won't know. And I think there's a lot of ways to incrementally. You don't have to be the best swimmer today. You just have to be a little bit better than you were yesterday, and I think that was something that we and our team learned throughout the pipeline. Is hey, you don't have to be the best at everything today, but everything that you do today is just making you a little bit better for tomorrow. And so I think breaking down things into manageable and you know smaller bite-sized things that you can you can do. You know hey, when I first started swimming, I couldn't believe people swam multiple laps at a time. You know, and I was like, “All right, I'm going to swim two, you know, 50s at a time tomorrow, and then, you know, next week I'm going to build up to 100,” or, you know, and it doesn't have to all happen overnight. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 14:45 Right. For a moment, I thought two to 100 but you're talking 50s. Well, that's fantastic, and thank you for sharing that because I think what I also gleaned from that is there's some self-discovery that comes from, I really don't like something, a part of you starts to learn, “Really, did I really not like that?” Right? Maybe feared that because I'm not good at that. And so I think I really appreciated your thoughts of you haven't really given your chance to truly assess that. Mitch Torrel 15:10 And I think we build things up so much in our head. You know, I think dive school is one of those — “Oh, it's terrifying.” You know?   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 15:16 I mean, it probably is, I'm not gonna lie.   Mitch Torrel 15:19 And it really wasn't. I think we throughout training did a good job. And in preparation, again, you fall back on your preparation. Worked really hard to get there. Put in the extra And it just makes you know those hurdles that at once seem like mountains, you know, just small little hills that you have to go over. Yeah. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 15:38 Well, you mentioned some of those in your life that you realize when you're going through something, you're probably not the first person that's gone through it, and you have that network of mentors. What are some of the traits that— And I think you alluded to, there are five traits in a leader that you really kind of look to, you know, to see. What are those? Mitch Torrel 15:56 So drive, you know, and a lot of people that were surrounded with, especially at the academy, or in you know in the soft community, or in the military in general, have drive, and so that's not necessarily a unique characteristic, but it's something that you need in order to make you successful. Interpersonal effectiveness, and so how do I integrate with a team? How do I relate to others? And it can't be cookie cutter for everybody, and because team environments, people you know are different, and that's it's one of those soft and fuzzy skills that you need to work on and develop the way that you communicate, and so can I get my message across? Do people understand it? And that's both in writing, spoken. You know, be nonverbal, verbal, the way that you carry yourself, body language, super important. Problem solving. So that's something that the academy does a good job of exposing you to routinely. Can I solve this problem? How do I get my team to you know get after this complex problem? And so that's another one of those characteristics that we typically assess and select for. I think stress tolerance. You know, Pipeline does a really good job of building you up with that. The Academy, basic training, all of that is just another iteration at how am I handling things when I'm getting yelled at, when there's a timeline, when there's you know things at stake. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 17:19 So I'm curious, were those you've just over time recognized that when I see things or leaders succeeding really well or being able to accomplish things that maybe that others would think impossible, they carry those traits. Is that how you have kind of derived them down to five? Mitch Torrel 17:37 I think there's the foundation of it. Obviously, there's a lot of subfacets that go into each of those traits and characteristics and some leaders have you know all five of them in spades. Some of them are much more heavily reliant on some of their characteristics than others, but it's always a good thing to develop the traits that you're lacking. I think feedback is a really important trait and really important characteristic of well-functioning teams, and so how did I do this week? If I didn't do great, you know, like I don't need to be beaten down about it. But people typically want to be high performers, and everybody has blind spots, and so being able to call out those blind spots in a healthy and functional manner is super important because people want to be high performers. And I had the privilege of running and getting to work some of our selection events, and what we found was a really cool trend, which is we used to do weird feedback, and so guys would show up to selection, and right away the first day you'd have a bunch of tasks and events, and we'd bring everybody together and be like, all right, go down the row. Who is the two highest performing guys today? And that's really easy. People love to give praise, and then you go down the line, and you're like, all right, call out the two lowest performing guys and tell them why. And people go, I don't want to do that, and it's like, why? Like, do you not want them to get better? Do you not want them to have the opportunity? We're in Day 1 of day X, and it's not too early to turn their train around. What we saw is typically the guys who are the lowest performing early on are never the lowest performing at the end of the year, and they take that feedback, they internalize it, and they adopt and you know overturn that. And it's really fun to see that progression, but none of that happens if they don't get called out, if they don't get constructive feedback. “Hey, when we were working as a team, you were doing X and Y and Z by yourself, or you know, there's a million reasons why either an action is perceived as hey, you weren't for the team, or you didn't perform the standard.” I think people getting that feedback is what turns that train around. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 19:49 Right, it's almost probably like exactly what they needed. So I'm curious because feedback is challenging. It's hard to I think for some to give feedback. It's hard for some to receive feedback, I'm fascinated because when I think about the pace in which you have had to operate and do things, that you make time for feedback. I'm curious if you could talk about how you guys do that in a way that's received well. Mitch Torrel 20:13 I think it, again, it goes back to interpersonal effectiveness, and so you've got to know who do I have on my team? Are they somebody who's going to internalize this or not take it very well? There's a bunch of different ways in which you can get feedback and then provide it to somebody. Where we used to early on in the pipeline, as guys were learning to get feedback and you know not you know get too shaken up about it. Is we would have guys write, all right, hey, everybody on our team, we're going to do three things they do well, three things you wish they'd improve on, and then we strip out the names and we provide just a list of hey, here your three things that you're doing really well, and then here are your three weaknesses that you know everybody said we go around we talk about it, and that was a really good kind of introduction, where it's not tanked to anybody. Right. And then what's really nice is you start to see trends. So it's really easy for people to be like, “Oh, you know, Mitch doesn't like me,” or, “That's Mitch's opinion.” But when you start to see that correlation of, well, I got this five times. Is hey, my body language day to day is probably not where it needs to be, or I'm constantly putting others down, or I'm just you know not showing up on time, just small things, and I think drawing awareness to that and getting buy-in from guys to change it, and you see that transition all the time, where, all right, like, now I'm aware of it, I can fix it, I can identify it, and then you get the team to hold you accountable with it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 21:44 Well, in the way that you just described that, I'm curious how often you think that it's, you know, relevant or should be practiced. Is it, like, in the moment? Is it something, like, that where it's weekly? But I think, what I think is really neat about that — it was never attacking, and it was never something they had to defend. It just seemed like it was just information. Like it's what you do really well. This is what you need to work on. And taking the attribution away from it, like who said it? I think just made it, you know. Mitch Torrel 22:09 And I think everybody got to understand that you're a student, you know, of life and a student of your job. You're a student of life. You're a student of you know whatever position you're in. And I had a mentor growing up and played professional sports, and there was a conversation where, hey, “How do how do you know when it's time to retire? How do you know when you're done?” And it's when I stop improving and I stop learning. And so having that mentality where, no matter how long you've been around, there's things to improve upon, there's things to learn, is really hard to have because people, you know, you get comfortable in a position. It's like I've seen it all, I've done it all, I've been there. But the people who are the best at their jobs, and especially in the military, the people who show up every day, work on their trade, work on their skills and seek to improve, and I've been blessed to be surrounded by just, I mean, some of the most decorated warriors that the Air Force has put out on the battlefield. And it was a humbling experience, but even more so humbling was the approach they took every day. As they came into work every day and got better at something. They didn't sit on their laurels and “Hey, I did this two years ago, and now I can kind of walk through the rest of my career.” It was— they came in every day to work, and it was impressive. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 23:30 Oh man! What is something that and normally asks at the end, but it just seems so fitting right now. Like, how are you getting better and learning every day? Mitch Torrel 23:38 I think every day is new problem sets, and I think it's you know trying to expand my education. I think there's a lot of new tools out there. There's a lot of new opportunities and think the world's constantly changing. And so, staying informed is one of the ways in which I'm trying to be a better leader. I think business is this completely new hurdle. I think being in the military, there's a very different type of leadership that you're able to bring. And two, I mean, everybody is there for the mission generally and believes in the task and purpose. And business now, you kind of need to appeal to people in a lot more of a well-rounded manner. And so, I think having conversations with mentors, you know, I'm maintaining that. I try and just meet as many people as I can and glean information from them, experiences from them, because I'd like to think I'm getting smarter as I get older. I'm trying to learn all the lessons myself. So… Col. Naviere Walkewicz 24:39 Well, I'm grateful for that because the reason why we're talking here is because you answered, you know, and we're willing to talk about it. So I think that's you know just proof right there of that stretching and outreach. So before we shift into, I'm curious on you know you talk about you asked your mentor when does he know it's time to retire. I would love Kind of the business world, but before that, I'd like to visit actually one of your experiences while you're in in service, and you know it's something there's you know there's a movie on it. We actually featured in our 2018 checkpoint, but you were instrumental in rescuing the boys' soccer team in Thailand when they had a huge monsoon. And I was wondering if you kind of take me not so much. Maybe you can share with others in case they aren't familiar with it. But I'm really curious about the leadership piece of that because it was a huge operation, and it was dealing with water. So let's talk about that. Mitch Torrel 25:34 Yeah, exactly — my nightmare. You know what? I just happened to be in the right time at the right place. There was a team of pararescue men and combat controllers stationed out in Okinawa, Japan. There was a group of soccer players who got stranded in a cave after the monsoons came early and had flooded out a section. The Thai leadership and parks team, and then eventually the Thai Navy tried to attempt a rescue, and they weren't able to action it. So they reached out to the U.S. Embassy and asked if we had anybody in in the region who could come help. And that just happened to be our team out in Okinawa. I think it was definitely a challenge. There wasn't a lot of information when we left out the door. It was either, you know, is 13 individuals stuck in a cave. We don't know what the hurdles are. We don't know what's been tried. We don't know anything. We don't even know if they're alive. Oh my goodness. And so, getting on the ground, there was a lot of information to take in. There's a lot of people who were trying to help, trying to facilitate a rescue, working, you know, their own agendas, and I think coordinating and making sense of all that chaos was kind of the first task. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 26:47 And so, what was your role? So, you know, obviously, like the call came in, and then you know, you were — that was, you know, your, you know, was assigned to that. What was your piece, and like, how did you navigate that chaos? Mitch Torrel 26:58 So I felt like I had the best job out of you know anybody there. I got to be the operations officer, and so I was kind of the troop commander for the team that we had out. And you know, meanwhile, my leadership had to you know liaise with the other leaders. I got to be kind of down and in focused. All right, what plans are we working? How are we coordinating and liaising with our Thai counterparts? And got to be a little bit more down and in. And so I really enjoyed that part, and that was kind of why I got into special operations in general as I wanted to be, you know, working with a team of really, really high-functioning individuals on very hard problems. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 27:38 Right, and this was one of the first kind of very hard problems that you were, you know, working on. Mitch Torrel 27:43 It was. So this was my first operational mission, you know, coming out of the pipeline. I got stationed in Okinawa, and this was kind of the first opportunity to showcase what I'd learned and employ. And it was kind of, you know, everybody's dream is to go through training and then get to action some of those skills and traits that they've developed. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 28:02 Well, I imagine it was quite busy, you know, around the clock because you know time wasn't on their side, and so you were really working against the clock. But I'm curious how you, you know, how do you navigate with urgency as a leader, but still safely? You know, like how do you manage that? Mitch Torrel 28:21 I think, sometimes you got to know when to kind of pull the reins, and it's very easy— it was a very urgent situation, right? There's 13 kids trapped. They don't have food or water. We don't know if they're alive. The cave is continually flooding more and more every hour. But you got to have a plan to go off of. You got to be able to not rush into an emergency and make things worse. And I think off the start, nobody was monitoring who came and went from the cave, and that generated issues. John and Rick, the U.K. and British divers, stumbled on you know two would-be rescuers who got subsequently stranded in another section of the cave, and they were able to get them out. And then, and so we realized that taking a step back, generating a plan. When we arrived, there was a key leaders contingent that went into the cave to kind of get information first and foremost. And then we spent the rest of the team, all right download the gear, stage everything, prep everything, go get some rest, and then we're going to generate and come up with a plan in the morning. But sometimes you got to realize that you can't move them out in overnight, and so you need to take time, you know, do a little five-minute huddle and make sure that you have a plan that's not going to get you further into trouble. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 29:38 Yes, well, it's such an important role, and I'm thinking about you know those moments where your like, “Get some rest,” as the leader in this, and you know, kind of organizing this. What are the thoughts going through some of your in your head? And I ask that because I'm thinking about leaders who are experiencing something difficult for the first time, and maybe there's some doubt, or you know, how do you how do you calm yourself through some of those questions? Mitch Torrel 30:00 I think, for new leaders, you don't have to have all the answers yourself, and that is first and foremost. I on team, and probably one of the most junior guys. Yes, I'm in charge as the officer, but the guys who are working with me have been in the Air Force, have done rescue missions, have been doing the job for 15, 18, you know, upwards of 20 years, and so I think understanding that no matter where you're at in a team, you you're a part of a team for a reason, and you should be able to leverage input, leverage ideas, and you shouldn't be beholden to coming up with everything on yourself. I think delegation is super important. I think getting input and opinions from others is extremely important because sometimes the quietest guy in the room is going to have the best idea, and you need to enable and empower them to speak up, put them on the spot. You know, “Hey, what do you think? What do you— How do you think we should approach this?” And then your job as a leader is to take all these good ideas, is to empower the team to do its best, and so your job isn't to carry the water, come up with a plan, and do everything on your own. Like, you were there as a facilitator, and I think that that is the biggest takeaway. I spend, especially young cadets, please, please, please leverage you know the experience that that you're going to go out and be on team with. