Podcasts about both richard

February's theme of boldness continues with an insightful conversation surrounding Arthur Ashe's milestone Wimbledon title in 1975, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Host Patrick McEnroe relives the tournament and events surrounding it with two Hall of Famers who were there, Charlie Pasarell and Richard Evans.The discussion explores Ashe's strategic brilliance in defeating Jimmy Connors, the challenges he faced as a Black athlete in a predominantly white sport, and his impact beyond the court—including his role in breaking racial barriers, fighting apartheid, and shaping the future of tennis. With personal anecdotes and behind-the-scenes insights, this episode is a tribute to Ashe's enduring legacy as both a champion and a statesman.Class of 2024 Hall of Famer Richard Evans is a renown tennis journalist and administrator, author of more than 20 books. Charlie Pasarell, inducted in 2013, captured 23 singles titles during his playing career and later served as the Tournament Director at Indian Wells for nearly 30 years. Both Richard and Charlie were close fiends and colleagues of Arthur Ashe.The TennisWorthy Podcast is presented by the International Tennis Hall of Fame. For more information and full episode transcriptions, visit tennisfame.com/podcast.

On this episode of Reading with Your Kids, host Jed Doherty had the pleasure of chatting with two passionate creators making waves in the children's book world.  First up was Richard Reiman, also known as the "Audiobook Wizard." Richard shared his mission to make children's books accessible to all, including those with visual impairments or other disabilities. He described how he adds rich audio descriptions to children's picture books, allowing blind and low-vision kids to fully experience the stories and illustrations.  "It's a whole different experience," Richard explained. "We have professional describers who work with us to paint a vivid picture with words." He's even assembled an all-blind cast for an accessible version of The Wizard of Oz, bringing diverse representation to a classic tale. Richard also touched on the challenges of getting major publishers on board, but shared his optimism that change is coming, especially as more indie authors embrace accessibility in their crowdfunding campaigns. Next, Jed chatted with debut picture book author Barbara Thompson about her charming story, Have You Seen My Sock? Barbara shared how the book, featuring a determined young boy searching for his favorite dinosaur sock, was inspired by her own experiences as a single mom and the antics of her grandson, Mason. "It was almost like having a full-time job, going to college all over again," Barbara said of the self-publishing process. But the thrill of holding the finished book made it all worthwhile. She even hopes to collaborate with children's hospitals to share the story with young readers facing health challenges. Both Richard and Barbara's stories highlight the power of children's books to entertain, educate and inspire readers of all abilities. It's a heartwarming reminder of the magic that can happen when passionate creators bring their visions to life. Click here to visit our website – www.ReadingWithYourKids.com Follow Us On Social Media Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/readingwithyourkids Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/readingwithyourkids/ X - https://x.com/jedliemagic LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/reading-with-your-kids-podcast/ Please consider leaving a review of this episode and the podcast on whatever app you are listening on, it really helps!

On this episode, John talks with Richard Ori (SpiritualQuest) about the science behind saunas and salt rocks. How it impacts hormones and can help change your state - from chase to attract. Learn how saunas can help reposition you.  Both Richard and John have personal stories of living in Los Angeles in their twenties and thirties, in a low frequency and being “miserable f*cks.”  They share how they pulled themselves out of that state, and now continue to with saunas. Interested in purchasing a sauna? Use the code JOHN (all caps) to get a discount on any sauna at https://www.spiritualquest.comRoughly ten minutes of self help in a shot glass. If you're looking for a wine glass, you've come to the wrong place. Marriage family therapist and best-selling author, John Kim, shares his life and love revelations as well as insights from his sessions. He pulls the curtain back and documents his journey as a therapist but more importantly, as a human being.   Meet him at -> https://www.theangrytherapist.com Join his private communities -> https://theangrytherapist.circle.so/home Get his daily texts here -> https://www.theangrytherapist.com/text

On this week's episode, Richard and Kimon continue their discussion on business, focusing particularly on leadership and management. Starting off the conversation, Richard asks Kimon for his views on leadership. Kimon begins by addressing the role of trust. Trust operates in two directions: employees must trust that the CEO is the right person for the job, and the CEO must trust their employees. This is especially crucial in today's business landscape, which increasingly accommodates remote work. However, trust isn't easy to scale. As a company grows, the significance of time-tracking tools and productivity verification systems increases. For smaller companies, these tools can be costly and awkward. In such cases, fostering trust between employees and management becomes paramount. The CEO shouldn't need to constantly verify that employees are fulfilling their commitments. Trust establishes a solid company culture where everyone relies on each other, without excessive and bureaucratic surveillance. If a CEO focuses on controlling and constantly checking employee productivity, the company will incur opportunity costs. Kimon shares that during his time at Argos Multilingual, he prioritized trust over surveillance. Although he encountered setbacks, he believes the overall benefits to company culture outweighed these negative experiences. Richard adds that while employee processes should be "checkable," they don't need to be constantly "checked." If an issue arises, it can be easily identified without management wasting time playing the role of productivity police. Both Richard and Kimon lean towards trust over distrust. Acknowledging their moments of naivety, they still assert that an atmosphere of trust is more advantageous to create than one of suspicion. Clear guidelines and well-defined roles remain crucial. Richard straightforwardly expresses it as: "trust goes with high expectations." Kimon suggests that granting employees leeway "allows the best to stand out." Over time, it becomes evident which employees are engaged, self-motivated, and poised for leadership roles. For this trust-based leadership approach to succeed, the CEO must also be engaged and self-disciplined. Otherwise, employees will follow suit and lose motivation. Later in the discussion, Kimon introduces the concept of the "bank of goodwill." In prosperous times, CEOs should provide raises without employees needing to ask. This demonstrates appreciation for their hard work and eases any stress related to seeking better compensation. During challenging times, CEOs can request employees to forgo raises with the understanding that adjustments will be made when conditions improve. Commenting on the "bank of goodwill," Richard emphasizes communication's significance. The CEO should be accessible and open to employees. Regular communication keeps employees informed about business fluctuations, preventing blindsiding when tough decisions are necessary. In closing, Richard and Kimon summarize their thoughts on trust in leadership. Kimon stresses that for a CEO starting a company, treating everyone equally and cultivating a culture of hard work are paramount. Richard advises potential CEOs to not only trust their employees but also to be candid when facing challenges or difficulties as leaders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/entrepreneurship-and-leadership

In this new episode of the Team Tubb Travelogue audio series, Stephen McCormick invites Pascal Fintoni to join him on an impromptu audio call with Richard Tubb and James Steel from Akamai Linode.Both Richard and James are about to start their final day at the CompTIA ChannelCon unmissable event in Las Vegas.This year, the theme for the 3-day conference was 'Build The Impossible' with a strong message to look outside your current customer base, circle of partners, and comfort zone.Richard and James share their reactions and experience so far, memorable speeches and key take-aways, surprising emotional moments and something to do with an oxygen bar?. They also take part in a Team Tubb Travelogue Quiz at the end of the call!Were you at the CompTIA ChannelCon 2023 event too? Send us a voice recording with your highlights and we will add your comments to our next Team Tubb Travelogue.

On this edition of Road Trippin', the crew starts by previewing Sunday's Game 7 between the Celtics and Sixers. Both Richard and Channing are surprised this series has gone 7, but for different reasons. Rich loves Jayson Tatum's confidence, and says he's in the right headspace going into Sunday's game. Channing has a good idea of which version of James Harden we should expect to see. Rich and Channing also look at the Phoenix Suns, who failed to reach lofty expectations. They think a retool will be in the works through trades and free agency for next season. Will Deandre Ayton be back in Phoenix? Also the crew discusses how the Denver Nuggets are playing the best basketball of any team, and the guys tell you why they are the favorite to take home the title. Have a question or topic for our next show? Text or leave us a VM at 657-522-5578 (6575-CALLRT) Cheers! ► YouTube!

A lot to cover this week. Both Richard and Ed were able to take advantage of the latest Bilt promotion to book trips to Europe.  Let's see how they made out. IHG is making breakfast worse for elite members.  How bad is the change? Universal Orlando has a pretty sweet ticket deal right now. Capital One has a massive sign-up bonus for the Venture X, but should you consider it? And, Richard wants you to know just how long he's believed you shouldn't plan your credit card strategy around 5/24. If you're looking for a way to support the show, we've launched a new Slack Community. You can support the show and purchase access below: Monthly access Annual access Personal consultation plus annual access We'll have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only.  I'll be inviting some of the brightest minds in travel to come join me on a weekly basis.  Heck, some of them may even accept the invitation.  Richard has already stopped by a few times! I appreciate your support! Don't forget that you can leave us a voicemail or text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! Shoot us an e-mail (ed@pizzainmotion.com) or you can tweet me and Richard if you have questions.

Both Richard and Sunyi hit the Sunday Times list right out the gate in the UK. How does that happen? Who gets to decide, and what does it mean? We explain how the Sunday Times lists work in the UK, the importance of crates (and other independent gatekeepers), and why the list is both hard to hit without orchestrated support. Additionally, we discuss what authors should be most afraid of, and what we wish publishers would openly say.

Richard and Ed jump into the new year with a recap of their holiday travel to New York and Charleston.  Both Richard and Ed give a review of the new Grayson Hotel, part of Hyatt's Unbound Collection. Marriott had some interesting developments as it pertains to credit card nights and elite night credits.  Lastly, Richard and Ed catch up on the massive Southwest meltdown over the holidays. Don't forget that you can leave us a voicemail or text us at (571) 293-6659‬. Listen for your question on a future show! Shoot us an e-mail (ed@pizzainmotion.com) or you can tweet me and Richard if you have questions.

