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The Trump administration's new National Security Strategy is causing a stir in Europe with its searing critique of America's closest allies, including a warning that the continent is facing “civilizational decline”. Ian Lesser, the vice president and Brussels chief of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, joins Thanos Davelis as we take a closer look at what some are already calling the “mother of all wake-up calls” from Washington toward Europe.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Trump Administration Says Europe Faces ‘Civilizational Erasure'Trump warns Europe faces ‘civilizational erasure' in explosive new documentU.S. Flips History by Casting Europe—Not Russia—as Villain in New Security PolicyFarmers step up road blockades across GreecePM urges farmers to scale back protests, promises payments by year-endTurkey, US will find way of removing CAATSA sanctions ‘very soon', Turkish FM says
Tensions deepen between Washington and Brussels as the U.S. pushes Europe to take over NATO defense by 2027. Japan accuses Chinese jets of radar lock near Okinawa. Coffee growers reconsider the maligned robusta bean. Plus, young workers turn to trade jobs to stay 'AI-proof'. Listen to Morning Bid podcast here. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter here. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast here. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2025-12-07 | DAILY UPDATES #073 | Tonight, we're in Brussels, breaking down the comments of a pusillanimous and pathetic excuse for a leader, that's holding the financial keys to a war he claims can't be won. Yet he's not prepared to take a risk for the sake of Ukraine's or Europe's freedom. It's clowns like this that will destroy the European project and contribute to shattering of peace on the continent.Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has just told the world that “Who seriously believes Russia is going to lose in Ukraine? It's a fable – a total illusion… not even desirable for Russia to lose.” (Kyiv Post) I wonder if he speaks Russian. If not, he better start learning it. ----------SOURCES: Kyiv Post – “‘Not Even Desirable for Russia to Lose': Belgian PM Opposes Asset Confiscation” (Dec. 4, 2025)Kyiv Independent – “The key to ending the war is in Brussels — Ukrainians react to Belgium's Russian asset loan opposition.” Kyiv Independent – “Belgian PM renews opposition to Russian frozen-assets reparations loan.” Kyiv Independent – “The EU's ambitious plan for frozen Russian assets, explained.” Le Monde – “Belgium resists unfreezing Russian assets held in Brussels.” Brussels Institute for Geopolitics – “The poisoned chalice of Russia's frozen assets” by Luuk van Middelaar. AP News – “The EU lays out a plan to fund Ukraine using frozen Russian assets but Belgium says it's too risky.” Financial Times – “ECB refuses to provide backstop for €140bn Ukraine loan.” Reuters – Coverage of De Wever–von der Leyen–Merz talks, and Russian Duma and Medvedev threats over asset seizure. The Guardian – “European Commission plans ‘reparations loan' to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets” and follow-up pieces on Ukraine funding negotiations. Washington Post – Opinion on “The European Union's hypocrisies on Ukraine.” ----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------
Alan Reinhardt, is an educator, mentor and friend. In September of 2025 he published a collection of poetry, selected from more than 40 years of his creative works. This special podcast celebrates Alan's wit, wisdom, and his wonder of the human connection. Along the way we discuss – # 200 (1:00), the Tome (2:00), the Tree (6:45), Section One: Childhood Memories (8:30), Encountering Ed Gilfeather (11:15), Dead Man's Curve (14:15), The Waiting Room (16:30), Section Two: Portraits (18:35), Aerophobia (20:30), Blue Flowers (23:30), Section Three: Observations of Life (24:20), A Landscape of Suitable Distance (26:00), Greetings from Brussels (28:30), Dean's Complaint (30:55), the Creative Process (32:00), Episode # 300 (35:15) and Philip Roth (36:30). Bonus – Mosholu Parkway (41:30). Find Alan's book @ A Landscape of Suitable Distance Special thanks to our guest readers – Andrea Becker, Elizabeth Bitgood, Ted Glynn, Janet Newman, Sonya Reinhardt, and Natalie Glynn-Reinhardt. This podcast is partnered with LukeLeaders1248, a nonprofit that provides scholarships for the children of military Veterans. Send a donation, large or small, through PayPal @LukeLeaders1248; Venmo @LukeLeaders1248; or our website @ www.lukeleaders1248.com. You can also donate your used vehicle @ this hyperlink – CARS donation to LL1248. Music intro and outro from the creative brilliance of Kenny Kilgore. Lowriders and Beautiful Rainy Day.
This week, the Trump administration temporarily halted all asylum application decisions following the shooting of two National Guardsmen by an Afghan refugee. CT's Andy Olsen joins Mike Cosper and Russell Moore to discuss the implications of this change. Then, Dalibor Rohac of the American Enterprise Institute stops by to talk about Russia's rejection of the U.S.'s 28-point proposal for ending the war in Ukraine, despite indications that the proposal was overly favorable to Russia. Last, Mike and Russell talk about the fallout from the U.S. Navy's attack of alleged Venezuelan drug boats and whether the U.S. committed war crimes by killing survivors. REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: -‘Amid Peace Talks, Russian Drone Damages Christian School in Kyiv' by Jill Nelson -‘Trump's full 28-point Ukraine-Russia peace plan' - Axios GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: -Join the conversation at our Substack. -Find us on YouTube. -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Andy Olsen is the senior features writer at Christianity Today. He previously oversaw the print magazine team. His writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune, among other outlets, and has been recognized by the Religion News Association and the Evangelical Press Association. Dalibor Rohac is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, where he studies the political economy of the European Union and transatlantic relations. He is concurrently a research associate at the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies in Brussels. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: TJ Hester Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode Title: Kim Jefferson on Menopause, Weight Gain, and Ditching Diet Culture RulesEpisode Summary:In this compelling episode, host Beverley Simpson sits down with Kim Jefferson, a fitness coach specializing in women over 40, to discuss the transformative journey of navigating menopause, hormonal shifts, and breaking free from restrictive diet culture. Kim shares her personal story of early menopause and how traditional fitness approaches failed her, leading her to develop a revolutionary coaching philosophy centered on flexibility, self-compassion, and sustainable habits. The conversation explores how women can achieve their health goals without rigid rules, the importance of experimentation, and practical strategies for building lasting lifestyle changes that honor both physical and mental well-being.Key Discussion Points:0:00-2:00: Introduction and Kim's background working with women over 40 who struggle with body changes despite "doing everything right"2:00-5:30: Kim's personal early menopause journey and the dismissive response from her doctor ("stop eating sandwiches")5:30-10:00: Symptoms Kim experienced: hot flashes, unexplained weight gain, sleep issues, brain fog, and fatigue—despite maintaining her fitness routine10:00-15:00: How Kim discovered functional medicine and the importance of proper hormonal testing and professional support15:00-20:00: The identity crisis of being a fitness professional gaining weight and the psychological impact of not "looking the part"20:00-25:00: Discussion on unrealistic fitness expectations, bodybuilding as an extreme sport, and the difference between being lean and being healthy25:00-30:00: Introduction of Kim's "non-negotiables" concept from her New Zealand trip—flexible discipline that works in real life30:00-35:00: The "take what you need, leave the rest" philosophy inspired by Bruce Lee and Alan Cosgrove35:00-40:00: How Kim works with clients to identify their non-negotiables (e.g., Friday night pizza) and builds sustainable protocols around them40:00-45:00: The problem with all-or-nothing thinking and why giving clients permission to break "diet rules" is transformative45:00-50:00: Kim's approach to nutrition: focusing on protein, fiber, and vegetables rather than restrictive meal plans50:00-55:00: Favorite fiber sources: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, winter squashes, and green beans55:00-60:00: The concept of "fixing your house foundation" before specialty diets—addressing basic nutrition before complex protocols60:00-65:00: Major client breakthroughs: permission to eat without guilt and enjoying meals without diet mentality65:00-70:00: Working with former bodybuilders and the challenge of unlearning obsessive tracking behaviors70:00-75:00: Kim's transition from in-person to online coaching (15 years ago, not forced by 2020)75:00-80:00: How Kim started writing workouts for clients during summer months when gym income dropped80:00-85:00: The evolution of online fitness coaching and how it's transformed the industryCONNECT WITH KIM JEFFERSONInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimjeffersoncoach/Facebook Group: Fit Girl Magic Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/611961752229951Podcast: [Fit Girl Magic] https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fit-girl-magic-healthy-living-for-women-over-40/id1476883661Support the show
In this episode, Adam and Nina are together in Brussels recording the latest updates on the news from the region. The biggest discussion is around the diplomatic flurry over the last week and the remodelled 28-point peace plan between the US, Russia and Ukraine. Adam reflects on the current situation and discusses what might be next. They also discuss Viktor Orban's visit to MoscowLater, Nina sits down in Brussels with Peter Vermeersch, a professor of Politics and Eastern European Studies at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven, Belgium), and a writer of essays, reportage, and narrative non-fiction. They discuss his latest book Pollslag (Pulse) and, more broadly, the role of music as a form of resistance against authoritarianism beyond Belarus.During the interview, Peter mentions several artists featured in this Spotify playlist:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3YmjGTewBHutfgJWUOASiD?si=jcJ-lu-OSj6dr8csRAf8PAPollslag was initially written for a Belgian audience, and Peter is now planning to translate it into English. In the meantime, you can read his non-fiction story about his family to get a sense of his narrative style: https://petervermeersch.craft.me/hbzUOUDh9tgMxIPeter is also part of the Forum on Central and Eastern Europe at the University of Leuven, which aims to bring insights from the region to Belgian audiences: https://fcee.beThe Forum also produces its own podcast, Studio Central Eastern Europe, offering brief and concise insights into new research on the region for English-speaking audiences: https://soc.kuleuven.be/lines/fcee/fcee-studio/studio-ceePeter also works as a researcher–photographer. His photographs from Minsk (2016) can be found here: https://vsco.co/petervermeersch/journal/belarusAnd read Adam's op-ed on the Ukraine peace talks via Brief Eastern Europe: https://briefeasterneurope.eu/p/december-1-2025For our Patrons, Peter stayed on to speak about visual art and Belarusian pro-democracy activism outside of Belarus. The bonus content can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-247-145134701