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 31:22 I think that's fantastic advice. And as you look back on it today, I know we chatted a little bit earlier. I said, gosh, you know, it probably it's a while ago, but maybe it feels like yesterday, and you said no, it feels like forever ago. You know, have you seen yourself? You learn from that, but have you grown in the way that you continue to do things now because of that experience? Mitch Torrel 31:43 I think everything is additive. You know, I mean that was a huge learning experience. It was I learned a ton. I think there are several things that having a second shot at it that would have done substantially different. I think the outcome ended up in a very happy manner; I think it's very easy now that we've developed this framework. Here's how we tackle this problem, but that's been applicable in other means and other avenues as well. And so again, you know, as you build your toolbox of experience, as you build kind of these traits, and you get to refine that, it's something that you continually get to bring out in other manners. And so yeah, I grew a lot from the event, learned a lot, and have been able to apply it since. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 32:29 Well, as I've been sitting across from you, one of the things that I'm just feeling in spades is that as a leader, you are somebody that's really humble, and you know you approach it, like, through humility. And so I'm curious, you know, how you've seen that carry you, and what you might share with others when they're thinking about, you know, how do I, you know, as I'm leading, how do I lead? Like how do I lead with humility? Because it seems like it's working very well for you. Mitch Torrel 32:51 I think it was easy to be humble when you're surrounded by the caliber of individuals that I was blessed to be around mean, every team I was on, it was. I mean, they were phenomenal guys who have done phenomenal things in their career and were just so impressive. And so I was just always just thrilled to be a teammate of theirs. I think, really going back to you know, again, your job as a leader is to facilitate the team, is to you know drive you towards mission accomplishment. I think if you always put things back onto why we here, it's not for leadership's sake, leaders don't exist, you know, outside of facilitation, and you know it's not to downplay the job of the leader. It's not at all. It's a big responsibility. You have the authority. You have the — you know all of that, and so now it's your job to delegate that accordingly and efficiently. And I think it's going back to just understanding that again, we exist for the mission. We exist to enable that team to accomplish whatever its task or business you know directive is, and so I think having an understanding of that, and then it's just fun to see people progress, right? You know that the cave rescue was my first mission, but that didn't mean because I hadn't had real world experience that I didn't have things that I could bring to the table, and I think it's understanding that as well as humility is important. Like maybe you know not jumping across the table and you know declaring yourself the king of whatever's going on, but individuals have a lot that they bring to the table. You know, having an ability to you know see other things that aren't being looked at, bring other perspectives to the table, even just making sense of the chaos. You know, and that's not something that you need to be a leader or in a leadership position to do. And being forward leaning enough to anticipate hurdles, second, third order effects. What else needs to be accomplished or taken care of? I mean, there's a lot of ways in which you can provide value. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 34:56 Mitch, have you always kind of been this way? Have you always kind of operated in that space or is it something that you've kind of learned over time about yourself, or taken on from others you've seen? Mitch Torrel 35:06 I think it's something that's developed. You know, I don't think you know. I think there's a little bit of nurture and nature into it, where you know you're born a certain orientation where it's like, hey, you're comfortable being you know in charging groups, and some people aren't, and that's OK. But a lot of people develop into it, and I think I've just been blessed with a lot of opportunities to try things out, fail, come back to the drawing board, work on it, improve, and you know the pipeline was monumentally developmental for me. I'm sure there's a lot of teammates who you know listen to this and laugh pretty hard about you know some of the stupid things that I did going through the pipeline, but they're learning experiences, and we had a really good group, and we pushed each other so hard, and so I had an assistant troop commander who was going through with me, and we had really healthy camaraderie, but a really healthy. I mean, we were constantly competing, and it just drove me to be so much better. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 36:07 So, you know, we were talking about how you are continually working on being better, right? Being better than you were yesterday, so that it's always kind of an additive improvement. I'm curious on when you've seen yourself fail. You talked about you failed and you've gotten better. Can you share an example of when you have failed and that literally shaped something very quickly instead of being additive, but quickly that you changed in the way that you already did. Mitch Torrel 36:34 I think just failures and take care of people, I think is one of the biggest things to learn is, you know, going through the pipeline, it's easy to you know lose sight of the overall end state. And at the end of the day, it's your goal is to there be there to make people better incrementally every day. I think there's been a couple situations in which maybe I was a little ax on some enforcement of rules or standard that came back to kind of bite us a little bit, you know. And so, and this this will probably feel free to cut this, you know. But I think there was an opportunity guys going through a pipeline. They're really young. I grew up, you know, in northern Minnesota, and you know, people drink underage. I was hey I'm OK hearing about it or you know like I'm you know as a commander it's like if it happens it happens you know but I think what's hard is how do you enforce the rules if you're looking the other way if you're not enforcing that standard and so I think what's really hard is you can be there be one of the guys but you got to set your red lines you got to set hey here's what I will and will not tolerate and so I think I learned early in the pipeline that if I'm OK or if I let the standard slip on certain things, you know, like guys drink underage, like guys do you know stupid things, and then they get in trouble for it. How do I, as a commander, enforce it? And so it was one of those learning experiences where going through the pipeline, guy had you know you know got found drinking underage, and it's like, “Hey, it's on you as the, you know, officer to discipline them.” It's like, “Well, I'm also a part of the problem because I didn't set that standard. I, you know, allowed it.” And so I think that was one of those heavy learning experiences where, you know, you're — yes, you're the quarterback of the team, but you got to there has to be some delineation between you know between what you allow and what you can't. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 38:49 I'm really glad you shared that because I think that's real. I think that is something a challenge that you know, especially when I think about the Class of '26 that just graduated and they just finished their six days of leave, and they're soon to head onto their bases, right? You know, the world doesn't always turn out, and so how do they navigate some of those things that they're going to inevitably come across? So I think that's a real conversation, and I really appreciate you sharing that. Mitch Torrel 39:14 And I think what I started doing, you know, from then on is, is you as a commander, you as a officer, should have you know your command guidance. It should be your checklist. Hey, here's what I value. Here's what my red lines are, and you gotta set the standard immediately to just let people know, “Hey, like here's what I'm gonna be irritated about if you show up late to meetings.” If, you know, here's what you know I'm not gonna handle any moral, legal, or ethical issues. Like if it's not moral or legally or ethically a problem, like my job is to you know delegate that down to you and allow you guys to do it. And so setting that standard early as leaders is extremely important because then it allows you to enforce, uphold the standard, and be like, "Hey, we talked about this. This is the expectation. You understood the expectation, and now I can hold you accountable.” And it's not me coming after you because we sat down and had a conversation. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 40:13 That's right. That's excellent advice. So one of the things that we like to do is ask you if you were sitting across, not Navid now, if you're sitting across young Mitch. What was what piece of advice you'd share with him? Mitch Torrel 40:25 I think, enjoy the period in which you're in every stage. I feel like every four years, I look back on the previous four years and just think about what an amazing time period that was. And you know, getting to play hockey, going to the academy, the academy was amazing. You're hanging with your friends. You're in college, and you know, increasingly as you age, it's going to be increasing responsibility. There's going to be a lot more you know burden on your shoulders, but it's fun, you know. And progression is fun, moving on to the next stage. But I think enjoy where you're at in life a little bit more. It would kind of be my advice. And then, you know, I don't necessarily regret anything, but it's you know continually to just work hard, progress, and you know have those cups coffee, learn from other mentors, you know, expand your network, and just grow.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 41:20 What are you doing now that helps you enjoy life? Mitch Torrel 41:25 I think right now, so just moved, and you know, right now I'm trying to focus on a little bit more me, you know, be a little healthier with sleep, eating, you know, and just I think it's easy to kind of burn the candle at both ends, and now it's kind of taking a step back and understanding that you need to be rejuvenated, you need to you know unplug periodically to be able to bring your all to you know what you're working on, and sometimes things get monotonous, and sometimes you know you just need to take a step back and reinvigorate yourself. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 41:58 I love that. That's fantastic. So, today, in today's terms, what are you most proud about yourself when it comes to? And if I word this right, maybe I say, what are you most proud about in being a facilitator? I want to say being a leader, but I wonder if you're going to answer that. I'm really good at facilitating high-performing teams. I'm curious how it goes. Mitch Torrel 42:19 I think what I'm most proud about is just looking back at the people I've had the blessing of coming across and just seeing them grow in their life. You know, like I think we allow sometimes in in the military where everybody's going to leave the military at some point, and that's OK. You know, I've got friends who stayed in for 2030, years and done phenomenal things. I've got friends who've gotten out, and you know progressed in their professional careers, and to me, it's just fun to see where everybody ends up. Like I love seeing people have success, and especially people who, you know, I may or may not have helped at least a little bit. You know, or you know, at least been a bad example of what not to do. But I think, yeah, it's the relationships that I look back on, and I'm just very happy to have you know gotten to know the people that I've come across. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 43:13 Well, you yourself made that transition, I think, from you know active service and obviously an entrepreneur. You know, what's some advice you might give someone in in that kind of decision calculus of transitioning their career? Mitch Torrel 43:26 I think it just goes back to again, am I am I continually am I student of the game? Am I showing up every day invigorated to learn and be better at my job? And you know maybe if the answer is if not, you need to step away for a little bit, reinvigorate yourself, reprioritize your life. And sometimes it's just, hey, I've got some goals that I've set out to get after, and sometimes your path diverges, and that's OK. And I think in my case it was I had some things that I wanted to accomplish in life that the — it was just time for me to, you know, change my path, of course. And so it wasn't. I loved the military. I loved the team environment, the camaraderie, the units that I got to be part of were phenomenal, and I miss that every day. But sometimes you just got to, you know, understand where you're going and you know set out and accomplish those goals. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 44:20 Well, I think there's been a theme across many of the graduates I get to speak with, and service continues even out of uniform. So I think that that definitely speaks volumes. So Mitch, was there anything today that we didn't cover that you would love to share with our graduate community, even if it's just words of encouragement? Mitch Torrel 44:37 No, I think it's just you know continue to build your skill set, build your toolbox, understand that every day is an opportunity to learn to better communicate, to invest in yourself, to professionalize you know your approach to things and building discipline, building you know your approach to complex problems, and I think a lot of us just want to check the box and move on and get you know. But every day again is an opportunity to better yourself, and so I think that that's what I would impart on, you know, younger next generation who are going to solve tomorrow's hard problems, who are going to be in these complex positions that we can't even fathom. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 45:21 Well, there are so many amazing things that we covered today that I think many can take back and internalize and find the way that it connects to them. But something that really stood out to me, just first and foremost, with you mentioned that you're more authentic and you just live with your heart. And so I think that came out in spades. I loved learning that you know leadership to you started with really kind of looking inward and what you really wanted, right? You could have gone a path of a pilot, and you could have done well, but you recognize that there is something that you wanted to do that might be more fulfilling with your skill set and align better with you. I think that that is that awareness as a leader is really important. I also really appreciate how you continue on focus on better every day, and you don't have to be the best tomorrow. But you need to be better than you were, and you're competing against yourself every day while lifting others up. I think the other thing that I really just enjoyed about you is remembering that the leader, yes, does have responsibilities to make decisions and you know, you know, advocate and empower others, but you're a facilitator and making sure that you help others have their voices bring out the best so that you actually can bring out the mission to success. So it's been an incredible conversation. I've thoroughly enjoyed this. So I just truly appreciate you being on Long Blue Leadership. Mitch Torrel 46:33 No, thank you. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 46:35 Absolutely. And so, for any of you that are still watching and listening to this, be sure to share this with others because the leadership journey is one that it never ends. Right? We're always growing and evolving, and this conversation and all of our conversations on Long Blue Leadership with the lives of Air Force Academy graduates can just help you in your own personal journey. So, see you next time on Long Blue Leadership. I'm Naviere Walkowicz. Thank you. Mitch Torrel 46:56 Thank you.   KEYWORDS Leadership, fear, resilience, mental toughness, preparation, adaptation, team cohesion, shared hardship, humility, mentorship, feedback, continuous improvement, self-awareness, stress tolerance, problem solving, interpersonal effectiveness, communication, delegation, accountability, standards, courage, growth mindset, trust, mission focus, servant leadership.   The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation    