Host: Richard Young, VP, Strategy, Veeva Vault CDMS Guest: Mayank Anand, VP and Global Head of Data Strategy and Management, GSK In this week's conversation, Richard Young and Mayank Anand, global head of data strategy and management at GSK and Chair of SCDM, discuss how clinical data professionals' roles are evolving in a world of decentralized data. It's a great time to be a clinical data professional, they agree, as a once invisible role moves front and center to optimize trial protocols, operations, and results, and speed patient access to better treatments. SCDM offers professionals a global voice and a forum for discussion and debate, and Mayank summarizes the organization's key goals. Both Richard and Mayank share insights into understanding end user and patient needs; balancing the needs of different stakeholders; and solving a Rubik's cube of challenges that involve people, processes, and technology. Mayank also shows how new perspectives are driving a more inclusive strategy and collaborative mindset that is already improving patient focus and business results at GSK and within the industry. Subscribe to State of Digital Clinical Trials, a Veeva podcast to get new episodes as soon as they are released.

A lot of you already know who Richard Tubb is, I presume, but if you don't, Richard humbly introduces himself. He briefly shares his journey, from selling his MSP business about 11 years ago to now helping MSP business owners avoid the many mistakes he made himself when he was running his MSP business. Kicking off this energy-filled episode, Richard and I started talking straight about the mindset of an MSP business owner. I asked Richard what things that MSP business owners need to get their head around being a business owner with a technical background. Referring to the book Getting Things Done by David Allen, Richard says that one of the turning points from his experience was not just being busy taking care of the tech but also dealing with Sales, Marketing, Finance, etc., because that's what being a business owner is all about. It's not just enough to be a good technician to grow an IT business. Richard also highlights one of the many things he learned from the book was, “If you try and get all the ideas in your head, you end up doing none of them.” He says how important it is to optimize and maximise the tools we have around us rather than keeping everything in our heads. The mind is not a good place to store ideas. Freeing your mind is key. It was after Richard has done the same, was also when a whole world of opportunities opened for him, and it reduces what he calls SPF or Single Point of Failures in the business. Richard then reveals how he was able to sell his business. Although himself is his favourite topic in the world, the business wasn't built about him. The future is uncertain, and you don't want to make yourself the key component of the business. Richard and I then talked about how to help MSP business owners who have the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Although it might come off as uncomfortable, Richard says that it all just surrounds the idea of one's ego. Removing yourself, as a business owner from some of the processes and the conversation, will not make you lose the business. Do not believe if your mind tells you that it's the other way around. When Richard started the right task delegation to his team, he was able to work on his business rather than in his business, something that we also teach here at IT Experts. For an MSP business owner who is too busy to do anything, Richard's advice is to slow down, document the things to be done on a specific task, and make it a process. That's how you start. Bottom line is, we can't let our ego get in the way of thinking what we can and cannot hand to other people. We then tackled the almighty DISCIPLINE, and how to have it. Both Richard and I agree that Discipline is just all about ROUTINE. Richard highlights how discipline gets a bad reputation because of how it has been used against us when we were growing up; disciplined in school or at home when you do something naughty, etc. Richard then continues to explain how to get disciplined by developing a routine and he refers to his book, The IT Business Owner's Survival Guide, which he wrote to help MSP business owners avoid the mistakes he made. Although discipline gets a negative connotation, it is essentially doing the right things every day that are going to move you forward. Wrapping up the episode, Richard reminds us that although MSPs are typically techie people, that alone is not enough to grow a business to build a life that you want. You've got to be a business owner to grow a business that runs without you. Richard also recommends reading the following books that have helped him greatly and he believes that would help all MSP owners too. The books are Getting Things Done by David Allen and The E Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber. I hope you enjoyed this episode and catch Richard Tubb on the next one where we talk and help you learn how to stand out from your competition in 2022. Connect and listen to Richard Tubb on his website by clicking here – https://www.tubblog.co.uk/   At IT Experts, we have years of experience helping IT & MSP businesses of all sizes to leverage their talents and take back control so they can scale confidently. To connect with us and find out how we can possibly help, simply book an intro call straight into my diary here:- http://bit.ly/ite-introcall Alternatively, you can drop me an email at info@innovatetosuccess.com Until next time, you look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon!

Fabiola Gil Alares is one of mokuhanga's most interesting artists. Her work, with bright flat, rich colours with a romantic appeal, tells a fantastic story, one which naturally draws you to her work. In this episode of The Unfinished Print, I speak with mokuhanga printmaker Fabiola Gil Alares about her prints, her artistic background, the amazing book project she's undertaken and what it feels like to be one of the hardest working mokuhagna artists, today.  Special thanks to my good friend Consuelo Orrego for help in translation.  Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own print work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints Twitter @unfinishedprint, or email me at theunfinishedprint@gmail.com Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase. Fabiola Gil Alares - website, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Mokuhankan Laura Boswell - is a British printmaker who uses mokuhanga, and linocut and reduction printmaking, as her mediums of choice. She was interviewed by The Unfinished Print, which can be found, here. She is an important teacher and promoter of mokuhanga. More info can be found, here. MI Lab - Is an artist-in-residency located in Lake Kawaguchi, near Mt. Fuji. Once called Nagasawa Art Park, MI Lab has been an important centre of many talented and successful mokuhanga printmakers, working today. More info, here.  Mokuhankan and David Bull - is a brick and mortar woodblock print shop located in Asakusa, Tōkyō. It is a learning and working space, where it sells the works of artist Jed Henry, master carvers of the past, and various print series. All are printed and carved by Mokuhankan printmakers and carvers. Started by printmaker David Bull as a way to sell his own series and reprints of old carvers of the past, Mokuhankan has grown exponentially over the years and is a must visit when coming to Tōkyō. More info, here.  Shoicihi Kitamura - is a master carver of Japanese woodblock. He has taught at Nagasawa Art Park and has conducted many demonstrations on carving, and at various International Mokuhanga Conferences. More info, here.  Hidehiko Gotō - is a master baren maker and mokuhanga artist who has conducted many demonstrations on baren making throughout the world, and at the International Mokuhanga Conferences. Some of his mokuhanga can be found here. Gotō also contributed to Fabiola's book.  Terry McKenna - is a mokuhanga artist and instructor based in Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan. He is a student of Richard Steiner, an American woodblock printmaker based in Kyōtō, Japan. Terry runs and operates the Karuizawa Mokuhanga School, which is a school open to those who are interested in wanting to learn and study mokuhanga in a Japanese setting. Both Richard and Terry have been interviewed by The Unfinished Print, here, and here.  Educational Museum of Origami, Zaragoza - is a one of its kind museum focused on the Japanese paper art of origami, located in Zaragoza, Spain. More info, here.  Serigraphy - is another word for the art of silk screen printing. Silk screen printing can be in on various materials, silk, canvas, paper, etc.  Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) - is one of the most, if not the most, famous Japanese artist ever known. He designed woodblock prints, as well as creating his own paintings, screens, scrolls, and commissioned art in Buddhist temples throughout Japan. More info, here. The British Museum has a lot of info, here.  Miyakodori - is a publishing house of woodblock prints. Started by Takashi Kashiwagi, a woodblock carver himself, he releases and carves (through laser and hand carving) artists such as Tōkyō based graphic designer Shinji Tsuchimochi. More info, here. shop.  Saitō Kiyoshi (1907-1997) - was a Japanese woodblock printmaker and artist who worked in the sōsaku hanga style of mokuhanga. His fame outside of Japan was fairly comprehensive with his peak fame being in the 1950's and 1960's. For a comprehensive book on his life and times, Saitō Kiyoshi: Graphic Awakening published by The John & Mable Ringling Museum is an excellent source. Can be found, here. Lecture by Dr. Paget about Saitō can be found, here. Royal Talens Gouache - is a specific brand of gouache pigment. Gouache pigments are a mixture of pigment, water and binder and usually opaque and used in painting, and various types of printmaking. Royal Talens is a maker of different types of pigments, originally a Dutch company but is currently produced all over the world. More info, here.  Nakajima Tsuzen - is a mokuhanga printmaker who has been working in the medium for many years. His work highlights the woodblock technique of mokume, where the grain of the wood is used to highlight certain aspects of the print. Mr. Nakajima's website can be found, here. Instagram Different types of wood - mokuhanga printmakers can use many different types of wood for their work. Most of the time, shina veneer harvested sustainably, is used for modern woodblock prints. Japanese cherry wood was used a lot but because of it's expense today it is used rarely. Other woods used is basswood, elm, and even red oak. Mokuhanga books in English - As Fabiola mentions in the episode, there are various other books on mokuhanga and it process in the English language. Here is a list of books that I am aware of. It is also important for me to say, that through this list we can see how important Fabiola's book is for those who speak languages other than English and hopefully other mokuhanga practitioners will publish books in various languages around the world. This list is by no means exhaustive, so if you believe I've missed someone please message me. If the book is in print (or even out of print and there are PDF's) you will see the authors name hyper-linked so you can buy the books : April Vollmer - Japanese Woodblock Printshop: A Modern Guide to the Ancient Art of Mokuhanga. (2015) Watson-Guptill Publications Tuula Moilanen, Kari Laitinen, and Antti Tanttu - The Art and Craft of Woodblock Printmaking. (2013) Aalto Books Laura Boswell - Making Japanese Woodblock Prints. (2020) The Crowood Press. Hiroshi Yoshida - Japanese Woodblock Printing. (1939) Sanseido Company, Ltd. Walter J. Phillips -  The Technique of the Colour Woodcut. (1926) Brown-Robertson, New York. Rebecca Salter - Japanese Woodblock Printing. (2001) A&C Black. Toshi Yoshida & Rei Yuki - Japanese Print Making: A Handbook of Traditional and Modern Techniques. (1966) Tuttle Publishing. Marilyn Chesterton and Rod Nelson - Making Woodblock Prints. (2015) Crowood Press  Terry McKenna - Terry has written two excellent woodblock primers for the beginner and the intermediate practitioner. The first is Mokuhanga Fundamentals: Core Skills... & the second book is, Creative Print. Both can be purchased directly from here, and other fine establishments in e-book or physical form. Self Published.  Naoko Matsubara -  is a Japanese-Canadian mokuhanga printmaker who has been a printmaker for over 60 years. She has worked with artists such as Munakata Shikō (1903-1975) and has published many books, and has traveled the world for her work. More info, here. Her website can be found, here.  opening and closing credit music - TELEVISION -  Marquee Moon (1977) Elektra/Asylum  © Popular Wheat Productions logo designed and produced by Douglas Batchelor and André Zadorozny  Disclaimer: Please do not reproduce or use anything from this podcast without shooting me an email and getting my express written or verbal consent. I'm friendly :) Слава Україну If you find any issue with something in the show notes please let me know. ***The opinions expressed by guests in The Unfinished Print podcast are not necessarily those of André Zadorozny and of Popular Wheat Productions.***  