In episode 1974, Jack and Miles are joined by comedian and host of Spaced Out, Blair Socci, to discuss… Trump Called Affordability a Scam and a Con Job, Quentin Tarantino Randomly Picks Fight With Paul Dano, Stealing Baby Jesus Has Become A Holiday Tradition and more! Trump Called Affordability a Scam and a Con Job Quentin Tarantino trashes 'weak sauce' There Will Be Blood star: 'The weakest male actor in SAG' Quentin Tarantino's 10 best movies of the 21st century Quentin Tarantino Explains His Love For ‘The Lone Ranger’ Faceless Nativity scene on Brussels’ Grand Place sparks international controversy A controversial infant Jesus is stolen from a Belgian Nativity scene Away from the manger: Jesus stolen from Brussels nativity in 'zombie' row 'A provocation without purpose?' Brussels split over 'faceless' nativity scene in Grand Place Thefts of Baby Jesus Statues Unnerve New Jersey Churches GPS, hidden cameras watch over Baby Jesus Baby Jesus theft The Stolen Baby Jesus Syndrome How to Keep Baby Jesus in the Manger? Bolts, Cameras and Tethers How Indiana churches hope to stop thieves from stealing Baby Jesus New York Times and 20/20 Spotlight BrickHouse Holiday Theft-Prevention Tech Man convicted of stealing Baby Jesus statue from Northern Liberties church speaks out Theft of baby Jesus figure may be hate crime, authorities say Police: Homeless woman replaced baby Jesus with pig's head Woman Charged With Replacing Jesus Nativity Statue With Pig's Head In Haverhill Statue Of Jesus Stolen In 1930s Anonymously Returned To Hoboken Church LISTEN: Dreamflower by Tarika BlueSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Lesley and Brad revisit Lesley's conversation with fat loss and mindset coach Amy Ledin, co-founder of Lean Bodies Consulting. They share how Amy uses identity-based habits, Daily Agreement Cards (DAC's), and simple appearance rituals to help her show up as the person she wants to be while navigating stage four cancer. They also break down her 5 for 50 Habits Framework and how scripting your future self can rewrite negative self-perception.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:How appearance rituals can help you reflect the identity you want.How future-self scripting can reshape mental loops on negative self-talk.How Daily Agreement Cards can turn vague intentions into daily commitments.How the 5 for 50 approach can simplify long-term habit building.How identity-led actions can make starting new habits feel more doable.Episode References/Links:OPC Winter Tour - https://opc.me/tourAgency Waitlist - https://prfit.biz/eventsPilates Journal Expo - https://xxll.co/pilatesjournalCambodia Retreat Waitlist - https://crowsnestretreats.comAgency Mini - https://prfit.biz/miniContrology Pilates Conference in Poland - https://xxll.co/polandContrology Pilates Conference in Brussels - https://xxll.co/brusselsCan You Travel Around the World Teaching Pilates? - https://beitpod.com/teachingabroadPlanke App - https://plankeapp.comSubmit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questionsAmy Ledin Website - https://www.leanbodiesconsulting.comLean Bodies Consulting - https://facebook.com/leanbodiesconsultingEpisode 5: Amy Ledin - https://beitpod.com/ep5Episode 85 : Dr. Celeste Holbrook - https://beitpod.com/ep85 If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00 There's so many different reasons to have things that help you show up as the identity that you want to be so you can actually do the thing that you want to do. Lesley Logan 0:09 Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. Lesley Logan 0:48 Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co-host in life, Brad, and I are going to dig into the unfaltering convo I had with Amy Ledin in our last episode. Brad Crowell 0:59 The what convo? Lesley Logan 1:00 Unfaltering. Brad Crowell 1:01 Unfaltering. Love that. Lesley Logan 1:03 Yeah. If you haven't yet listened to that interview, you are definitely going in and out of order. But that's fine. It's totally fine. We're actually. Brad Crowell 1:11 We don't do perfection here. Lesley Logan 1:12 We don't and but also, this kicks off our Habits series. Brad Crowell 1:19 This one? Lesley Logan 1:19 Yes. Lesley Logan 1:20 Oh, I didn't know that. Lesley Logan 1:21 We are in the Habits series. You don't even know. Brad Crowell 1:23 I know that's amazing. Well, I was gonna comment that it was coming up because the two of you talked a lot about habits.Lesley Logan 1:28 Yeah, yeah. So she kicked us off in this interview, in case, the way I talk about habits doesn't exactly work for you. Amy is a great person at habits. And then several episodes, they're like 15, 20, minutes of me actually, just like breaking down how habits work. And so you can, you'll have episodes you can actually come back to anytime you need to go back through a habit. Brad Crowell 1:53 Love that. Lesley Logan 1:54 I know.Brad Crowell 1:55 So this is 611 so just remember episode 611 kicks off the Habits series. Brad Crowell 1:59 Well, 610. Oh, the interview with her, 610 so, yeah, the last episode. So you really should go back and listen to it, if you haven't already, it's worth it.Lesley Logan 2:08 You should. So, but before that, you'll listen to us talk about how today is December 4th 2025, and it's World Wildlife Conservation Day day. According to Brad's notes, day day. Brad Crowell 2:19 Day, day. Lesley Logan 2:20 Day day, all right, World Wildlife Conservation Day is on December 4th and we're so excited to spread awareness about preserving Earth's endangered flora and fauna. What do you think the most invasive species on the earth is? Monkeys, catfish, locusts? Well, I'm just gonna pause before I say what I'm about to say the second to the last sentence does make me feel like these people do care about the animals, and I'm gonna get it, bring it back to the animals, but we do have to talk about how it's us humans, and it's not because you're not having enough babies, ladies, that's not it at all. Actually, it's because nature's most magnificent, are we really, nature's most magnificent creatures, world, wildlife, people, I don't think so, are becoming endangers and being pushed the brink of extinction by the greed of some humans. Okay, so really, animals.Brad Crowell 3:06 No, they're saying that animals and plants are being pushed to extinction because of humans. Lesley Logan 3:13 Because of humans. Okay, all right, so, so, oh, I see we're the most invasive species. Brad Crowell 3:19 That's right. We are the most invasive species. Lesley Logan 3:21 We are the most, I read that as endangered. So okay, so I'll take it all