How Do You Use Your Strengths to Work on Your Blind Spots? We all have strengths. We all have blind spots. But what if some of the very things we do well can also help us work on the areas where we struggle? Today on The Daily Trudge, we're talking about self-awareness, personal growth, and learning how to take an honest look at ourselves without turning that into self-condemnation. Sometimes our greatest strengths can also create challenges. Being direct can become too intense. Being a quick problem-solver can make us impatient with people who process things differently. Persistence can keep us moving forward, but it can also make it harder to recognize when we need to change direction. The goal is not to become somebody else. The goal is to become more aware of how we operate, recognize our blind spots, and use the strengths we already have to continue growing. Join me as we talk about how self-awareness can become action. #TheDailyTrudge #Recovery #SelfAwareness #PersonalGrowth #BlindSpots #Strengths #RecoveryJourney #Growth #SelfReflection

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Dr. Richard Louis Miller about what psychedelic medicine must get right as it moves toward broader acceptance. Richard explains why transparent reporting of adverse effects is essential to informed choice, where research still leaves important gaps, and how commercialization could shape access and treatment. They examine 5-MeO-DMT, group therapy, and the limits of one-to-one care. Richard also shares his approach to aging through exercise, real food, rest, and human connection. Dr. Richard Louis Miller is a clinical psychologist, author, and broadcaster with over 65 years of clinical experience in mind-body health. At 87, he continues to practice, teach, and share the tools that have helped thousands of people master anxiety, overthinking, and negative self-talk. He founded the Cokenders Alcohol and Drug Program, which detoxified over 1,500 people without medication, and created the Health Sanctuary at Wilbur Hot Springs, which he directed for 48 years. His work has appeared in Time, Newsweek, NBC News, and CBS News. He has also served as a consultant to the President's Commission on Mental Health and the U.S. Department of Justice. Episode Highlights: Why psychedelic science needs full transparency Balancing potential benefits against real risks Who psychedelic research frequently leaves out Illegality as an overlooked adverse effect 5-MeO-DMT and the pharmaceutical model Making psychedelic care more accessible Aging as a practice of maintenance Real connection over longevity trends Episode Links: Dr. Richard Louis Miller's website Mind Body Health & Politics Dr. Miller's book, The Adverse Effects & Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelic Medicines Instagram: @drrichardlouismiller Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-368/?ref=278 Episode Sponsors: The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute. Golden Rule - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout Third Wave occasionally partners with or shares information about other people, companies, and/or providers. While we work hard to only share information about ethical and responsible third parties, we can't and don't control the behavior of, products and services offered by, or the statements made by people, companies, or providers other than Third Wave. Accordingly, we encourage you to research for yourself, and consult a medical, legal, or financial professional before making decisions in those areas. Third Wave isn't responsible for the statements, conduct, services, or products of third parties. If we share a coupon code, we may receive a commission from sales arising from customers who use our coupon code. No one is required to use our coupon codes." Disclaimer: This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone, and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization.