So for this episode, I went out into the wide world and actually did an in-person interview. I reached out to editor Sean Barton via IMDB Pro. Actually my first time using the site. So that's a 1 for 1 hit rate so far. As a hater of Zoom, Sean was very gracious in inviting me to his house on the other side of London. Both of us are double vaccinated and LFT's were done beforehand just to be sure. So I rocked up with two Zoom H2 mics (one purchased the day before because my spare was failing to work) a mic-stand and a list of general topics that I wanted to talk about. Actually I only looked at the list for the first question and the rest of the conversation flowed rather nicely. He really is such a nice man and so easy to talk with.If you don't know him by name, you'll certainly know him by his work. Sean edited the seminal cult film Quadraphina for Frank Roddam, he then teamed up with Richard Marquand for Birth of the Beatles, Eye of the Needle and in 1981 they both began work on the last film in the Star Wars trilogy. A little independent film called Return of the Jedi. You may have heard of it.Both Richard and Sean worked together again on the psychological thriller Jagged Edge, starring Glenn Close and Jeff Bridges. I re-watched all of the above in preparation for the chat and I was surprised to find how fresh Jagged Edge felt. Of it's time for sure, but it still works. It was clearly the proto erotic-psycological thriller that lead to a slew of them in the 90s. Despite the fact there isn't much eroticism in Jagged edge. Enjoy. And please do SHARE!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning)

In this episode, we are joined by two Regtech experts, Richard Rosenholtz and Zaliia Gindullina to talk about the Regtech scene in Stockholm, Sweden. Both guests have recently contributed with their expertise within Regtech to the Stockholm Fintech Guide provided by Invest Stockholm. Both Richard and Zaliia works in the Regtech scene in Stockholm and are active in the Nordic Regtech Association. During the conversation, we get to listen to our guests discuss and share their knowledge of the Regtech industry in Stockholm. We cover topics such as: what are the main barriers to enter the Regtech space and how could you overcome them, how did the global pandemic impact this space and what trends do we see in the coming years. If you want to read the Stockholm Fintech Guide, you will find it through this link: https://www.investstockholm.com/documents/75/stockholm-fintech-guide-2021.pdf Guests Linkedin Profiles: Richard Rosenholtz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-rosenholtz/ Zaliia Gindullina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zaliagindullina/ Podcast hosts: Gustaf: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustafhardafsegerstad/ Johan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanlindskog/

Ascension Cosmos Oracles presents Ascension Church Ohana of Metaphysicians. We cover our tribe and team for all mystics, oracles, psychics, sages, seers, shaman, prophets who are all leveling up in the change of life. We all work towards finding our place in space among the cosmos. We all share in past lives as reincarnation. We live the lives as yogis have done in the past with todays new communication portals into various stargates. We embrace our rational, logical, thought process and compare our heart, gut, mind, and power to heal our own selves by way of living with memories of who we have been in the past lives we can remember after death in this life. Life after life is an important part of learning there are other parts of who we are in this growth process. Our lives are meant to be enjoyed and to explore and to obtain knowledge as wisdom to know how to survive while terra-forming with other teams of masters in the cosmos. We embrace all levels of our stories of life. We are forming teams of spiritual science teachers and life coaches. We share what we know and how we have come to exist in an important time on earth, "THE ASCENSION AGE". Right Rich is Pastor Rick who is also an author, and pastor of the Ascension Process as an ACE Life Coach with Theresa J Morris. Richard T. Knight has been sharing his life with others as a universal life pastor for over forrty years. Theresa was ordained in a gold pyramid in order to embrace the unity church lifestyle. Both Richard and Theresa write their own books and the spiritual journeys that assist others in self-help books. Our journey is our own and everyone needs to feel as if they belong. Sundays we embrace unity core and the "ALL I AM" in wisdom and words. We each matter and minds own personal divination is a life with those who are deities and belong to our immortal family of Gods and Goddesses.  

When Wayne Avrashow comes on the show it is almost a guarantee it will be informative, interesting and educational. This tie was no different. Both Richard and I learned about his writing style, his passion,, politics and so much more. Give a listen right here!

At the age of 10 years and 43 days Adam Kaplan set the record as the American Contract Bridge League's youngest ever life master. A subsequent article in the ACBL Bridge Bulletin, commemorating Adam's achievement, inspired his successor Richard Jeng who broke Adam's record with ease at the age of 9 years, 6 months, and 12 days. Both Richard and Adam are members of the USA1 Under 21 team whose journey in the 14th World Youth Team Championships we chronicle in Double Dummy. A film which Adam largely inspired. Here are two brief conversations about Richard and Adam's quest to become the youngest life master and what the title meant to them. 2:16- The event where Adam won his last needed masterpoints 4:04- Two club games per day—the dedication needed to get those masterpoints 6:39- The fame ensuing after his achievement 7:46- What the achievement means to him 9:14- “I was a terrible partner” ~ Adam 12:14- Adam's current level of bridge involvement 14:04- The story behind Adam's nickname 15:39- Adam's partner in Double Dummy 19:54- An optimistic grand bid by Adam 24:09- Adam's current career plans 26:30- Richard's first reaction on hearing about Andrew Chen's achievement 27:05- How Richard first started playing bridge 28:40- Richard's inspiration on becoming the Youngest Life Master 29:50- Richard's meeting up with the teen whose record he planned on beating 30:35- This record is meant to be broken! 31:35- Life Master is a title given only to those who mastered life 31:55- The event where Richard won his last needed master points