the, well, first of all, we don't need to have any more babies because we are the most invasive species. There it is. But it's true. I just get so tired of people thinking like we're gonna run out of people. We're not gonna run out of people, because the Earth is gonna get too hot for people, because we are being assholes, so this is causing irreparable harm to the wildlife ecosystem. So, just so you know, here are the animals that are in danger right now. One of the most rarest cats in the world is the Amur leopard. There's only about 100 of them left. The vaquita is a small porpoise from the Gulf of California with only eight to 13 estimated to be left. And the rhino. Multiple species are actually critically endangered, largely due to poaching for their horns. And it's really sad about the rhino, because have you seen a baby rhino? They're so cute. The orangutan, all species of orangutans are critically endangered because of the habitat loss from deforestation, and they're being hunted or captured as infants. I watch this incredible thing about how they're trying to create habitats for orangutans, but then they have to take the orangutans that are used to being around people and like, teach them to be orangutans again, it's really quite cute. The saola, saola, an elusive forest dwelling animal in the Annamite Mountain, sometimes called the Asian unicorn, saola, an Asian unicorn? Well, we got to see this. Sunda pangolin, over-exploited for their meat and scales with illegal trade and a major threat. And then the bugs we got to be worried about, the salt Creek tiger beetle, the butterflies, the McCarthy's plant-louse and a giant torrent midge. And, I mean, do we need the midges? I don't know if that's the same as a midge in Scotland. Brad Crowell 3:21 What is it? Lesley Logan 3:21 Giant torrent midge.Brad Crowell 3:21 All right, images, oh, I don't actually know what I'm looking at here.Lesley Logan 3:21 It's giving me, AI is giving me 75 different kinds of animals, none of which, I think are the midge.Brad Crowell 3:21 It feels like it's, it's kind of in the antlered world. But a bunch of bugs came up. Lesley Logan 3:21 Yeah, a bunch. But did you find the Asian unicorn?Brad Crowell 3:21 I did. And it actually is like the spindly, horned like. Lesley Logan 3:21 Okay, you know what it looks like, everyone? It looks like, it looks like the Target dog on a deer with horns. It does. Not white, but like the snout.Brad Crowell 4:44 It's got, it's the bull terrier face, but it has antlers that are spinning like spindling. They spin. Lesley Logan 3:55 All these to say, the we are endangering a.Brad Crowell 4:41 Twist, they twist. Lesley Logan 4:41 And, oh, and we're endangering a lot of animals. And when one animal goes it actually affects a whole chain. And as humans, I think that we are really getting into we're too self-absorbed, even when we think we're doing the right thing. So just be mindful of what you're doing. And you know, we're we're making the earth too hot, and it's going to be a problem for everybody. So that's World Wildlife, you know, conservation day, humans are an invasive species, not endangered one. Okay, I read that totally wrong. Sorry about that. Anyways. Also, today is the day we have left for the tour.Brad Crowell 4:41 Yeah, we hit the road, and that's exciting. We are heading to Colorado.Lesley Logan 4:41 Yeah, we're going to Colorado Springs. That event sold out. Both things sold out in like a week, so yeah, and then we'll be in Fayetteville, and then we're gonna keep on going, opc.me/tour, is where you can get your tickets and. Brad Crowell 3:55 There are still a few tickets left, y'all, but I don't know which cities, so just hop over to opc.me/tour, and come join us. Come hang out. It'll be so fun to meet you in person.Lesley Logan 5:49 We really want to. It's one of the best ways for us to hang out, and there's lots of prizes. Balanced Body is our sponsor of this tour, and that means we're bringing our Controlology equipment with us. We're bringing Bayon with us. This is the biggest one. This one has 23 cities, so we've outdone ourselves, truly have and we will see how we are on the other side. So, but also while we're on tour. You know, we talked about this last month, but we did not do a sale for Profitable Pilates this past week. I guess it would have been for the Thanksgiving holiday, because we're doing something really special December 26th to the 31st and so you're gonna want, if you've ever wanted to try out Agency, if you've ever wanted to experience what's like, to be coached with us, and you want to get it on a discount, you are going to want to make sure that you are paying attention to our emails. And so the best thing you can do is go to prfit.biz/events, because that'll get you on the waitlist. Actually, just wrote a waitlist email for those people, yes, and that way you will not miss out on this amazing opportunity, and it will in the come back around, okay. And then after the new year, we come home, we literally unpack the van. I'm getting my roots and my nails done. I literally told the team, there's zero things that can happen on that day. There's only two things that can happen on that day, because my roots will be five weeks out, and so will my nails. And we have never tested that before in life. Brad Crowell 6:56 So I'm gonna basically unpack the van and repack the van while she's getting her nails done.Lesley Logan 6:10 I know I and we haven't even decided for taking I guess we're taking the van. So we're I'm gonna be teaching at the Pilates Journal Expo in Huntington Beach. Brad's gonna be at the booth. We've got some fun fireside chats. It depends on if those rugs that we are picking up fit in the other car. So you guys, oh my God, do you want to know this? We have six rugs that are waiting for us to pick them up, six and they're huge, and the last thing I needed in this house was a rug. But I couldn't say no to six rugs. So I have to now maybe get rid of some rugs, or we're gonna layer some rugs, unclear, but this is, this is the things that Brad and I on our ADHD have to figure out. However, we are going to somehow, some car is going to take us to L.A. and that car will pick up