Christa welcomes the beloved Beatrice Chestnut, one of the most respected voices in the Enneagram world, for a rich conversation on the three centers of intelligence, the body, the heart, and the head, and how each one shapes the way we love, fight, and connect in relationships. So much of what we wrongly ask our spouse to carry comes from the parts of ourselves we have not yet done our own work on, and Bea's teaching gives us a map for exactly that work. Together they explore how most of us lead from one center while neglecting the others, often without realizing it, and the blind spots that creates between two people trying to love each other well. They look at how a body-led, a heart-led, and a head-led partner can so easily misread one another, why meeting your spouse in their center rather than expecting them to move to yours is essential, and how the passions beneath our types quietly drive the same fights on repeat. This pivotal conversation offers a way to see yourself and your spouse with more compassion, and to stop handing your partner what was always yours to tend. This is a meaningful part of this month's series on what our spouses were never meant to hold. Listen here! Watch on YouTube! Get inside the Enneagram and Marriage Coaching and Masterclass classroom here! https://www.enneagramandmarriage.com/the-e-m-coaching-masterclass Find more about your type, the pod, freebies, and SO much more at our website right here! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.EnneagramandMarriage.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Take the E + M Quiz at www.QuizforCouples.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Love what you're learning on E + M? Make sure you leave us a podcast review so others can find us, too⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get Christa's Best-Selling Book, The Enneagram in Marriage, here! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://a.co/d/df8SxVx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you giving your complex concussion clients your absolute best care, or are you secretly running out of ideas when they hit a plateau? It's an uncomfortable truth: while every healthcare provider goes into practice genuinely wanting to help, caring deeply for your patients simply isn't enough when you reach the limits of your clinical knowledge. Far too often, when progress stalls, clinicians default to telling clients "it's just part of the concussion" or writing off lingering symptoms as purely psychosocial—leaving patients confused, frustrated, and stuck in treatment for months or years without actual recovery. When you settle for "good enough" care or miss hidden clinical blind spots, you risk breaking your patient's trust and holding them back from true healing. But hitting your clinical ceiling doesn't mean you can't push past it—by getting curious about your limitations, auditing your practice, and learning how to look deeper into complex, overlooked systems, you can step up to become the clinician your clients truly need. BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL DISCOVER: Why compassion alone isn't enough to solve complex concussion cases—and how to identify when you've hit your clinical ceiling. The danger of writing off patient plateaus as "psychosocial" or "just concussion symptoms" instead of looking for deeper root causes. The major clinical blind spot most providers miss: how TBI impacts the central auditory processing system and impacts cognitive health. How to bridge the fragmentation gap across multidisciplinary care so PTs, OTs, Chiros, and Osteos can speak the same clinical language. Scroll down, hit play, and learn how to uncover your clinical blind spots and elevate your standard of concussion care today! Ready to raise your standard of care and stop hitting clinical ceilings? Join the waitlist for the revamped Concussion Nerds Fellowship 2.0! Doors open this fall for our brand-new cohort, limited to just 25 clinicians. Joining isn't a commitment—it simply gives you first priority to claim your seat before they're gone.

Let me know your thoughts on the show and what topic you would like me to discuss next.Most men don't implode. We just get quiet about the gap between who we said we'd be and who we've become, then we build a life strong enough to distract us from noticing. This conversation is me taking the “Band of Brothers” line you've heard for weeks and finally putting real shape to it: what it is, what it replaces, and why it's built for the one place high-performing men keep trying to solve with willpower and private promises.I walk through why self-reliance works in markets, systems, and technical problems but breaks down with blind spots and integrity drift. A book can't press you with a follow-up question. A podcast can't notice the pattern you've repeated for six weeks. Real accountability requires other men, a shared standard, and a consistent cadence where showing up is not optional and anonymity is not the mechanism.You'll also hear the smallest first step we offer: the Integrity Mirror, a 15-minute self-assessment built to name which pattern is running you using five archetypes (Thomas, Arthur, Gawain, Percival, and Odysseus). Then I explain how the program runs in two phases, Foundations and weekly fire teams, plus the mission tracks focused on self-mastery, leadership, marriage, fatherhood, and risk and adventure.If “later” has become your favorite hiding place, take one action today. Listen, share this with a man who needs it, and subscribe and leave a review if you want more conversations like this. What would change if you stopped making an exception of yourself this week?Key moments in this episode:00:00 What's Actually Behind The Door01:04 The Vague Promise...Named03:33 Why A Room, Not A Book05:57 The First Step07:42 What's Actually In The Room?10:54 The Objection You're Already Building12:37 It's Time For ActionSupport the showThanks for listening to the Revolutionary Man Podcast.  For more information about our programs, please use the links below to learn more about us. It could be the step that changes your life. 

Some transformations you can see. A car pulled out of a field. A house made new. But the deepest change is spiritual, and it happens to the last people you'd expect.In this final message of the Thrive series, Will walks through the story of Saul in Acts 9. The man who hunted the church became one of its greatest voices.

Here's a Thought… #2707 with Brooks Jensen Blind Spots and Habits Now that I've been photographing for decades, there are some subjects and trends that have become more identifiable with a larger data pool to pull from. Evidently, I find walls irresistible. Chairs must be one of my favorite subjects if the count of how many photos of them I have is any indication. Trees and rocks rate high on the list. I have no interest in architecture, but you'd never know it by looking at how many photos I have of buildings. Sunsets, wildlife, urban streets, and sports events are almost completely missing from my archives. I'm wondering if a list of what I've never photographed could lead to something interesting? Become a member of LensWork Online and have access to all 2700+ Here's a Thought… commentaries.

Advertising SponsorMIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email support@mapitforward.org or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started.Episode DescriptionThis is Part 3 of a five-part series with Matthew Thornton from Arkena Coffee Market on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward hosted by Lee Safar, exploring where technology is genuinely changing the coffee industry, and where it still isn't.In the first two episodes, Lee Safar and Matthew Thornton explored where technology exists across the coffee supply chain and why some technologies succeed while others struggle to gain traction.Now they ask an even bigger question: What are the industry's biggest technology gaps?Rather than focusing on building more sophisticated software, Matthew argues that coffee's greatest opportunities lie in solving much more fundamental problems. Information remains fragmented across the supply chain. Pricing lacks transparency. Communication often breaks down between origin and consuming countries. Valuable data exists, but rarely reaches the people who need it most.Throughout the conversation, Lee and Matthew examine why these disconnects continue despite rapid advances in artificial intelligence and digital tools. They explore the difference between creating technology that impresses investors and creating technology that genuinely improves the way coffee businesses operate.One of the recurring themes throughout this series becomes increasingly clear in this episode: technology cannot fix broken incentives on its own. Before the industry can build better tools, it must first understand whose problems deserve solving and why many of today's systems continue to leave critical gaps unaddressed.As more technology companies enter coffee, this conversation challenges founders, business owners and industry leaders to think beyond features and ask whether they are addressing the issues that matter most across the supply chain.Connect with Matthew Thornton and Arkena Coffee Market here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkenacoffee/Website: https://arkenacoffee.com/If you found this episode valuable, make sure you're subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. ***************************************About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain.Website: https://mapitforward.coffeeMailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglistPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward‘The Coffee Report': https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: support@mapitforward.org