It was no joke, on April 1st, 1901 Jay Vivian Chambers was born in Philadelphia on a cold early morning with snow blanketing the ground; a blizzard was soon to come. Weighing 12 pounds and measuring 12 inches across the shoulders, his birth nearly killed his mother Laha. An artery was torn and baby Jay had to be removed with instruments. It was sad but fitting that Jay was born in this fashion, difficult and dangerous; his birth would serve as a type of foreboding for the remainder of his life. He was an abnormally large  newborn, and he’d grow to live an abnormally large life.Young Jay was named after his father Jay Chambers. His middle name, Vivian was the last name of one of his mother’s lifelong friends. As a child and young adult, he despised his first and middle names and vowed to change them as soon as he was able. While he didn’t know it at the time, he would live to have multiple first and last names - most of them assigned to him. Eventually, Jay would take his mother’s maiden name for his first, and keep his father’s surname, going by who the world now knows him as, Whittaker Chambers.Young Whittaker grew up in Lynbrook, New York State. His family moved there in 1904 just after Whittaker’s little brother Richard was born.  As Whittaker became a child and began to understand and compare his world with that of others, he became keenly aware of the dysfunction that he was continually surrounded by. Both of his parents, Jay and Laha came from the world of art as they were both thespians in their young life. They loved the stage and continued to act even after having their two boys. More so Jay - He was truly an artist and viewed himself as much. He didn’t care for the comforts of a middle class family. This was made apparent by withholding any money for his wife to beautify or to just repair their humble home. Nor did he pay any attention to his son’s overall health - Both Richard and Whittaker often suffered tooth aches to no relief from a dentist. As Jay submerged himself in his work as an artist for the local paper, and took a liking for the opera, and all things “culture”, he became completely absent from the family. He would come home in the middle hours of the night, almost always drunk. For this, and many other reasons, young Whittaker regrettably, but honestly lacked any respect for his father (p. 142).Jay’s absence and lack of engagement made Laha become Whittaker’s favorite parent, even if it was by default. Their shared sentiments regarding Jay, drew them into a close relationship. But Laha struggled with her own demons. She became dependent upon her young boys and could be described as acting somewhat neurotic at times. For some reason she felt the need to frequently remind Whittaker of how much pain his delivery had caused her.  Understandably, he resented this. Yet, despite all of her faults and problems, Laha loved her two boys and they became her life and her world. The small family even tried attending an Episcopalian Church for a time. But without reason, the boys were suspected of passing the whooping cough to another attendant. That ended their three month trial - as such religion played no part in their home. Whittaker would later write, “What I knew as a child about religion, I did not know as the result of any instruction. I knew it as a result of something I heard by chance, or that happened to me, and that touched something that was already in me.” (p. 116).Whittaker might not have needed religious education, but he would need all the hope and grounding he could get because the tenuous marriage of his parents rapidly dissolved when Whittaker and Richard were still young. Jay had his own life outside his family and simply solidified this by moving out. He would send the family 8 dollars a week, which at the time, Laha and her two boys managed fairly well. But Whittaker knew they were poor and would understand later that Jay could have given more in alimony, seeing as he had a steady and relatively good paying job. The good part of Whittaker’s father being gone was that their home became a much happier place. His father’s absence at home lightened the usually oppressive atmosphere.But it wasn’t long before Jay had moved out, that Grandma Whittaker would move in. And she was anything but a calming presence in their house. With early dementia, Grandma Whittaker would lock herself into her room and light little fires “cooking” something. The family learned to disregard her insistent self ramblings as well as the smell of smoke coming from her room. There were several times when Whittaker, being the largest in the family, would have to intervene - whether it was breaking down a door to see what was aflame or wrestling scissors or knives from her clinched fists, Grandma being at the house, in addition to the old tensions, was like having a demoniac presence sitting in the heart of their home. (p. 169). Whittaker would later write, “I suppose nobody ever sleeps quite peacefully in a house where a woman sometimes wanders around with a knife.” (p. 170).While Whittaker seemed to take the brunt of all this abnormality, the weight was surely shared by both brothers. Living under the same roof caused Whittaker and Richard to become very close even though they were growing up to be quite different men. Richard was good with his hands, and worked with them often. He ended up building a guesthouse on their property which he would soon move into as a young adult. He was more outspoken, expressed more emotion, and soon became Laha’s favorite sons’ as it was natural for him to confide in her - something she desperately craved. Yet, as he neared his late teenage years, Richard began to find solace from his pitiful life in drinking  more prohibition whiskey than he clearly ought. By the time he was twenty, he could be found drunk in the early hours of the day. Whittaker, on the other hand was more cerebral, immersing himself into books and self reflection, guarding and keeping his thoughts almost entirely to himself.In the fall of 1920, Whittaker enrolled at Columbia College (p.164). Upon attending, he took the opportunity to finally rid himself of the name Vivian to officially take his mother’s maiden name, Whittaker. And although he was already abreast of the Communist movement, it was here that he began reading more  of its happenings and was encouraged by others to delve deeper into the social, economic, and political world of Marxism. Here, Whittaker’s skills and talent with writing, reading, and translating the languages was noticed among his peers and professors. Many thought he’d become a novelist or major poet. Indeed, Whittaker did  write - among his works was a short play entitled: A Play for Puppets. It was featured in Columbia's literary magazine. But the atheistic nature of the playlet caused controversy among the school and even spread to the New York City newspaper. Whittaker was disheartened and came to dislike Columbia - Although it wasn’t his first choice of colleges, it allowed him to live at home and save the family from paying boarding fees. Choosing to live at home rather than live at a dorm not only saved the family money, but in a sense, saved the family, or what was left of it  - if only for a short time.In the two years Whittaker attended college, Richard found himself further down the road of self destruction - continual drinking with self absorbed unhappiness.  One night at a bar with his friends and brother, Richard became so belligerent, he began cursing for all to hear, himself and his parents for ruining not only their own lives, but his life as well. The sober Whittaker took offense at the remarks and with the bar tender’s approval, threw a tumbler of whiskey at Richard’s face. The two brothers fought in the bar and throughout the night. Whittaker, although larger but not as scrappy, finally went to bed bleeding from the bridge of his nose. The scar Richard left him would remain with Whittaker for the remainder of his life. It was a sort of going away gift as Richard was soon to leave.Within a years time - Richard would take his life. He was found in his kitchen one morning with his head resting on a pillow inside the gas oven - his feet propped up on a pile of books with a bottle of whiskey just below his rigid fingers. Whittaker, although in shock from seeing his brother and best friend cold and lifeless, was not surprised. Richard had tried this multiple times before without success only because of his older brother’s intervention. It was only a matter of time. Not long after Whittaker removed his brother from his house and had him buried, did he receive a call from Laha informing him that his father Jay had passed away. His mother said that Jay “had simply dropped dead in the bathroom as he prepared to shave.”Whittaker was 22 years old and his small world, as broken and fragile as it was, had mostly died - and what was left, was dying. His mother was withering away from grief and His grandmother was clinically insane. Whittaker was convinced that the death surrounding him and the many pains that preceded it was a just microcosm of the world at large. World War One had just ended three years before claiming twenty-two million lives. The Bolshevik revolution in Russia was nearing its end, having murdered tens of millions and served as Communism’s catalyst to spread across the globe. Revolutions were happening, as were epidemics. The Spanish flu was in full swing and would kill fifty million people before it ended, not to mention smallpox that would end up taking many more than that.Much of what Whittaker intimately knew was poverty, neglect, alcoholism, and dysfunction. And at the time, the world seemed to reflect that stark reality. Yes, “The world was dying of its own vulgarity, stupidity, complacency, inhumanity, power and materialism - a death of the spirit… That this world was dying both brothers knew.” (p.185). “But they differed on how to face the fact. Richard had simply removed himself from what he found unsolvable or unworthy to be solved. He had made his choice, (186-187) and so would Whittaker. But whereas Richard succumbed to the world’s cancer of wars, economic crises’ and moral enervation, finding nothing to live for, Whittaker committed to become the cure, having found something to die for. By the time his brother and father expired, Whittaker was already a member in the Communist Party. But now he became an un-reconcilable Communist - in both body and spirit. Not because he was simply attracted to it, but was driven to it from despair by the crisis of history through which the world [was] passing.” (p.191).Whittaker was at a loss. And he felt helpless - God was not in control - not in control of his circumstances, nor his brother’s. God wasn’t in control of the wars and revolutions, nor the epidemics of diseases spreading across the globe. If God could not, or would not solve the problems plaguing mankind - then mankind had no choice but to assume the throne. Whittaker would write that “Communism restores to man his sovereignty by the simple method of denying God.” (p. 10). But although Whittaker was about to plunge deep and long into a world view that not only denies God, but seeks to eradicate any trace of him, God would not deny Whittaker. Rather, God would pursue him!Whittaker was now in his early 50’s - and was now a counter-revolutionist testifying against Communism. What had at once given him a reason to live had now become evil; and now risked taking his life. Whittaker, in the midst of deadly consequences from without and emotional turmoil from within, was presently shinning an unwanted light on not only his past affairs working for the Soviet’s secret military intelligence, but many others who were still working within the United States Government. After twenty five years, Whittaker would look back on his time as a Communist.In those beginning years, soon after Richard’s suicide, Whittaker’s ability with writing and editing were quickly put to use for the Communist Party - specifically “Class-angling”. This was the art of rewriting news stories with a Communist interpretation. That was just the beginning though. Whittaker’s proficiency and devotion to Communism exceeded simply working for the Party and being shuffled around to  and from various Socialist presses, producing pamphlets, magazines, and any other forms of literary propaganda. He had more services to offer, and others laying in wait had taken notice. And within a short time, Chambers was recruited to join the "Communist underground”.Accepting it as his solemn duty, Whittaker was now a spy working to overthrow the U.S. government on behalf of Stalin’s Soviet Union in the military intelligence agency - the GRU. After serving under various controllers, taking assorted identities, holding numerous job titles, and only living in places for short periods, Whittaker finally came under the direction of Harold Ware, a member of the Washington spy apparatus. Ware was an agricultural engineer and was employed by the federal New Deal while covertly leading a group of about 75 operatives within the U.S. government. It was in this place and time that Chambers became close to Alger Hiss. Hiss was a fellow communist spy and like Ware, served within the higher echelons of the Washington establishment. He was a government attorney, served in the New Deal, the Justice Department, and would later even serve in the U.S. delegation to attend the famous Yalta Conference where Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill met to negotiate the terms for the end of the War. Circumstances had Whittaker and Alger in close contact. Living together for a time, their families shared a rare type of intimacy; that kind that could only be relegated to secrecy and truly understood by the life of a spy. From the plenty of people that came in and out of Whittaker’s life within his service as a Russian asset, Chambers would later confess that “Mr. Hiss had become his closest friend.” (p. 694).By now, Whittaker was in the thick of his espionage activity, but his concerns with  taking orders from the Soviet Union were growing. At first he was specifically disillusioned with Stalin’s personal perversion by turning to Fascism. But shortly after, that, Whittaker came to see that is wasn’t Stalin he was concerned with, but Communism itself. He would later write, “The point was not that Stalin is evil, but that Communism is more evil, and that, acting through his person, it found its supremely logical manifestation. The important point was not the character of Stalin, but the character of Communism,…”( p. 249).Through Whittaker’s marriage to his wife Esther, in the early 30’s and the births of their two children afterwards, (both events which were unofficially frowned upon by the Party), God was slowly but steadily convicting Whittaker not only of the evils of Communism, but the joy and grace that can only be had in a life surrendered to Himself. God was calling Whittaker to come forth.  And it wasn’t until 1937, until he  first began to feel like Lazarus - a man making “the impossible return”; climbing from the deep underground into the realm of the living. And within a year’s time, in April of 1938, Whittaker and his wife, made that final decision - the only possible choice; that they’d rather die, than live under Communism. It would be all sorts of hell that they would have to endure. Whittaker faced the threat of physical death for defecting  from anybody at anytime, but it was the emotional turmoil he suffered that was just as troubling. In times of weakness and unbearable stress, it was as if Whittaker’s brother was calling from the ground to join him. But through all the pain, and all the trials, nothing made the couple regret their decision. (p.25). Chambers finally and officially broke with communism and took his wife and two children into hiding. But Whittaker did not break from Communism just to remain quiet, but to eventually fight against it.In April of 1939, almost one year exactly from leaving the Soviet underground did Whittaker come out of hiding to go work for Time. His actions against Communism were going to be slow and methodical and his new job allowed those two maneuvers. He began at Time as a no-body; a third-string book reviewer making an annual 5 thousand dollars and quickly rose to senior editor making 30 thousand. Never once did he ask for a raise. As a well trained former Communist, Whittaker never really knew or cared how much he made. Nearly 10 years later, he resigned as one of the best known writer-editors from Time because the court case he was in “had reached a crisis.” (p. 86). Looking back, Whittaker would write, “My debt and my gratitude to Time cannot be measured. At a critical moment, Time gave me back my life. It gave me my voice. It gave me sanctuary, professional respect, peace and time in which to mature my changed view of the world and man’s destiny, and mine, it it. I went to Time a fugitive; I left a citizen. In my years with it, I became a Quaker and took my wife and children with me into the spiritual peace of the meeting.” (p. 87-88). And Whittaker would need a reservoir of peace for the long battle ahead.Soon after leaving Time, on August 3, 1948, Chambers was called to testify before the House on the Un-American Activities Committee. It was here where he  gave witness to the names to all those he knew inside the underground Ware group. This undoubtedly, included his once good friend, Alger Hiss. It caused Whittaker, the disheveled and portly witness, much anguish to have to testify against him. His statements didn’t accuse Alger of espionage activity, but straightly claimed that he was or at least had been a member of the Communist Party. But the buttoned-up and good looking Hiss flatly rejected any allegations that he had ever been a Communist and claimed no knowledge as to who Chambers was. The long trials that pursued would be called the “Hiss Trials”. These were some of Whittaker’s worst years of defection. By now, he was thankful to not really worry about being snuffed out by an unknown assassin, and he remained grateful for his work at Time where he gained respect and a bit of editorial notoriety. But coming before the United States Government to confess his past, and having to charge others, specifically his friend Alger, of secret allegiance to Soviet Russia, bore down on his body and his soul.In the beginning, the majority of people just couldn’t believe that the U.S. government had been infiltrated to such an extent. And on the surface, Hiss was likable, believable,  and had a mirror-finish education and career. Whittaker on the other hand looked tired and depressed and his accusations - too far fetched. President Truman straightforwardly dismissed  Whittaker’s testimony as a “Red Herring”. He surely didn’t like the allegation that the man responsible for the United Nations Charter Conference was a Communist. But Whittaker simply knew too many intimate details about Alger that couldn’t be easily ignored. Yet, without evidence, the first trial ended in 1949 with the jury deadlocked.Meanwhile, Hiss’s attorneys referred to Whittaker as an “enemy of the Republic, a blasphemer of Christ, and a disbeliever in God,”. This was ironic, since it was due to Whittaker’s hope to save the Republic and trust in God that he was testifying. Regardless, the defense also put on a psychiatrist who pointed out Chamber’s childhood, characterizing him as a sort of psychopath who’s only nature was to lie. But the evidence finally produced by Chambers in the second trial was undeniable. Under subpoena, Whittaker presented four handwritten notes composed by Hiss,  65 State Department documents, and 4 strips of microfilm that had once been hidden inside a hollowed out pumpkin. These papers and microfilm became known as the “pumpkin papers.” The reason for the delay in producing the evidence was by Whittaker’s account, “to spare an old friend from more trouble than necessary.” But even though Whittaker tried to guard his old friend, the evidence was not as gracious. And eventually, in 1950, when the second trial had reached its conclusion, Hiss was found guilty on two counts of perjury being sentenced to five years in prison. He couldn’t be charged with espionage because the statute of limitations for such a crime was only five years.The whole ordeal was unpleasant to say the least. The international attention, the constant personal attacks, and the character assassination left Whittaker troubled, saddened, and took a brutal toll on his overall health. He had been suffering from heart problems for over 10 years now. But although the court case was conclusively over,  and the smoke had settled, Whittaker had much more to say, un-encumbered by interruptions from attorneys and groans from the crowds. He would do what he knew best - Write his account - his life story; why and how he became a Communist and why he defected. He would explain everything in vivid detail, in his 800 page autobiography, aptly entitled: Witness. In 1952, Chambers published his work to widespread acclaim. The book was a bestseller for nearly a year which helped to pay some of the legal debts that had been growing. But, as an Ex-Communist and now a Quaker, money meant little to Whittaker whereas honesty and honor meant everything.His autobiography served to make the record straight. It laid to rest the suggestion  that he fabricated anything in his testimony. But Witness wasn’t just written as a counter revolutionist’s hope to win over his enemies, but as a father gently explaining his complex life to his two children, who were too young to understand all the drama swirling around them and their father. As such, Whittaker bore his soul for all to see that  Communism and Freedom were the two irreconcilable faiths of his time. To Whittaker, a Witness against Communism was a Witness for God. And that calling to witness in every sense of it, became Whittaker’s cross to bear. He would explain this to his son and daughter in the introduction of autobiography:“My children, when you were little, we [to] used sometimes to go for walks in our pine woods.  In the open fields, you would run along by yourselves.  But you used [to] instinctively … give me your hands as we entered those woods, where it was darker, lonelier, and in the stillness our voices sounded loud and frightening.  In this book I am again giving you my hands.  I am leading you, not through cool pinewoods, but up and up a narrow defile between bare and steep rocks from which, in shadow, things uncoil and slither away.  It will be dark.  But, in the end, if I have led you aright, you will make out three crosses, from two of which hang thieves.  I will have brought you to Golgotha— the place of skulls.  This is the meaning of the journey.  Before you understand, I may not be there; my hands maybe have slipped from yours.  It will not matter.  For when you understand what you see, you will no longer be children.  You will know that life is pain, that each of us hangs always upon the cross of himself.  And when you know that this is true of every man, woman, and child on earth, you will be wise.” (p. 21).Nine years after, on July 9, 1961, Whittaker died of a heart attack at his 300-acre farm in Westminster, Maryland. Having said his peace - he left his wife and children the life he had always wanted and a Witness the world could never ignore. 