some rugs before we're at the Expo. And then Brad will be at the booth. I'll be running around. I'm doing a fun chat with Ken Edelman. I'm doing a fireside chat that I think Erika Quest is hosting. I got a couple workshops in a class so go to xxll.co/pilatesjournal. And then, also, in January, besides being at my birthday, we are going to let the wait list people in on an amazing deal on the retreat to Cambodia next October. So it happens in January. Why? Because we want to kick off the new year. Help you plan your massive travel for the end of the year and have some fun with us. You can plan the, you get to think about it all year long how cool is that, You'll want to go to crowsnestretreats.com to get on that waitlist, because, again, only the waitlist people get the discount. Brad Crowell 9:52 Yeah, and we're gonna have a call in January, middle of January, basically, to we're just gonna hang out and talk about it all. And answer questions for you. So if you were like, you know, it's interesting, but I'm unsure. Come join us for the call. We're going to email the wait list about the call. So go on the waitlist. Go to crowsnestretreats.com, you'll just see it on the homepage. Scroll down a little bit towards the bottom, and you'll see, you know, find out about the upcoming events and whatever. So we'll be able to email you the Zoom link. And yeah, we're just going to hang out and talk about it, and we'll probably invite a couple of our past retreaters to join us, so you can ask them questions and all the things. But I next year is going to be it's gonna be a big, a big trip. I'm excited. It's gonna be awesome. And we have, we've already had, we've literally already had people start getting tickets. Okay, I know they got a secret sale, and a bunch of people were like, yes, please. So just saying.Lesley Logan 10:44 They're like, people like, how do I get the secret sale? Apparently they just asked you guys. I'm pretty sure that's how it went. Then in February, we will have our Agency Mini, but it's happening in February. I don't have the dates in front of us, so pfit.biz/mini will make sure that you do not miss out on when that is happening but.Brad Crowell 11:01 Profit without the O slash mini. Lesley Logan 11:03 If you paid attention to what's happening on December 26th to the 31st you will not miss out on that Mini. So I'm just hinting, hinting.Brad Crowell 11:12 Hinting. Lesley Logan 11:12 I think I'm hinting on the right thing. The team will let me know. In March, I will be in Poland, and we will also be in Brussels. So if you and with Karen Frischmann, so if you want to learn in an intimate setting and for like, long days of amazingness with Karen and I, then you're gonna want to go to xxll.co/poland or xxll.co/brussels to snag your spot. And then at the time we're recording this, we have, they have not announced POT London, but we will be there. And so if you go to xxl.co/pot, you'll see all the POTs that are happening next year. Brad Crowell 11:47 That's right. Lesley Logan 11:48 So when London is there, you will see it there. And if it's not there, you can see all the other things. And just because we're sitting in there doesn't mean we're going to be at all those things. Brad Crowell 12:00 No, that's true. Lesley Logan 12:00 So don't get mad. Brad Crowell 11:57 We'll be at the London one. Lesley Logan 11:58 We'll be at the London one for sure. Well, I'll be teaching at the London one for sure. Brad Crowell 12:01 Oh yeah. Lesley Logan 12:02 Okay, now we have to answer an audience question, and then we can get into the amazingness of Ame Ledin. Brad Crowell 12:08 Yes. So okay, we had a great question. This is from SamCrecco. Samantha asks from IG, hi, I came across your page, and it has really motivated me to make a change. I am an elementary school teacher, and I've been teaching Pilates on the side for about two years now. As a former dancer, I've always had a passion for health and wellness. I'm looking to teach Pilates abroad for a short amount of time, maybe three months, but I'm open to longer. I was wondering if you have any suggestions on how to get started. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you, Sam.Lesley Logan 12:40 Yeah, so, Sam, you it's so here's what is amazing about being a Pilates instructor. You can kind of go anywhere and get a job, like most studios need people. But on profitablepilates.com we actually had a great blog written by Roxy Menzies about being a traveling Pilates instructor, and it's like, I think that we published it like eight years ago and or maybe seven years ago, and it is still the top red blog, one of the top red blogs on the website, because it's such a hot topic. And so I absolutely recommend reading that book, reading that book, reading that blog, because she did that for years. She was a traveling Pilates instructor. She did it for years, until she settled down and had a family. So I would check out that blog post. There's also, and I think it's linked in that blog post, there's also, there, at least was a Facebook group for traveling Pilates instructors. Like, I'm not a I'm not hugely active on Facebook, so I understand, like, I don't know how that will work, but you can go in there and see what that is. And then there's a couple other apps where, like, studios will put job postings. I think, Planke does it P-L-A-N-K-E, the PMA has a job board. Essentially, though, like you would just be surprised what like, because here's the thing you're gonna need to know what your kind of style of teaching is called, because obviously that's for some students that's going to matter, or for you to enjoy yourself that might matter. And then sometimes they just post things in in groups, or they tell a friend, or you can, you can let people know. One of the girls who did eLevate, she actually ran someone's studio for six weeks in Hawaii. So she got to live in the woman's house and live in Hawaii on an island by the beach, and run her studio. So the woman could take six weeks off like, what a dream. I think it's amazing. Brad Crowell 14:20 I'm all about that. I mean, maybe not at this point in my life, because I do have a family and a house. But you know, if I was 20 years