Advertising SponsorMIF Coffee Business Plan Review Service: AI can write a business plan. We'll help you determine whether it will work in the real world. Email support@mapitforward.org or DM @mapitforward.coffee to get started.Episode DescriptionThis is Part 3 of a five-part series with Matthew Thornton from Arkena Coffee Market on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward hosted by Lee Safar, exploring where technology is genuinely changing the coffee industry, and where it still isn't.In the first two episodes, Lee Safar and Matthew Thornton explored where technology exists across the coffee supply chain and why some technologies succeed while others struggle to gain traction.Now they ask an even bigger question: What are the industry's biggest technology gaps?Rather than focusing on building more sophisticated software, Matthew argues that coffee's greatest opportunities lie in solving much more fundamental problems. Information remains fragmented across the supply chain. Pricing lacks transparency. Communication often breaks down between origin and consuming countries. Valuable data exists, but rarely reaches the people who need it most.Throughout the conversation, Lee and Matthew examine why these disconnects continue despite rapid advances in artificial intelligence and digital tools. They explore the difference between creating technology that impresses investors and creating technology that genuinely improves the way coffee businesses operate.One of the recurring themes throughout this series becomes increasingly clear in this episode: technology cannot fix broken incentives on its own. Before the industry can build better tools, it must first understand whose problems deserve solving and why many of today's systems continue to leave critical gaps unaddressed.As more technology companies enter coffee, this conversation challenges founders, business owners and industry leaders to think beyond features and ask whether they are addressing the issues that matter most across the supply chain.Connect with Matthew Thornton and Arkena Coffee Market here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkenacoffee/Website: https://arkenacoffee.com/If you found this episode valuable, make sure you're subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series. ***************************************About Map It Forward The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain.Website: https://mapitforward.coffeeMailing list: https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglistPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward‘The Coffee Report': https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward‍ ‍Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapitforward.coffee/Contact: support@mapitforward.org

What happens when a warehouse management system believes stock is present, but nobody can find it on the warehouse floor? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I speak with Oana Jinga, co-founder of Dexory, who oversees the company's commercial strategy and product roadmap. Dexory has developed autonomous mobile robots capable of scanning inventory at heights of up to 18 meters while creating a continuously updated digital view of warehouse operations. The company says its robots have scanned one billion locations across 12 countries. Its customers include Maersk, DHL, Samsung, GE Appliances, Stellantis, GXO Logistics, and C.H. Robinson. However, the real story goes beyond the size of the robot or the number of locations scanned. It concerns what businesses can do once they have accurate information about their physical operations. Oana explains why warehouses often become data blind spots. Businesses usually know what entered the facility and what eventually left, but stock movements, damaged items, misplaced pallets, and inefficient use of space can remain difficult to track between those events. Dexory's robots scan approximately 10,000 to 12,000 pallet locations per hour. Oana recalls one customer discovering around £1.5 million in stock it had considered lost or written off. Other scans have revealed repeated pallet movements and potential opportunities to recover around 10% of warehouse capacity through better organization. We also discuss why visibility alone does not create business value. Dexory initially gave users large volumes of information, only to discover that extensive lists of problems could overwhelm warehouse teams. Its platform now prioritizes the actions requiring attention, helping users concentrate on a manageable number of issues each day. Oana explains why physical AI faces different challenges from software operating entirely within digital systems. Warehouses change constantly as people, vehicles, stock, temporary obstacles, damaged areas, and local working practices alter the environment. Robots and AI systems therefore require current physical data rather than relying on an old floor plan or assumptions recorded in another system. For companies considering warehouse robotics, Oana recommends starting with the operational problem. Leaders should observe how work happens, speak with employees about bottlenecks, define the result they want, and appoint an internal owner responsible for adoption. A robot sent to collect stock from an empty or incorrect location cannot complete its task, regardless of how capable its software may be. We also consider the future of warehouse work. Oana argues that robots can remove repetitive inventory walks and manual counting, allowing employees to interpret data, investigate problems, and improve operations. She also shares her experience as one of the few women in robotics a decade ago and explains why visible female role models can make the sector feel accessible to a wider group of people. Could physical AI help your warehouse teams make better decisions, or would inaccurate data and unclear ownership prevent the technology from delivering value? Listen to the episode and share your thoughts with me.

In this session of UC Today, host Kristian McCann sits down with Simon Peters, Director of Channel Sales at Smarsh, to unpack one of the most pressing questions facing regulated industries in 2026: Is your compliance solution really secure — and is its AI even compliant?It's a wake-up call for compliance, risk, and IT leaders who assume ticking the compliance box equals airtight data protection. As global fines for compliance and data breaches continue to climb — including over $63 million in penalties in early 2025 alone — this conversation exposes the two blind spots most organizations still overlook.Peters explains how compliance and security aren't interchangeable, why third-party AI models can create new compliance gaps, and how Smarsh has built “compliant AI by architecture” — keeping all data, transcripts, and analysis inside customers' own sovereign environments.Key discussion points include:

Discover how physical artificial intelligence is transforming the manufacturing industry by giving the real world a voice and solving complex operational problems in record time. In this episode, Dave Copps, CEO of Worlds, reveals the groundbreaking shift from static data to live spatial models that allow factories to literally speak to their managers.   We explore the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence in physical spaces, highlighting why the days of waiting years for operational technology to show a return on investment are officially over. Dave breaks down how his team deploys intelligent agents to turn environments into continuous streams of spatial data, ensuring safety and massive efficiency gains within just days.   You will also learn about the rise of Forward Deployed Engineers and why insatiable curiosity combined with advanced tools like Claude is creating uniquely powerful developers. As companies pivot from simple automation to complex, multi-agent architectures, understanding this transition is crucial for any tech leader or startup founder looking to scale effectively.   We also get an exclusive sneak peek into Iris, a revolutionary new system launching soon that enables a facility to communicate directly with its operators during critical events. Tune in to understand why bolting artificial intelligence onto existing software is obsolete and how building native, agentic ecosystems is the true future of enterprise technology.   Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Welcome Back 02:26 The Rapid Evolution of Physical AI 04:57 Transforming Manufacturing with Live Spatial Data 08:45 Operational Intelligence versus Traditional Dashboards 12:45 Drastically Reducing Time to Value 15:22 The Role of Forward Deployed Engineers 20:53 The Shift to Native Agentic Software 23:25 Delivering Health and Safety Outcomes 26:10 Augmenting Human Safety in the Workplace 28:46 Introducing Iris: Giving Environments a Voice 32:30 Fostering a Culture of Curiosity and Innovation 35:43 New Strategies for Interviewing Tech Talent 39:01 Open Roles and Career Growth at Worlds 42:28 How to Connect with Worlds and Conclusion   Host: Jake Aaron Villarreal leads the top AI recruitment firm in Silicon Valley, www.matchrelevant.com, uncovering stories of funded startups and going behind the scenes to tell their founders' journeys. If you are growing an AI startup or have a great story to tell, email us at: jake.villarreal@matchrelevant.com

Most leaders focus on leading others. But the hardest person you'll ever have to lead is yourself. Join Dennis and Lisa as they discuss the problem with leadership “hacks,” why outside perspectives are essential, and how to overcome perfectionism, distractions, and limiting beliefs.The Leadership Development Group is a consulting firm led by Dennis and Lisa McIntee that exists to help you create a better work culture through drama free strategies, leadership coaching, and training. Since 2005, they have helped over 2,000 companies become drama free and significantly increase their productivity as a result. Discover the freedom of a better work culture today at leadershipdevgroup.com.Resources Mentioned in the Episode: Free Download: 10 Blind Spots When Leading Teams™⁠The Leadership Roundtable™

Episode web page: https://bit.ly/4besnoH Episode summary AI can summarize customer feedback in seconds—but can it truly understand what customers mean? In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Jason Giles sits down with Chui Chui Tan, cultural strategist, founder of Beyō Global, and author of Research for Global Growth and International User Research, to explore why the biggest challenge in AI-powered customer research isn't analyzing data—it's interpreting it. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience conducting research across more than 50 markets, Chui Chui explains why themes like "trust," "convenience," and "it's too expensive" can mean entirely different things depending on cultural context. She argues that while AI excels at identifying patterns, human researchers remain essential for uncovering the motivations behind those patterns and translating them into better business decisions. The conversation explores how global teams can avoid costly misinterpretations, why translation alone isn't enough for international research, and how slowing down at the right moments can lead to more accurate insights—even in an AI-driven world. You'll learn: Why AI has shifted the research bottleneck from synthesis to interpretation How cultural context changes the meaning behind common customer feedback Why recurring themes aren't the same as actionable customer insights How to uncover the real drivers behind comments like "it's too expensive" or "I don't trust it" Why translation alone can't capture cultural meaning in global research A practical framework for moving from AI-generated signals to better business decisions How research teams can build simple checks into AI-assisted workflows to avoid costly mistakes Resources & links: Chui Chui Tan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuichuitan/ Beyō Global: https://beyo.global/ Research for Global Growth: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Research-Global-Growth-Strategies-Cross-Cultural/dp/1068601701 Chui Chui Tan on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chuichuitan Jason Giles on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaygiles/ Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast

Many chess blunders aren't caused by poor calculation - they're caused by visual blind spots. In this episode, we explore why certain types of moves consistently escape our attention, how those blind spots lead to missed tactics and costly mistakes, and what you can do to start seeing more of the board.