Brian and Blake are back and joined by Richard Oliver in this weeks episode.There is an artist that has built some great success and has gotten the attention of a former manager. The ensuing lawsuit triggers an interesting conversation about how budding artist need to protect themselves and even relationships.Both Richard and Brian have grabbed new axes. The guys talk about the acquisitions and Brian shares how the Wampler Tone group helped in his choice.You grab the latest signature pedal with the expectation that you will soon sound like the named artist. But you don’t. What happened? It is an interesting discussion.it’s all in this week’s Chasing Tone Podcast.DIY mods:https://modyourownpedal.com/collections/booksFind us at: https://www.wamplerpedals.com/https://www.facebook.com/wamplerpedals/https://twitter.com/WamplerPedalshttps://www.instagram.com/WamplerPedals/https://www.facebook.com/ChasingTonePodcasthttps://www.facebook.com/groups/wamplerfanpage/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdVrg4Wl3vjIxonABn6RfWwContact us at: podcast@wamplerpedals.com

With the participation of special co-hosts Richard Marion (British Columbia, Canada) and Tom Babcock (Orlando, Florida)! Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was a gay American student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured, and left to die near Laramie on the night of October 6, 1998. He was taken by rescuers to Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he died from severe head injuries six days later. Suspects Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson were arrested shortly after the attack and charged with first-degree murder following Shepard's death. Significant media coverage was given to the murder and what role Shepard's sexual orientation played as a motive for the commission of the crime. The prosecutor argued that McKinney's murder of Shepard was premeditated and driven by greed. McKinney's defense counsel countered by arguing that he had intended only to rob Shepard but killed him in a rage when Shepard made a sexual advance toward him. McKinney's girlfriend told police that he had been motivated by anti-gay sentiment, but later recanted her statement, saying that she had lied because she thought it would help him. Both McKinney and Henderson were convicted of the murder, and each of them received two consecutive life sentences. Shepard's murder brought national and international attention to hate crime legislation at both the state and federal level. In October 2009, the United States Congress passed the Matthew Shepard – James Byrd Jr Hate Crimes Legislation (commonly the "Matthew Shepard Act" or "Shepard/Byrd Act" for short), and on October 28, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law. Following her son's murder, Judy Shepard became a prominent LGBT Rights activist and established the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Shepard's death has inspired films, novels, plays, songs, and other works. Tonight, on Pride Connection, BPI Members Richard Marion and Tom Babcock co-host with us to remember Matthew Shepard. Both Richard and Tom bring to the table first-hand knowledge of the case; they have both been strong LGBT-rights advocates; and they have personal experiences in this arena. Richard and Tom will also discuss with us how the LGBTQ community is still being the target of many hate crimes in the United States and in other parts of the world. As always, Pride Connection welcomes your comments, requests, and suggestions. You can reach us at: membership@blindlgbtpride.org

On this weeks episode, the trip recaps the week that was. Both Richard and Channing give their fatherly advice fresh of Fathers Day weekend, Richard shares his favorite message he received has he rang in a new year in the books, and the crew debuts their new segment: Trippin' or Not. Allie gives the guys 5 Hot Takes from the previous week in the sports world and both give their take on whether or not the creator of the "Hot Take" was Trippin' or .... NOT. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this edition of RT, the trio gathers to discuss the latest within the NBA World. Both Richard and Channing weigh in on how they feel about the discussions and decisions that are going on within the League, recap what a former teammate of theirs and current player feels about what is going on in our country and his response. They also give the latest on what is going on with them personally. Channing has some exciting things on the horizon that he has been working on and the crew go head to head in a round of #RTAnythingGoes courtesy of you the fans. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 3, Both Richard and Wesley speak on the importance of taking time out for self care, whilst also maintaining the momentum of holding others in positions of power to account on environmental and social issues, and to also remember the strength of Community and Family. Welcome To The Drift Zone