younger and in this position, it sounds so fun. Lesley Logan 14:32 Oh, if we still had the apartment in L.A. when we when we didn't have the studio, this would have been like, like, upper alley, but now I'm, like, just not gonna pay me enough. But, well, you're, you have to, but, but Sam is in the perfect place. Like, she's like that, and she should take advantage of it. I think, like so many people, like, oh, this is what I should do. No, if you are not like, like you, if you don't have like, a lease that you're like, dedicated to, like, if it's easy for you to be mobile., well, you should do that while you can, because you haven't you will meet and learn. Meet so many people, learn so many things. You'll learn about yourself. It's like, the same reason why you should come to Cambodia, like, there's just things you have to do in your life so that you can truly level up and figure out what you really want to do. Like, that's the cool thing about being a Pilates instructor. Maybe some people will do this for their whole lifetime, and some people will do it seasonally as a as like a thing that they do until they figure out what they want to do. I love that. So anyways.Brad Crowell 15:27 I'm in. Well, thanks for asking that question. If you have a question, you can ask us, go to beitpod.com/questions where you can leave a win or a question, beitpod.com/questions and last week, we got to read out one, and we'd love to hear one from you. So stick around. We'll be right back. We're going to dig into this great conversation that Lesley had with Amy Ledin, and we'll be right back. Brad Crowell 15:50 All right. Now, let's talk about Amy Ledin. Amy Ledin is a fat loss and mindset coach. She's the cofounder of Lean Bodies Consulting and the host of the F* It Podcast. She helps women in midlife create lasting transformation through training, nutrition and identity-based habit change. Great. Lesley Logan 16:09 What? Great. Brad Crowell 16:13 Great. Yeah, it's so great. Actually, you know what I really appreciated was I've been around you for so long now with your habits training with BJ Fogg, and just listening to you talk about the process and how it all works. And it was, it was really fun to listen to somebody else talk about habits and habit forming and building with her clients. But it's, I thought it was cool because it was identity-based habit change and not just like habit change. So that's pretty awesome. She uses tools like the DAC, which are her daily agreement cards, which we talked about all the way back in episode two, I think, or three. Lesley Logan 16:13 She was episode five. Brad Crowell 16:13 Just kidding, way back in the beginning, five, her DACs. She still uses those. She helps clients reprogram the mental loops that keep them stuck and build a body that reflects their discipline, a stage four nonsmall cell lung cancer fighter, Amy continues to lead and inspire through resilience, integrity and action. And yeah, I know. Lesley Logan 16:13 This was a big episode. Brad Crowell 16:13 This is a pretty big episode. It was also like.Lesley Logan 16:21 We're gonna spoil some things as we talk about it, so if you didn't listen, it won't be a surprise when you're listening. But like it was, she has cancer right now.Brad Crowell 17:06 Recurring, for the fourth time recurring, and this time it's, it's attacked her brain. Lesley Logan 17:10 I know I'm really upset. I'm like, I'm I'm frustrated for her. And we have another friend who's going through something similar. It's like, the second time, and you're just like, you know, like, it's just so frustrating because, like, of course, they're also the people, like, doing the work and caring for other people, and they're so generous and all that they do, and you're just like, like, why can't it be the fucking asshole over there? You know? Why? You know, but that doesn't get to be that person. So we can, we can get into that in a little bit. But I actually want to talk some other things. I did love that she said.Brad Crowell 17:58 Yeah, before that, I just wanted to say, you know, thanks for the update, Amy. And I just wanted to say that I appreciated her honesty. You know, I'm glad you asked the question the way you asked, which was like, how's it going with cancer? Do you still have cancer? What's what's going on? And she said, yes. And instead of being like, Oh, I'm so sorry. You said I'm sorry, but you know, like, how does that make you feel? Like, do you feel like? I can't remember exactly what you asked, but it was something about like, do you, are you sad, are you tired of being sorry? Are you tired of people saying that? And she said, I'm actually tired of it, and I'm tired of also being the strong one, because people always tell her wow, you might, you're so strong, you know. And she's like, I don't want to be that anymore. I've been doing that for a long time, fighting this, and it's, you know, she doesn't want to do that. So I just thought it was a really candid conversation about somebody who's going through something that, you know, the first times were probably like, debilitating and crushing, and this time it's almost, it's got to be, like, some kind of a routine at this point.Lesley Logan 19:08 I mean, I think we just talked about, like, how she didn't even tell them right away, because it's like, you just don't like, you just don't even want to, like, go through the things that people are going to say.Brad Crowell 19:17 We all know what they're going to say. I mean, we've, we've done it with our pets, you know and, you know. And I'm not, I'm not carrying them in that way. But the the recurring trauma of something that's tragic happening a second time, you know, I can only imagine what, yeah, you know, a fourth time, you know, so I just wanted to say thank you for asking it the way you did. And Amy, thanks for being candid and being willing to share. And you know.Lesley Logan 19:45 Also, like, I don't we were like, we would talk before the episode started and it didn't come up. No. And so I was like, oh, Jesus fuck. Like, you know shouldn't tell. And also, and here's the other thing, that it's really important for us to hear, at no point did I go. She never told