Our Global Head of Thematic and Sustainability Research Stephen Byrd explains why the recent AI infrastructure selloff may reflect technical pressures, not weakening fundamentals.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----Stephen Byrd: Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Stephen Byrd, Morgan Stanley's Global Head of Thematic and Sustainability Research.Today: Are investors misreading the AI infrastructure selloff?It's Thursday, July 30th, at 10am in New York.The recent selloff in AI infrastructure stocks has raised a familiar question: Is the buildout running ahead of real demand? The market is pulling back and we think that reflects profit-taking, crowded positioning, and forced selling by investors. This is not about weaker fundamentals. But the selloff has brought to light three key concerns, which we think the market is overplaying.The first concern is how much enterprises are willing to pay for AI. The median enterprise employee currently generates less than $11 a month in token spending. That's the fee paid when an AI model processes a request and generates a response.We think there is room for that to increase. From the employer's perspective the economics are compelling. Across workplace applications, the cost to execute the economic task would be $2-$5. And that could save an enterprise $55. That to us suggests companies are likely to spend more, not less, on AI over time.The second debate centers on efficient models, including competitive models developed in China.  And here, policy responses both from the U.S. and China can have an impact as well. Some investors worry that better efficiency means less computing demand. But we see the opposite risk. This is a classic example of Jevons paradox: When something becomes cheaper or more efficient to use, people use more of it. In AI, lower costs can attract more users, encourage more frequent use, and make complicated applications more economical. The scale is striking. Industry leaders estimate that compute demand could double every six months, which would amount to more than a thousand-fold increase in compute over five years. Hyperscalers could quadruple available power capacity to roughly 120 gigawatts by 2028, from about 30 gigawatts in 2025.And that leads to the third debate – whether data centers can secure enough power to keep expanding. It's a valid concern. In the U.S., facilities under construction and contracted grid capacity cover about 30 gigawatts. That's less than half the 68 gigawatts of power that data centers are likely to need from 2026 through 2028. Grid connections can take five to seven years in some regions. Skilled electricians, welders, and pipefitters are in short supply. And local opposition is increasing as communities debate electricity bills, tax incentives, and who should pay for grid upgrades.These are real obstacles, but we view them as delays rather than dead ends. Onsite generation, fuel cells, energy storage, natural gas turbines, and the conversion of existing high-power sites could close the gap, at least partially.We believe much of the recent weakness in AI infrastructure has been driven by technical factors rather than a change in the underlying fundamentals. As AI becomes more capable and cheaper to use, demand for intelligence, compute, and power is likely to keep rising. The global market is fragmented as policy decisions in the U.S. and China shape how growth unfolds. But strong economics should support continued investment.Thanks for listening. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a review wherever you listen and share Thoughts on the Market with a friend or colleague today.

Wes grew up moving constantly — different states, different countries, new friends every few years. The one constant was story: books, movies, television. He wrote plays as a kid. He built a career in tech. And the whole time he watched the craft of storytelling get worse while he waited for someone to do something about it. Eventually he realized nobody was coming. So he built it himself: Brotherhood of the Wolf, an independent graphic novel series he describes as Berserk meets Black Hawk Down — published in print only, drawn by professors from one of Italy's serious comic schools, with fifteen issues mapped out and a video game in pre-production. In this conversation: •Why story reaches people emotionally when facts and figures never move the needle •The doorman story — how a consulting firm saved a hotel chain money and cost it customers, because nobody counted what the doorman actually did •What corporate structure does to creativity, and why skin in the game changes how you think •The case for print: first editions, resale value, and why digital ownership is really just renting •Media as diet — what you consume shapes you whether you're paying attention or not •Wes on Hollywood's long record with Muslim and Arab characters, and building the stories he wanted his kids to have •Quickfire round: dark fantasy, Berserk, and the most misunderstood villain in film The takeaway: the people and things a spreadsheet can't measure are usually the ones holding everything together. That's true of a doorman, and it's true of the stories you let into your house. Find Wes talesofkhayr.com — join the email list for an exclusive trailer, plus updates on future books, merch, and the game Start with The Lesser Evil, the chapter-zero novella The CJ Moneyway Show If this one hit, leave a review, subscribe, and pass it to a builder who's tired of waiting for permission. Faith • Vision • Legacy | Stories That Spark Transformation | Legacy Over Likes | Brick by Brick Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

[This episode originally aired on Sept. 19, 2023]  In Buddhist psychology, a lot of emphasis is placed on the process of perception because the way we perceive —and misperceive — has tremendous consequences  •  in grade school we are taught an oversimplified view of what it means to have a sense perception: there's an object out there, and there's the eyeball, and the brain, and boom, just like that, a perception  •  you might say, I saw an apple, but of course you never just see an apple — you see everything around the apple as well  •  all of that came into your little eyeball, and you just decided to say, I saw an apple  •  you made a choice; that's an example of a filter  •  in addition to filtering, we engage in framing: we place things within a particular frame — a frame of assumptions, a frame of agendas, biases, and prejudices, simple associations, or memories  •  and finally there are blind spots, which is when we just don't see things at all, and we don't realize we don't see them  •  as we look into patterns of perception and misperception, we can see how many of our troubles start out just on a simple level of how we first see things  •  by recognizing and seeing through such patterns, there's a chance that our perceptions might begin to be a bit more free and open.

Episode 344: Empathy is not something you either have or you don't - it is a skill you can practice, strengthen, and sometimes struggle to access.In this episode, Vonda and Lori continue their conversation about empathy in leadership by exploring the framework from Empathy Is Not a Weakness by Lauren Sanders. They break down the word EMPATHY into practical behaviors leaders can use to create stronger teams, healthier communication, and more psychological safety in the workplace.From examining personal blind spots and managing mindfulness to practicing perspective, communicating tactfully, and replacing “no way” with “tell me more,” this honest and humorous conversation challenges leaders to look closely at how their words, reactions, and facial expressions affect the people around them.You'll also hear real-life stories about difficult conversations, leadership mistakes, design instructors who build confidence - or tear it down - and why listening for understanding can be more powerful than immediately offering advice.Empathetic leadership does not mean lowering expectations. It means learning how to lead people with clarity, dignity, self-awareness, and care.Sponsored by: Flower CliqueFlower Clique Prep SchoolReal Life Retail Florist

Same burnout. Completely different costumes. Why the pressures driving a librarian, a trainee, and an entrepreneur toward burnout look nothing alike on the surface, and what leaders miss when they assume their own experience is the template. Signal: → Burnout shows up differently by role even within the same institution (physicians, nurses, residents, researchers all differ) → ED trainee burnout risk climbs with seniority, not away from it → Boundary-setting entrepreneurs: 45% report low burnout vs 6% of non-boundary-setters → Mentor/peer access linked to ~50% higher resilience Reset: → Ask, don't assume, what a hard day looks like for someone in a different role → Build cross-role listening into leadership, not just same-lane check-ins → Protect recovery time as the floor, whatever the sector → Deliberate variety across your own work can be part of your own protection

"Stability is destabilizing." -Hyman MinskyBDCs are already cutting dividends. Blackstone, Blue Owl, and KKR are gating redemptions. The credit cycle signal is flashing — and almost nobody is watching it.There's a corner of the NYSE that nobody in crypto Twitter or macro Twitter is paying attention to. And it's insane to me — because if you want to know where the credit cycle is breaking, this is where you see it first.BDCs. Business development companies.They're sitting right there, publicly traded, yielding 12-13%. And almost nobody is watching them for the right reason.In this episode, Wasabi, Lux, Boomer, and Hal break down exactly what BDCs are, why they're the public window into a private credit market that's almost entirely dark, and why the signal is no longer hypothetical — the VanEck BDC Income ETF just cut its distribution in half, and Blackstone, Blue Owl, FS KKR, Apollo, Ares, and Morgan Stanley have all imposed redemption gates on their non-traded BDC vehicles. Investors trying to get their money out can't.This isn't a forecast. It's a current event.We walk through the full framework: what BDCs are, who borrows from them, why the structure forces transparency that private credit funds don't have, and how to use the dividend cut signal as a leading indicator for the broader credit cycle. One cut — note it. Two — pay attention. Three or more in the same quarter — deploy.This episode is free. Share it with someone who watches markets.SharePaid subscribers get:→ The daily market report — live BTC and ETH prices, macro color, fear & greed, and a straight read on what's actually moving→ Private Discord — talk through trades and theses directly with Hal and Lux. Not a community. Not a server with 10,000 people. A small room with the people who made this episode. And people like you.If you found this useful, the upgrade is worth it.subscribeDisclaimer on BCD's signal - while this podcast is fun this signal does not out perform buy and hold in back tests: The contrarian backtest completed. Here's the verdict:90 trades, 17.7% average return, 63% win rate. Sounds good right?But zero alpha. Every single trade has exactly 0% alpha vs buy-and-hold over the same period. That's because the "buy after cut" entry is just buying the stock — you'd get the same return just holding it through the dip.Here's the breakdown:• Big winners (2020Q1-Q2 trades): +80% to +161% — but that's just the COVID recovery. Buy-and-hold did the same.• Big losers (2019Q1, 2022Q1): -25% to -52% — you bought into a continuing decline• Win rate is decent (63-72%) but that's just BDCs being mean-reverting assets in generalThe honest answer: The contrarian angle feels right narratively, but the data says there's no edge. The dividend cut doesn't give you a better entry point than just buying the dip on price alone. You're not buying a "NAV discount opportunity" — you're buying a falling knife that sometimes recovers and sometimes doesn't.The 2008 story is a survivorship bias — we remember the BDCs that recovered, not the ones that didn't (OCSL -86% cut, NEWT with 13 cuts over 10 years).So both directions are dead: sell on cuts = no signal, buy on cuts = no alpha.