In this week's show, Colin chats to fellow podcaster, and health and safety expert, Richard Collins about the ways in which new media, such as podcasts, can be used to communicate with, and engage with, workforces. Engagement is sometimes incredibly difficult to improve. Traditional forms of communication seem to be largely ignored, so maybe it's time to think of new, more interesting ways of talking to our workforces. Colin and Richard's conversation will certainly inspire you to think differently. KEY TAKEAWAYS Podcasting is proving to be a valuable means of communication for firms looking to communicate in new ways to their workforce. This solves many of the engagement issues that companies seem to have.   Email blasts, newsletters, or notices on bulletin boards, are often ignored and sometimes actively avoided by staff. New forms of communication and engagement are essential steps forward for all businesses.   The prospect of truly helping people is a large driving factor in Richard's constant desire to do better, and to improve.   The world of today is all about communication, and broadening our reach when it comes to networking. Both Richard and Colin have greatly increased their own knowledge by talking to people from all over the world, and from different cultures.   New media presents its own challenges. We need to find new ways of telling our stories, or there's little point utilising these unique channels and forms of communication.   Dynamic advertising is a new system that allows for contemporary messages to be implanted into content that's already been sent out into the wild, meaning that content is essentially evergreen.   Smaller businesses have tighter budgets, which means that H&S solutions must be more creative. Larger businesses tend to be more standardised in their approach.   Both Colin and Richard acknowledge the need to engage with a wide range of people in the business hierarchy for their podcasts. This gives a better overview of the way companies work, and the different needs of different sectors.   BEST MOMENTS ‘People are really interested to hear people they know, speaking' ‘Why wait for the accident?' ‘Communication os fundamental' 'There's a reason why people weren't opening the emails' ‘You create an environment that's safe but challenging' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Interesting Health And Safety Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/training-competency-creating-effective-plan-process/id1467771449?i=1000452692837  Safeti Podcast - https://safeti.com/series/the-safeti-environment-health-and-safety-podcast/ Safeti - https://safeti.com ABOUT THE HOST Colin Nottage ‘Making health and safety as important as everything else we do.' This is the belief that Colin is passionate about and through his consultancy Influential Management Group (IMG) is able to spread into industry. Colin works at a strategic level with company owners and board members. He helps business leaders establish and achieve their health and safety ambitions. He has developed a number of leading competency improvement programmes that are delivered across industry and his strengths are his ability to take a practical approach to problem-solving and being able to liaise at all levels within an organisation. Colin also runs a company that vets contractors online and a network that develops and support H&S consultancies to become better businesses. Colin chairs the Construction Dust Partnership, an industry collaboration directly involving many organisations, including the Health and Safety Executive. He is a Post Graduate Tutor at Strathclyde University and a highly sought-after health and safety speaker and trainer. He has a Post Graduate Certificate in Safety and Risk management, an engineering degree and is a Chartered Member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the Gauntlet! Both Richard & David picked some well-known movies and threw them in a cup and we try to pitch a better version movie. Let's see if they can pitch a better movie with no prep-time or just flop under the pressure. And a big shout out to our good friend Joe Yoo who helps us with all the audio. Check out his Soundcloud and Instagram! Joe Yoo aka Pandamics: https://soundcloud.com/pandamics Joe Yoo/Pandamics Instagram: @theyoojoe Email: DrPitchit@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drp.repitch/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drp.repitch/ Follow us, rate us, berate us & please do share us.

My guests today are two guys that I recently connected with on social media – Richard Charlton of Damascus Waterfowler and Phillip Armstrong of Delta Snows. Both Richard and Phillip super passionate duck and goose hunters, but both are medically disabled veterans who are also passionate about connecting and helping other veterans. Richard’s Damascus Waterfowl Club is located in southern Missouri and Phillip is an outfitter with Delta Snows located in the Mississippi Delta focusing primarily on snow geese and specs. Richard is also on staff with Fallen Outdoors which is a fantastic organization that connects past and current military service men and women with other service men and women through hunting and fishing. Phillip is partnered with DTD Outdoors which is a land management organization in Monroe County MS that also provides hunting opportunities to children as well as disabled veterans. When I spoke with Richard and Phillip, we talked about how veterans are uniquely qualified to help other veterans, and in doing so, actually wind up experiencing healing themselves. We talk about Their combat experience in Afghanistan, Richard while serving in the Army and Phillip in the Marine Corps. Then coming home, the challenges each faced, how they attacked those challenges and then channeled their energies into helping others. It was a really inspiring conversation with two warriors who served this country and are now serving others. I want to thank them both for their sacrifice and service.

Today I’m sharing an interview with best-selling authors, Richard and Linda Eyre. The Eyre’s have been married for almost 50 years and have raised 9 children. They have authored numerous books and spoken around the world to very diverse groups about families and parenting as well as balancing work and family with personal needs. Although they are seen as parenting experts, the Eyre’s were quick to point out in the interview they do not have a perfect family. Both Richard and Linda shared how they work hard to make family and communication a top priority. You’ll hear the Eyre’s answer to my personal question about how they keep their large family connected. They shared many great ideas including having a monthly family testimony meeting. They talked about how spiritual things can bind families together. In preparation for this interview, I read Richard’s newest book, The Happiness Paradox. The paradox Richard writes about is pursuing things we think will make us happy but which are actually making us unhappy. Both Richard and Linda discuss three false concepts that are “joy thieves” and how they relate to parenting. Richard believes you can’t shun a bad habit. His philosophy is you have to find a replacement for a habit you want to change. So, the second half of his book shares three “joy rescuers” you can use in your life to replace the “joy thieves.” The interview is a great discussion of both the thieves and rescuers of joy. Both Linda and Richard share how all the concepts apply to motherhood, our relationship with God and the atonement of Jesus Christ. At the end, I asked the Eyre’s my usual final question about how they have seen and felt God as a partner in parenthood. They both gave answers that  gave me new insights on my relationship with both my children and my heavenly parents. You’ll will want to listen to the end to hear this. Show Notes Book Discount I loved the book, The Happiness Paradox, and found so many great truths to help me in motherhood and life. If you want to dive deeper into the concepts the Eyre’s discussed in this episode, I highly recommend reading the book. (And no one is paying me to say this!) And, you can purchase the book (plus others the Eyre’s have written) for 50% off plus free shipping by going HERE and entering “TrendlerFriend” as the access code.  Follow the Eyres Instagram: instagram.com/richardlindaeyre/ Website: valuesparenting.com Books: familius.com/eyre-special Follow Spiritually Minded Mom Blog: spirituallymindedmom.com Instagram: Instagram.com/spirituallymindedmom Facebook: facebook.com/spirituallymindedmom Podcast: Spiritually Minded Mom on iTunes

Podcast Show Notes: Episode 14 Intro: Hello everyone and welcome to the 14th episode. In this episode Richard and Mehrdad talk about their collaboration “Once I Ran to You” where they perform/ present their attempts to bring Chris de Burgh to Iran on a tour. Richard talks about provoking uncertainty with his work, and Mehrdad engages with his interdisciplinary work with architects, scientists and professionals from other fields. Also Richard has an event at the end of January called An Architecture in Lancaster which is a continuation of his earlier work and Mehrdad will be doing another interdisciplinary collaboration in March at the Cambridge Junction. Both Richard and Mehrdad will also be performing Once Iran to You again at this event. You can find the details for all of their future performances at their websites: dedomenici.com 30bird.org please enjoy Outro: I was so much fun listening to Richard and Mehrdad talking about their respective art and what inspires them and their next episode will delve further into Mehrdad’s cultural and educational back ground and how it has influenced his interdisciplinary work and I will be talking more with Richard about provoking uncertainty with his work. See you next time. twitter.com/artsperformedyoutubeinstagram.com/artsperformedartsperformed.wordpress.comfacebook.com/artsperformedartsperformedpodcast.podbean.com

Matt sits down with Comedian and co-Host of "Phone Booth Fighting" podcast Richard Hunter (@richardhunter) in a Vegas Starbucks.  Both Richard recall where they were the night Dimebag Darrell died. A fair amount of MMA talk on this one too. Enjoy Drinking Buddies!   Listen to Phone Booth Fighting on Itunes    find us on Laughable available in the Itunes app store   Theme music  "And Now We Drink" performed by AS EARTH RECLAIMS US

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI is almost here, and we attended the Global Press Event held right here in Los Angeles! James Burns (JediNews) joins us for our big Podcast Crossover Episode where we bring you audio highlights from the event, including sound bytes from the cast of the film and director Rian Johnson. Daisy Ridley, Gwendoline Christie, Laura Dern, Mark Hamill and more - all had completely interesting, yet completely puzzling things to say. Both Richard and James were able to ask questions at the Press Conference! We also have interviews with Amy Jansen (Little Bits) about Build-A-Droid Kits and Hunter Gibson (Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media) talks about the Jedi Challenge Game. Also on this episode: Skywalker Shout-Outs - Is there TOO MUCH Star Wars merchandise now? Let's discuss. Skywalker of the Week - this one may surprise you! WHERE WE WILL BE (IN REAL LIFE) 12/7/17-12/14/17: The Last Jedi with LiningUp.net at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX in Hollywood. Details Here  12/30/17: The Last Jedi screening at Jordan's Furniture IMAX near Boston, MA. Details Here SUPPORT THE SHOW Skywalking Through Neverland T-Shirts at TeePublic! Check them out HERE. CONTACT US Instagram: http://instagram.com/skywalkingpod Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkywalkingPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skywalkingthroughneverland Send emails to share@skywalkingthroughneverland.com and follow us on Facebook. If you dug this episode, click over to iTunes | Stitcher | YouTube and leave us a review! Never Land on Alderaan!