me, like, as, if you know what I mean, like, like, it's an affront. You should have told me, how come you didn't tell me. It's like, I think it's, you know.Brad Crowell 20:08 That's like, narcissism. Lesley Logan 20:09 I, I don't even, it's, it might not mean you might not be a narcissist who does, who says that, and you still say, but like, it's, well, it's never, by the way, it's never about you. In fact, if, like, just okay, if you're someone in my life who I'm not calling it's probably not about you. It's probably me, most likely, 99.9% of the time, it's me. So you know, and so I if any of your friends are like me at all, it's also them, it's not you. So if it is you, you can just say, Hey, I'm actually a little surprised. And if it is me, I just want to know if it's not me. No, no need to say anything, but, like, it's probably not you, but so at no point did I think that, but I was just like, geez, this fucking sucks. She because she is so strong, but she's gonna be so tired, because people will always say to me, they're like, you're so resilient. It's like, I'm fucking tired of being resilient. So anyways, she's a badass. Let's get into some of the reasons why she is she said on body and identity, and this is another reason why I like the way that she talks about habits, because, like, she talks about it as embodying it. And I think I should have spot one of my clients the other day or the other another episode where she's like, I'm a healthy person, like, it's an identity that she wants to be, and a healthy person won't, like, cancel their Pilates session so I'm here even though I would prefer to be laying in bed, right? Like, so I was so proud of her. I was like, I'm so proud of you. Because, like, that's how you can that's how you can make changes in your life. It doesn't have to be habits. I make changes. And so she said on embodied identity, you have got to show up as the person you want to be. And so for Amy, she talked about how she puts on her makeup and she does her hair, and she consciously avoids verbalizing her pain or fatigue with what she's going through, managing her stage four cancer, because she's really focusing on your body goes in the direction you speak to it. Your body goes in the direction you speak to it. We've all heard like, where your energy goes. That's where it flows, right like, so you can focus on all the negative things that are happening in your life. And guess what you're gonna see all the negative things. And guess what you're watering all the you're literally watering the negative things. But if you're focusing on, and it's not a toxic positivity type of focus, but if you're focusing on showing up as the person you want to be, and putting your focus in that direction, it is going to get you there. And she said, she said she emphasized the power of maintaining her appearance as a tool to influence her self-perception. So I love this. I do this too, because whenever I feel a little tired, we'll run down if I look in the room like, oh, I didn't get dressed today, of course, like, but maybe it's I also I didn't sleep. But, like.Brad Crowell 22:49 I know what you mean, you just kind of, you know, roll out of bed and keep going and (inaudible).Lesley Logan 22:53 Some days it happens and you're like, oh, no wonder I'm feeling like, not myself. You put everything on. And even if that doesn't solve the world's problems, it kind of you look at yourself in the mirror, you go, I look good, right? Like, I look great. So she said, not many people realize that it's a big superpower. You want to see reflection of who you're wanting to be feeling like, like in the mirror, you know? So I think some people can get a little weird about, like, oh, putting on makeup and doing my hair. Like, that's so superficial. It's not, guys. Yes, there are people that are superficial who do that, but like, for most of us, it is kind of the thing that helps us show up more as the person we want to be because we're fighting on the outside.Brad Crowell 23:33 You know, it's like, I think corporate usually it's weird about it, because every you know, it can become like, a competition and stuff. But like, you know, there is a reason that people wear a suit and tie in a corporate environment, right. It changes the way you you it's supposed to change the way you act. Lesley Logan 23:53 Yeah, yeah. There's a reason why there's uniforms at schools. It's like, kind of so that everyone is, like, not in pajamas at school. But also, like, you know, supposedly supposed to help people, like, not be wanting to be each other. But like, kind of also like this, if it's your job to go to school, like, then you have to wear uniform, you know. So I get it. Brad Crowell 24:10 I definitely have found myself changing my shirt before I get on Zoom calls now where I'm like, you know, like, my old T shirts aren't really my vibe anymore, and as much as I enjoy them for, you know, running around or, you know, weekend, yard work, they're, they're the wrong vibe for when I'm coaching or I'm on a call or whatever. And, yeah, it definitely gives you a different perception of yourself.Lesley Logan 24:35 Yeah. And I think, like, I just think that, you know, a lot of a lot of us are taking notes from people who maybe what they're saying means well. Like, especially if you're like, oh my God, I have to spend so much time getting ready every day. Yeah, you don't need that stuff. But like, if you are trying to feel like a more positive person who feels strong and as a leader, like these things can help. You know, Dr Celeste Holbrook calls that she calls them harm reduction acts, like she would love to not wear makeup, and she would love to not have to put on a clothes that match, but for her to get her message out, she understands that there is a way that she needs to show up, and if she shows up that way, she reduces the harm she could get in the comments. And so she also, like, does this thing in the morning, so that she can put these things on, so can show up in the way that she wants to be received, so that she can give her message out there. So there's so many different reasons to have things that help you show up as the identity that you want to be. So