How do you know which psychic abilities come naturally to you—and which ones still need development?In this special episode, Kelle Sparta introduces a brand-new Psychic Skills & Energetic Capacity Assessment, a comprehensive reading designed to identify a practitioner's strongest intuitive gifts, energetic capacity, blind spots, and next stage of spiritual development.Using volunteer Tasha as a live case study, Kelle evaluates the four primary psychic abilities—Sensor, Messenger, Traveler, and Energy Manipulator—while providing practical coaching on energetic boundaries, identity, embodiment, channeling, mediumship, probability lines, healing abilities, and stepping fully into spiritual leadership.Whether you're an experienced practitioner or just beginning your intuitive development, this episode offers an inside look at how psychic gifts develop, why energetic capacity matters, and what often limits practitioners from reaching their full potential.What You'll LearnThe four primary psychic abilities and how they workHow to identify your strongest intuitive giftsWhy energetic capacity matters more than psychic ability aloneHow energetic leaks reduce your effectivenessThe difference between sensing energy and manipulating energyChanneling, mediumship, and communicating with guidesWorking with the Akashic Records and probability linesWhy identity is often the biggest block to spiritual growthDeveloping discernment, embodiment, and energetic leadershipHow practitioners expand their psychic abilities over timeReferences MentionedPsychic Skills & Energetic Capacity AssessmentWelcome to the WooWoo SquaredWoo MasterySpiritual Evolution Energy Review (SEER Reading)Akashic RecordsMediumshipChannelingProbability LinesEnergy HealingReikiEntrainmentPsychic DevelopmentSpirit GuidesResources MentionedKelle Spartahttps://kellesparta.comPsychic Skills & Energetic Capacity Assessmenthttps://spiritguidesschool.com/spiritual-gifts--capacity-assessmentSpirit Guides Schoolhttps://learn.kellesparta.com

During busy days does it ever seem that some things can go by almost without notice: background sounds, daily routines, places that we pass every day on the drive home? Your car has tools such as cameras, warning lights and alarms, and mirrors to make sure that other cars don't “disappear” in our blind spots, but in our daily lives, people can sometimes come and go without notice.This Sunday we will revisit the parable of the unmerciful servant and explore some reminders of our own blind spots.

Each and everyone of us have our shortcomings, both as human beings and as coaches. Some of these shortcomings we are aware of, while many of these things we are not. In today's episode, we discuss our personal and professional "Blind Spots", what we can do to both diagnose them and make them a better part of our personality. In addition, we've got a great quote and a discussion of one of the all time greats, Adolph Rupp!

AI does not fix broken business systems. It exposes them.In this episode of Walk In Victory, NaRon Tillman sits down with Patrick Bell, business growth consultant and AI transformation strategist, to discuss why leaders lose control when they adopt AI without structure, ownership, and accountability.Patrick brings a global perspective from Canada, Zimbabwe, Japan, Kenya, and Portugal, helping mid-size companies think through AI implementation in practical, measurable ways. Together, NaRon and Patrick unpack the blind spots that keep businesses stuck: unclear ownership, weak visibility, poor decision discipline, and content creation that does not translate into revenue.This conversation is not about chasing the newest tool. It is about building the internal and operational clarity needed so AI can serve the mission instead of creating more chaos.Connect with Patrick Bell:Website: https://www.aitransformationpartner.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aitransformationpartners/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patrickatalphaBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/walk-in-victory--4078479/support.If this conversation connected with you, don't just listen—take the next step.Start with the audiobook: Awakening I AMThis is where clarity begins. https://walkinvictory.me/awakening-i-am/audio-bookPrefer to read? Get the physical copy: https://books.by/naron-tillmanWhen you're ready to apply this in real life: Victory Builders https://walkinvictory.me/victory-builders/Landing-pageSponsored by Cozy Earth Get 40% off with code VICTORY1  

Employee benefits can be the second-biggest people cost, yet many global organisations cannot clearly see what they offer, what they spend, or what value each provider delivers.In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, I had an inspiring conversation with Chris Bruce, CEO and Co-Founder at Origin. He explains why fragmented policies, spreadsheets, and local systems have kept benefits out of strategic business conversations.

Pat Mancuso is the CEO of Mancuso Consulting Group, a firm that helps business owners increase profitability, recover tax credits, and build stronger organizations through strategic consulting and leadership development. A serial entrepreneur, coach, and speaker with more than 30 years of experience, Pat has launched multiple successful companies and coached thousands of business leaders. Through consulting, speaking, and his proprietary RSTMM® system, he helps entrepreneurs scale their businesses, strengthen leadership teams, and create sustainable long-term growth. In this episode… Many business owners focus on revenue while hidden gaps in taxes, expenses, risk, and planning quietly reduce profitability. These blind spots often persist because key conversations happen too late. What changes when an owner starts viewing the business as one connected financial system? The shift begins with proactive, integrated planning, explains Pat Mancuso, a business profitability and exit-planning expert. Owners can strengthen their position by reviewing financials regularly, asking advisors for forward-looking strategies, addressing insurance and hiring gaps, and defining an exit destination years before they intend to leave. Pat also encourages owners to question assumptions around pricing, expenses, and time constraints before small issues compound into costly problems. Greater awareness, paired with timely action, creates a clearer path to profitability, protection, and long-term wealth. In this episode of Owner's Profit Playbook, Chad Franzen of Rise25 talks with Pat Mancuso, CEO of Mancuso Consulting Group, about the blind spots that drain profit and weaken long-term wealth. Pat explains how to uncover profit leaks, protect assets, and plan for a stronger exit. He also touches on tax strategy, financial awareness, and the cost of delayed decisions.

Leadership growth isn't always about discovering a new strategy. More often, it's about becoming aware of something that has been true all along.In this solo episode, Dr. Darrin Peppard shares two defining leadership stories that changed the way he thinks about coaching, feedback, and personal growth. From a simple conversation with a superintendent that forever changed his communication style to a coaching experience that revealed the hidden system keeping a leader overwhelmed, this episode explores one powerful truth:Awareness changes everything.You'll discover why every leader has blind spots, why your team may see things you cannot, and why trusted coaches, mentors, and colleagues are so essential to continued growth.If you're committed to becoming a more intentional leader, this conversation will challenge you to stop asking, "How am I doing?" and start asking, "What am I not seeing?"In This EpisodeWhy one sentence from a superintendent transformed Darrin's leadershipThe difference between our intentions and the experience others have with usWhy leadership breakthroughs come from awareness—not simply learning moreThe coaching conversation that revealed the real source of one leader's overwhelmHow organizational systems become invisible over timeWhy every leader has blind spotsThe difficult truth about feedback and positional leadershipWhy coaches don't exist to fix leaders—they help leaders seeHow servant leadership can unintentionally become a bottleneckThe one question every leader should ask someone they trustMemorable Quotes"Learning adds information. Awareness changes perspective. Perspective changes behavior.""Your staff knows what your blind spots are, but they may not feel it is okay to point them out.""Leadership isn't about becoming perfect. It's about becoming more aware.""Leadership isn't limited by what we know. It's often limited by what we don't yet know about ourselves.""Sometimes the first condition we need to create is one where we can see ourselves more clearly."Resources & LinksLearn more about Road to Awesome: https://roadtoawesome.netConnect with Dr. Darrin Peppard on LinkedInLearn more about HeyTutor: https://heytutor.com/?utm_source=RTA&utm_medium=RTA&utm_campaign=RTASponsorThis episode is proudly sponsored by HeyTutor.HeyTutor partners with school districts across the country to provide high-dosage tutoring in mathematics and English language arts. Their comprehensive approach—including recruiting, training, scheduling, and managing tutors—allows educators to focus on what they do best while accelerating student learning.Learn more by visiting the link above.Connect with DarrinIf this episode challenged your thinking, I'd love to hear from you.What's one piece of feedback that changed the way you lead?Connect with me on LinkedIn or visit RoadToAwesome.net to continue the conversation.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another leader who could benefit from this message.