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI is almost here, and we attended the Global Press Event held right here in Los Angeles! James Burns (JediNews) joins us for our big Podcast Crossover Episode where we bring you audio highlights from the event, including sound bytes from the cast of the film and director Rian Johnson. Daisy Ridley, Gwendoline Christie, Laura Dern, Mark Hamill and more - all had completely interesting, yet completely puzzling things to say. Both Richard and James were able to ask questions at the Press Conference! We also have interviews with Amy Jansen (Little Bits) about Build-A-Droid Kits and Hunter Gibson (Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media) talks about the Jedi Challenge Game. Also on this episode: Skywalker Shout-Outs - Is there TOO MUCH Star Wars merchandise now? Let’s discuss. Skywalker of the Week - this one may surprise you! WHERE WE WILL BE (IN REAL LIFE) 12/7/17-12/14/17: The Last Jedi with LiningUp.net at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX in Hollywood. Details Here  12/30/17: The Last Jedi screening at Jordan's Furniture IMAX near Boston, MA. Details Here SUPPORT THE SHOW Skywalking Through Neverland T-Shirts at TeePublic! Check them out HERE. CONTACT US Instagram: http://instagram.com/skywalkingpod Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkywalkingPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skywalkingthroughneverland Send emails to share@skywalkingthroughneverland.com and follow us on Facebook. If you dug this episode, click over to iTunes | Stitcher | YouTube and leave us a review! Never Land on Alderaan!

Richard Mabey, Juro, legal design - process, products, user experience; venture capital; AI in the legal sector, machine learning. Stephen Turner, the host of Lawyers of Tomorrow, interviews Richard Mabey, the co-founder and CEO of Juro, the award-winning, end-to-end contracts management platform about the importance of legal design within the legal industry.Richard gives encouragement to legal entrepreneurs who wish to take the plunge and design, build and then finance the commercial development of their own solutions to customer or stakeholder pain points. Stephen and Richard discuss when to seek venture capital support and what venture capitalists are really looking for, including the difference between the U.S. and the European approaches. Richard underlines the importance of the three Ts - “team, technology and traction.”Richard explains that legal design is “a process where you look at what you are doing and then iterate to a better set of solutions”. Legal design affects all areas of a legal business, including operational organisation, communications and the way the business connects with and serves customers or important ‘internal’ stakeholders such as human resources, sales teams and employees or partners.Richard talks through some real-world examples of successful legal design and gives practical advice on implementing legal design and points to design tools that listeners can use in their businesses. One example of a useful tool that lawyers can use when designing the most efficient way to organise their projects is a Kanban board - a tool that shows work as a set of tasks moving along streams of workflow. Both Richard and Stephen use Kanban boards in their businesses and they discussed the key benefits and how using this simple and easy-to-use tool can have a profound effect on operational efficiency, productivity and prioritisation.Richard explains how Juro has been designed to remove friction from the process of managing contracts by removing the inefficiency and error-prone system of ‘email tennis’ and ‘red lines’, where endless drafts of contracts are sent back-and-forth between the parties by email. Juro also utilises machine learning to provide historical insights into how its customers contracts have previously been negotiated, for example, by identifying the most commonly negotiated clauses – which is incredibly useful data for a business to have to hand. A business may have tens of thousands of contracts and, using Juro, they are all searchable for the powerful insights that lie within.Richard and Stephen then discuss how artificial intelligence has moved beyond the theoretical and is now at work in the legal sector in the form of successful technological solutions. However, you’ll not find any ‘AI hype’ on this podcast! Richard explains exactly what 'machine learning' AI is and how the legal sector is leveraging machine learning in powerful software tools that convert unstructured data into structured data.Finally, Richard and Stephen discuss how legal education can evolve to encompass the study of legal design, emotional intelligence and the harnessing of innovation and technology to provide better solutions to customer and stakeholder problems.

Richard and David were joined by James Harleman of Cinemagogue to discuss one of his favorite flicks, Dark City. Both Richard and David were brand new to this film, so it was fun getting to chat about an older movie that we've just never gotten to interact with.  We discussed apologetics (what else is new?), the nature of reality, the nature vs nurture of our individual identities, and much more.  We hope you enjoy this episode! If you like what you are hearing and want to help support us, consider supporting us on Patreon! If you do, you'll be canonized as an official Patron Saint of Popcorn Theology and be given access to exclusive content, an exclusive Facebook group just for supporters, giveaways, and much more! Please take a moment to check out our sponsor, MissionalWear - Awesome T-Shirts, Posters, and more... Let them know Popcorn Theology sent you! Want to leave us a voicemail? 304-404-4005! www.popcorntheology.com www.reformedpub.com 

During this episode of The Life of a Gentleman, our host Richard is once again joined by serial entrepreneur Darius. Being sports fans, they discuss the recent marketing tactic of LaVar Ball and how it positively impacts his business. While it may be seen as unconventional, there are various ways to receive press that can broaden a consumer base. Both Richard and Darius analyze the pros and cons of creatively building a brand. Then, Denis Styles talks to Richard about styling your jeans like a gentleman. They each share which jean cut is preferrable and how to wear them with a tie or blazer. Stay tuned for more episodes focused on personal style, lifestyle, and etiquette. Subscribe to The Life of a Gentleman to stay up to date with new episodes! Rate/Review The Life of a Gentleman so we can improve our episodes! Follow us on Instagram @GentlemansPodcast Follow Richard @TheLifeOfAGent Follow Denis Styles @Denis_Styles Follow our producer, Diandra Marie @ItsDiandraMarie Follow our sponsor, Harrison Blake Apparel @WearLapelPins

Many runners are afraid to change the way they run even though they are plagued with running injuries. Richard Diaz and guest Peter Faletto, PT, gait correction expert, explain how a runner would change the way they run to reduce injury and improve performance. Both Richard and Peter are highly experienced in the practice of neuromuscular re-education through a very unique system of unweighting and passively correcting poor gait mechanics while in motion. Any runner who is engaged in marathon training, half marathon training or even high intensity sprint speed athletics should tune into this episode.

Many runners are afraid to change the way they run even though they are plagued with running injuries. Richard Diaz and guest Peter Faletto, PT, gait correction expert, explain how a runner would change the way they run to reduce injury and improve performance. Both Richard and Peter are highly experienced in the practice of neuromuscular re-education through a very unique system of unweighting and passively correcting poor gait mechanics while in motion. Any runner who is engaged in marathon training, half marathon training or even high intensity sprint speed athletics should tune into this episode.

I have given this episode a huuuge write-up as it’s such a vital topic. So if you don’t want to read 2,500 words, listen instead Let’s simplify a Fintech’s journey into three schematic stages: Stage 1:  “turning an idea into a product” Stage 2:  “turning a product into a business” Stage 3:  “turning a business into a grown-up business” (IPOs, M&As etc) In recent months I have come to see as London Fintech’s greatest strength in-depth right now as Stage 1. We could call this a Fintech-Startup … building your plane, taxiing to the runway, then accelerating down the runway and trying to get the wheels off the ground (clients). Stage 2 is the bleeding edge in London which many are struggling with. The Fintech-Scaleup, going beyond a handful of early-adopters, Crossing the Chasm to use Geoffrey Moore’s famous title. Stage 3 is a rarefied level where very few are at (generally the ones with eight figure funding). You might perhaps call this moving from being “a Fintech” to a “Mature Business in the FS sector” – they gradually start looking, feeling and acting more like young corporates.  They may IPO, they may remain private, they may sell themselves to an incumbent – but they are recognisably a mature business. Historically a successful journey from inception to IPO/exit takes up to a decade. If you look at UK Stage 3s who aren’t at the exit yet eg Zopa was founded in ’05, Funding Circle in ’10, Crowdcube in ’10, Transferwise in ’11. The bleeding edge phase changes of Stages 2 (“gas to liquid”?) and 3 (“liquid to solid”?) generally require accessing two elements – Capital Markets and Savoir Faire. It is the relative lack of these two factors perhaps that is proving a real “invisible barrier” for many London Fintech Startups and Scaleups right now. In this episode we discuss why this is the case in London. How did it come about? What can we learn from the US? What advantages do we have under our nose? Quite a lot for one episode! RICHARD GOOLD I am extremely fortunate to be joined in this episode to discuss these issues by a man who has spent his whole career to date working with tech companies, and now Fintech companies, at all of the above three stages. Richard Goold is a partner at international lawyers Wragge Lawrence Graham who are the premier Fintech lawyers in London (they have the largest IPO practice on AIM for example). Richard co-chairs the firm’s global Tech Sector Group which comprises 125 lawyers & travels a lot to San Francisco, New York and Boston. He works with all stages of Fintechs from very early Stage 1 (who make use of the firms Jumpstart platform – a suite of free advice and documents) through to nine-figure deals for Stage 3s. He started his career at the firm working with 3i on over 30 transactions in the days when 3i was the biggest investor in technology in Europe.  Thus he has a deep historical understanding about why we are where we are right now. We have a wide-ranging conversation – but for the purposes of a summary I shall gather into “London’s (many) Advantages” and “London’s Four Challenges” (Capital Markets – Funding Gap, Capital Markets – AIM, Savoir Faire, and Savoir what Not to Faire). LONDON PROS “Amazing things are happening here” … “Energy and enthusiasm in the tech ecosystem and Fintech ecosystem specifically is amazing. It’s unlike anything I have seen in any part of the UK economy before” “In Fintech in particular, we have better cornerstones than even the US” Regulatory framework – lighter/better red tape in many cases than elsewhere Law So many global banks and retail banks have HQ or innovation centres or technical centres here Breadth and depth of Financial Services – eg Lloyd’s insurance market world-beating Lots of folks have left mainstream firms and want to do their own things and know how to tap into the Square Mile/Canary Wharf Tech ecosystem here, high profile political support Entrepreneurial spirit Immigration Liberal, cosmopolitan Attracts international business, an international audience. Funding: Seed funding is readily accessible – either through incubators/accelerators or (not discussed explicitly) as folks exit Financial Services having built up significant personal funds to start their own startup without external capital. EIS/SEIS are tax advantageous for investors so raising £150k upwards is very much facilitated LONDON CHALLENGES (1st of 4) CAPITAL MARKETS – THE FUNDING GAP 3i was set up after the 2nd World War to help build the SME economy and grew into Europe’s largest investor in technology. It became a combination of a very large buyout house, growth capital house and VC house. The stockmarket didn’t particularly value the mix. The VC arm was well run (albeit lowest returns of the three businesses). This institutional experience is identical to Michael Nulty’s own empirical experience and investment lessons learned discussed in the prior episode – LFP007 – namely that growth capital and buyouts offer the best and safest returns.  This is a vital fact to which I shall return in the 3rd challenge below. Broadening the dataset out beyond 3i and my last guest Richard quotes an investment banker whose research into European VC returns over the past 15yrs showed a median return of just over 1% [cf growth capital, buyout which can be ~15-20% IRR]. Due to these poor historic VC returns, 3i pulled out and no-one has back-filled.  In contrast to an incredibly diversified VC community in the US, in Europe the list only runs to about ten VCs at which point funders are then into the “super-angels”. US houses are beginning to come over here and invest (excess capital, excess competition for investments in the US and attractive under-VC-ed European market). Furthermore when (and if…) returns pick up should see more money flowing into the sector from pension funds etc. Classically tech funding rounds look like: Seed: £0.5m-1m to build a product [MB: NB: many Fintechs are building their product for far less (“Fintech 10x cheaper than a decade ago”)] A Round: £1-3m in Europe [up to $10m in the US).  This is a key round as you are just starting to get traction. B-C rounds growth or expansion capital – scaling the business. Due to the historic performances outline above, the absolutely critical “A round” (my Stage 2) has become very difficult to get in Europe and it is the funding gap as Richard sees it. “Europe needs a big volume VC that puts money into a large amount of A rounds”. By contrast in the US market there is a lot of activity and froth at this level – so many VCs, so much capital.  Whilst fund-raising is never easy, in the US it is easier and you get VCs trading term sheets etc that you don’t see so much of in Europe. In passing in the UK the much-discussed “froth” is around Stage 1 “startups”/”products” (MB: and in the associated incubators/accelerators space)). LONDON CHALLENGES (2nd of 4) CAPITAL MARKETS – AIM “One of the problems with the UK tech scene generally but the Fintech scene specifically is that we haven’t had a properly functioning capital market for some time actually”. This looks like a problem for the “Stage 3s” rather than “Stage 2s”; however it is the lack of funds that flow from IPOs that feeds back into the funding gap challenge above and into the savoir faire challenge below. New York has pulled away from London in the tech space at least, due to some really good exits and a really well-functioning capital market in NASDAQ. Listen to the podcast to hear what Richard says about the background to this and how things are changing right now. For those of you who haven’t kept a close ear to the ground a flavour of the issue is that the Financial Times – of all newspapers – yesterday ran an article astonishingly entitled “The Muppet Market in Numbers” with a picture of Kermit the frog (!!).  It pointed out that a strategy of buying the ten biggest stocks on AIM and holding for one year would have lost money in 30 of the last 34mts. LONDON CHALLENGES (3rd of 4) – MORE SAVOIR FAIRE in FIN, TECH & BUSINESS This is vitally important.  Given the very poor historic European returns from VC it’s not just a question of (as time and time again one reads :rolls-eyes:) “more money being poured in” - if you pour water into a leaky bucket it just disappears. We must plug the holes in the bucket, we must change the dynamics of scale-up companies in order to make investing in them a better proposition.. a) What type of savoir-faire to be aimed at? We don’t drill into this in the episode but touch on it in passing – perhaps three types Fin, Tech, and Business. Fin in terms of those who have a deep domain expertise and knowledge of how the City, Wharf, Regulation etc really work. Right now there is a trickle from mainstream FS into Stage 1 Fintechs but this needs to mature into joining Stage 1s to help them become Stage 2s and Stage 3s (rather than just creating more Stage 1s). Re Tech and Business – these are folks who have built successful businesses, exited and remain within the sector (as happens in the US eg Buddy Media guy, $700m deal, set up own VC fund (as well as running division of Salesforce)). b) What is the savoir faire aimed at?  What I call “creating a 360 degree company” –  the “180 degrees above the waterline” Product-Marketing-Sales-Client development to the 180 degrees “below the waterline” of infrastructural support for all the above-the-waterline items. [And to go one stage further looking beyond one’s 360 degree company as per Michael Nulty’s LFP007 insights into what sinks otherwise good businesses]. Unless you get these building blocks right you can’t build a Seed company (Stage 1) to an A company (Stage 2) or even if you get the A round you can’t build a global beating company (Stage 3). This savoir faire needs to come to Fintechs in terms of advisers, mentoring, non-execs, in any form – but for sure they need it.  There are some first-rate, very experienced, FS folk, Tech folk, and Business folk out there in the sector but (my feeling) is that across the whole sector they are very much in the minority. LONDON CHALLENGES (4th of 4) – SAVOIR WHAT NOT TO FAIRE (groan!) If savoir faire is what we need to add to the recipe then this section is things we need to take out of the recipe. The recipe for “making Instagram” will differ from “making a fintech” (and there is huge range of types and sub-recipes there) “making a biotech”. Whilst what is missing is perhaps easier to spot, what is there and needs removing appears to be less so. a) I rarely see 360 degree companies in early Fintechs – indeed I even meet some who pride themselves on not being a 360 degree company :-O  One smart Fintech chap was convinced that this was “following the Silicon Valley model” – stick to your USP etc. An interesting if deceptively attractive argument. In “the Valley” with the value-add from the VCs, the relative ease of funding and the 360 degree components “lying around” that might work.  But not in London. This is a good example of too slavishly following the “Silicon” model.  London will never overtake anywhere by being a poor photocopy.  Rather we need to decide what to copy, what not to copy [hence points 3 & 4] and add that to the London Pros above for our own unique recipe. b) as per Richard and passim in prior LFP episodes, there are very different requirements across tech – consumer internet businesses require a different skillset and a different personality to a Fintech company [& also B2C vs B2B Fintechs].  London Fintech won’t be world-beating if we mis-apply consumer web business lessons that are inappropriate (see LFP005 for an “ultra-B2B” Fintech example which has very little in common at all with a Valley approach; ditto LFP002 on the banking side of their innovation marketplace). c) one of my hobby horses, as I have commented in prior episodes, is that in the early stage in London, the explosion of incubators, accelerators and the like can be very juvenile - ping-pong tables, bean bags et al (I even went somewhere this week where we were asked to give our feedback by writing on the wall (?!?) – ooh graffiti how cool (…not)).  As John Shaw, Head of Innovation at Direct Line (LFP006) says, it is a mistake to equate innovation with being childish. d) Finance is a mature, highly-regulated industry – you need deep domain expertise.  You also need to be trusted with people’s money (no easy matter) – you need perhaps to look more like bankers or lawyers than in other tech sectors (eg MediaTech perhaps).  Why hasn’t Transferwise hoovered up all retail currency exchanges as it is 10x cheaper? – as they are not yet trusted as much as existing banks (who also happen to be insured).  Furthermore the “360 degree Fintech building blocks” are more complicated and more costly eg regulatory capital, regulator engagement. e) [LATER ADDITION] one needs to track closely the research on US tech/VC/ecosystem data (and not just channel HBO Silicon Valley :-D).  It’s easy to get sucked into the propaganda/image/spin in our PR-world and not drill down into the actuality (often the data shows that the US model is not as succesful as one might think). Notable recent examples of drilling to the real bedrock are Diane Mulcahy’s excellent Harvard Business Review article “Venture Capitalists Get Paid Well to Lose Money” which points out the poor US VC returns over the past decade, their minimal “skin in the game”, high fees and (ironic this one) a lack of innovation in the VC sector; TechCrunch “Corporate Accelerators are an Oxymoron” and Cohen/Hochberg’s fascinating Seedrankings research on accelerator performance (pdf here, wmv presentation) which is definitely under-reported (& probably under-read :-!) on the UK scene (for example the average participant in the average (US) accelerator program would not recommend to a friend (!); although the best get great approval ratings). THE FUTURE OF LONDON FINTECH If the right things fall into place we could pull away from New York in 3 to 4 yrs time. It doesn’t need a lot of government intervention, but there is a role for government in making sure we keep red tape low, keep regulation relatively light, making sure the UK is a good place to do business and keeping the tax regime benign. In a world where capital is very mobile the more we “upgrade” London Fintech – the more money will flow here and oil the engine and the more prosperity and innovation will be created. Both Richard and I, coming from divergent backgrounds and exposures to Fintech, both agree that London has the opportunity to be world-beating in Fintech. However in order to do this we need more open debate and recognition of issues involved in upgrading “London Fintech 2014″ to “London Fintech 2015″… I hope this episode and this write-up stimulates that debate.

2012 #15: Olbas Tissues - Susan Calman and Tiffany Stevenson. Rich is a bit woozy and under the weather today, not sure of where he is and if it is Edinburgh where that is. It must be nearly all over by now right? His guest Susan Calman has kindly given him some Olbas scented tissues, which he becomes unnaturally obsessed with. Both Richard and Susan have recently married (though not each other - not yet) and they chat about love, but any sweetness will soon be wiped out by the filth spewed by Herring, high on Olbas, who tries and fails to find the politically correct term for two women marrying. With an ex-lawyer in the room and with his head swimming with disease he may not have chosen the right day to discuss if it was possible to rape an animal, but he has a go anyway but there's plenty for fans of Dr Who and penis maps too. Plus a welcome return for Richard's accurate impression of a Scotch person. If illness doesn't kill him, then someone from Scotland probably will. Only 10 more to go - oh God! Stand-up from Tiffany Stevenson.