Invisible forces in your organization are shaping your culture every day, whether you're aware of them or not. In this episode, Dennis and Lisa discuss the blind spots that weaken trust, ownership, and performance, and share practical leadership shifts that can build a healthier, more productive team culture.The Leadership Development Group is a consulting firm led by Dennis and Lisa McIntee that exists to help you create a better work culture through drama free strategies, leadership coaching, and training. Since 2005, they have helped over 2,000 companies become drama free and significantly increase their productivity as a result. Discover the freedom of a better work culture today at leadershipdevgroup.com.Resources Mentioned in the Episode: Free Download: 10 Blind Spots When Leading Teams™⁠The 8 Qualities of Drama Free TeamsMy Top 25 Interview QuestionsExplore Customized Workshops and Trainings

We all have our blind spots, but with AI and the spread of misinformation, we are more vulnerable to them than ever. Can we learn from a master illusionist on how to avoid falling trap to them? *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Some people, companies, and opportunities look impressive at first glance but don't hold up under closer inspection. In this episode, Jill Griffin explores why even experienced leaders get drawn to polish over substance and how to sharpen your ability to tell the difference before you commit your time, energy, or reputation.In this episode:• Why we're naturally drawn to confidence, polish, and compelling stories, even when substance is missing• The questions that help you distinguish real capability from a good presentation• How to make better decisions about people, partnerships, and opportunities by looking beyond first impressions• Why this skill matters even more in an AI world, where separating what's real from what's manufactured takes more mental energy than everShow NotesThe Gray Area podcast, The end of the human internet Support the showJill Griffin, is a leadership strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh. She works with senior leaders to navigate complexity, strengthen teams, and lead with greater clarity and intention.With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together:The Next Era Leader An 8-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intentionExecutive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what's nextConnect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & WorkshopsInstagram: @JillGriffinOffical

Most leaders think self-awareness means understanding their patterns. Cam Yenokida sees where that falls short. The executive coach and founder of Achieve Excellence explains why intellectual self-awareness alone never changes anything, and what it takes to turn insight into new behavior. Cam and Brandon get into the quiet reality of senior leadership, where the higher you climb, the less room you have to think out loud. They talk about what actually makes a leader coachable, why assessments are a starting point and not an answer, and how a simple look at your calendar can reveal where your attention is really going. Cam spent 20 years in corporate leadership before starting his own practice. He shares the turnover problem that became a defining moment, the two-year onboarding approach behind it, and what separates leaders who are good from those who become excellent. About our guest Cam Yenokida is an executive coach and the founder of Achieve Excellence, based in Lake Oswego, Oregon. He spent more than 20 years in corporate leadership before starting his own practice, and he has facilitated over 200 leadership and team development workshops. Cam coaches leaders at every level, from solo entrepreneurs to senior executives, using a systematic approach built around diagnostics, planning, implementation, and follow-up. His focus is on helping leaders move from understanding their patterns to actually changing how they show up. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Welcome and why pay is a quiet driver of turnover 01:00 Meet Cam Yenokida 02:00 The patterns that pulled Cam toward developing leaders 04:00 The turnover problem that became a defining moment 05:00 Why onboarding should last two years, not 90 days 09:00 Leaving a 20 year career to start Achieve Excellence 11:00 The identity shift of becoming the brand 14:00 The blind spot of self-awareness that stays intellectual 16:00 Turning awareness into real behavior change 18:00 Why senior leaders lose room to think out loud 20:00 Helping teams say what usually goes unsaid 22:00 Assessments as a starting point, not an answer 24:00 The three signs of a coachable leader 27:00 Leading with clarity and auditing your calendar 31:00 What moves a leader from great to excellent A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR Host: Brandon Laws In Brandon's own words: "The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders." About Xenium HR Xenium HR is on a mission to transform workplaces by providing expert outsourced HR and payroll services for small and medium-sized businesses. With a people-first approach, Xenium helps organizations create thriving work environments where employees feel valued and supported. From navigating compliance to enhancing workplace culture, Xenium offers tailored solutions that empower growth and simplify HR. Whether managing employee relations, payroll processing, or implementing impactful training programs, Xenium is the trusted partner businesses rely on to elevate their workplace experience. Discover how Xenium can transform your workplace: Learn more Connect with Cam Yenokida: Website LinkedIn Connect with Brandon Laws: LinkedIn Instagram About Connect with Xenium HR: Website LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube

Why do smart people make poor decisions?Often, it's not because they lack intelligence. It's because they're only seeing one version of the problem.In this solo episode of Time to Reset, Focusologist Penny Zenker explores how our experiences, assumptions, beliefs, and pressure shape what we notice—and what we completely miss. Through one powerful leadership exercise and practical coaching questions, you'll discover how expanding your perspective leads to better decisions, greater creativity, and stronger leadership.In this episode, you'll learn:• Why we often solve the wrong problem without realizing it• How assumptions quietly limit your choices• Simple questions that expand perspective and improve decision making• Why great leaders create better answers instead of providing all the answers• How intentional reset moments help you think more clearly under pressureIf you've ever felt stuck between two choices, overwhelmed by a decision, or frustrated that every solution seems incomplete, this episode will help you uncover the options you didn't know you had.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

Revenue looks great on a scoreboard. But if your cash flow is a mess, your margins are thin, and your financials only get attention during tax season… that growth might be hiding a much bigger problem. In this episode of Built to Scale, Matt sits down with Larry Rice, CPA, CEPA, and founder of RVG & Company, to talk about the financial blind spots that quietly keep business owners stuck, stressed, and scrambling. They dig into why revenue is not the same as financial health, how fast growth can actually make bad decisions worse, and why your CPA should not be treated like an emergency contact you only call once a year. Larry also breaks down the numbers every owner should be watching, when to upgrade your financial team, and why clean books matter long before you look for funding, buy another company, or think about selling. This one is for every business owner who has ever asked, "We're growing… so why does it still feel so tight?" In this episode, Matt and Larry talk about: Revenue vs. profit vs. cash flow The financial numbers every business owner should know  Why growth can expose cracks instead of fixing them How cash flow surprises sneak up on scaling companies  When to bring in a bookkeeper, controller, or CFO Why tax planning should happen before tax season How messy financials can hurt funding, acquisitions, and exits The danger of taking business and tax advice from TikTok If you're trying to scale without flying blind, this episode is worth the listen.   About Larry Rice Larry Rice is a CPA, CEPA, and managing partner at RVG & Company, where he works with business owners on tax strategy, financial planning, and fractional CFO-style advisory support. Larry and his team help entrepreneurs get clearer on the numbers, avoid expensive blind spots, and make smarter decisions around growth, funding, acquisitions, and exits. To connect with Larry, reach out through RVG & Company or contact him directly at lrice@rvgco.com or 954-233-1767.  Website: https://rvgco.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rvgandcompany LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-rice-38342aa/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rvgco/     Built to Scale is a podcast segment from The Liquid Lunch Project, hosted by Matt, built for entrepreneurs, founders, and business owners who want to grow smarter, tighten operations, improve profitability, and build companies that can scale without chaos running the show.   Need capital before growth turns into a cash flow problem? If this episode made you realize your business needs a stronger funding strategy, connect with Credit Banc. Matt and the Credit Banc team help business owners explore financing options for working capital, acquisitions, equipment, expansion, and growth opportunities before they're stuck scrambling at the last minute. Learn more about how Credit Banc helps entrepreneurs access the right capital for the right stage of growth.  https://tinyurl.com/3dh9vy86

What stops talented leaders from truly hearing honest feedback? This episode tackles that question head-on, drawing from both leading research and lived experience. While most articles, books, and workshops focus on how to give feedback, this discussion targets how to receive it. I explore why so many feedback conversations break down and how leaders can do better.Core themes include the impact of our gut reactions to critical feedback, how quickly we discount advice based on source or style, and why challenges to our identity produce the fiercest resistance. Listeners will be guided through practical, evidence-informed strategies to become better feedback recipients, creating environments where candid conversations thrive.This episode offers a refreshing, evidence-based approach for anyone committed to their own growth and eager to lead with greater effectiveness and humility.What You'll Learn- The roots of our genuine hesitation surrounding feedback conversations.- How our reactions can prevent or derail future feedback.- Although not all feedback will be delivered perfectly, you can still find value.- Don't let your relationship with the feedback-giver cloud your judgment- Feedback stings most when it challenges our identity. Podcast Timestamps(00:02) – Setting the Stagek(01:12) – The Personal Challenge of Receiving Feedback(05:17) – Truth Triggers: Dismissing Feedback Based on Tone and Delivery(08:38) – Beware of Absolutes(10:18) – Source Triggers: Who Delivers the Feedback(12:41) – Difficult Feedback from Difficult People(13:52) – Identity Triggers: When Feedback Challenges Self-Image(17:17) – Personal Reflection: My Own Struggle with Feedback that Challenged My Identity(20:01) - Strategies for Curiosity and Constructive Engagement(23:40) - Bringing it Together: Commitment to Feedback ReceptionKEYWORDSPositive Leadership, Feedback, Receiving Feedback, Giving Feedback, Leadership Growth, Psychological Safety, Critical Feedback, Defensiveness, Feedback Triggers, Doug Stone, Sheila Heen, Zenger Folkman, 360 feedback, Radical Candor, Feedback Accuracy, Feedback Source, Identity and Feedback, Evidence-Based Leadership, Coaching, Blind Spots, Core Values, Curiosity, CEO SuccessSource: Why (Senior) Leaders Struggle to Get Feedback and How to Change That - Do Good To Lead Well with Craig Dowden | Podcast on Spotifyhttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/why-senior-leaders-struggle-to-get-feedback-and-how/id1634491338?i=1000764642523