you can actually do the thing that you want to do. Brad Crowell 25:41 Yeah, well, that, that leads pretty straight into what I enjoyed, what she was talking about. She was talking about, how we, how do we create change in ourselves, and how do we, you know, habit forming, and all that kind of stuff, the self-talk, the way that we we what we're thinking. It's really interesting, because I'm like, super analytical and a little bit sarcastic is the wrong word, but cynical is the right word, right? So I'm a little bit cynical. So, you know, I feel like there can be this dissidence of like, oh, when I say these happy things, I'm still lying to myself, because it's not reality. But what, what she's talking about were, was basically the way that you say the things to your brain really matters, and it really needs to be identity shifting, the things that you say to yourself. So like, for example, what I've noticed this is just very basic, but if I wake up and I go, I feel tired. I probably feel tired all day. But if I wake up and I and I say, I'm ready to go, then I'm going to be ready to go all day. You know, especially if you're like, I feel good, I feel good. I'm ready. Let's do this right? And so in that same vein, she advocates for scripting or writing out your day as if you were already your future self. So this is like future casting, right? And this is also like, you know, you call it manifesting, or whatever, but the idea is that you're who is it that you want it to be? Who do you want to be? Who do you how do you want to operate? You know, how do you want to think if you create a script for that, you know? And she talks about, you know, I am someone who is good at making decisions, and I make decisions that benefit my myself, my future, my family, and, you know, every decision that I make is helps lead us towards the path that we're going down. This kind of a thing where it doesn't, it's, you know, it certainly can be right? And she said, script this, because what happens is you're rewiring your brain, right? She said, your brain doesn't actually see the difference between your future self being a scripted version of yourself and the current self, right? And what you're doing. She said, since 91% of your thoughts are repetitive, which is crazy, because I thought it was only 80s, she said, 91. Lesley Logan 25:42 I think it's probably 91. Brad Crowell 25:42 She said, consciously scripting is a new you know, your new reality is essential for breaking away from old patterns. And you're trying to show that you can change. You know you're you're changing who you are and when you as you're scripting this, whatever it is going to be for the future, this mantra that you're going to create for yourself, there will come a point that you're you start to adopt it in the way that you think. So it might sound cheesy and weird, but give it a try. You know, I think this is actually really interesting.Lesley Logan 26:51 Yeah. I actually really like this. And I think, like, for the people who are like, I'm so busy, you can do this on a commute, because you can just talk to text. You can just talk to text.Brad Crowell 27:54 Yeah, well, I but I think the idea is that if you're scripting it, you want to read it. Lesley Logan 28:02 Well, you know, but talk to text, then you can read it. Like, if you don't have if you're like, my morning is so busy, It's so chaotic, I got to get everybody out of the door, you could then, on your way to work, talk to text and a note on your phone. Here's how my days here's how my day went to it's the end of the day. Here's how my day went. Like you're scripting the day, right? And then when you get to your desk, you can just read it. You already wrote it. Brad Crowell 26:04 I don't quite think that's what she means. I think she's saying. Lesley Logan 26:51 You have to handwrite it. Brad Crowell 26:51 No, she's saying, map it out. It's your thing that you do as your it's the same thing. You repeat it every day. It's the same one. Lesley Logan 26:51 Oh, you're doing the same one every single day.Brad Crowell 26:51 You're creating a script, and you're retraining your brain and the way that you think. So, how is it that you want to think, let's write these things down? Lesley Logan 27:03 If you're already your future self.Brad Crowell 29:23 Right. As if you were already your future self? Oh, okay, I like what you're talking about. Because what you're talking about is, is more like the brain dump kind of a thing of like, almost like the morning, morning pages slash notes.Lesley Logan 29:49 How this amazing day is going to be, well, you could still do this part. You could still do it voice to text. You just have to the same one every time. Brad Crowell 29:49 Right. But then you have to remember it. So. Lesley Logan 29:49 I think you will, I think you'll even get more (inaudible) you probably can get better at it. I think you probably even get more details and more nuances, and the smells and the sounds will be there. Yeah, I'm just trying to help the people out who are like, look, I know what they're gonna say, Brad, they're gonna say, I don't have time to do this every morning. No time. So I'm trying to give them the permission to find a way. Brad Crowell 30:20 Let's change that. The I don't have time thing, I don't, I don't. I think that we're making it lot bigger than it needs to be. Like, okay, maybe the first time you have to spend some time thinking about who you want to be yourself. But you need to do that anyway. Yeah, right. So one, you know, but I think your mantra could literally be two sentences or five sentence. It doesn't have to be paragraphs. We're talking about, you know, something that you can build into your morning routine as a habit, and it becomes a habit, you know. And maybe it's when you're brushing your teeth you see, you know, the note on the mirror that says daily mantra, or daily you know, you know, identity shifting, or whatever it is that you, you know.Lesley Logan 31:02 Yeah, you could put it somewhere where you could read it every morning and every night. I like that.Brad Crowell 31:05 Yeah. I mean, I don't even think you need to write it out and stick it on the mirror. You could, but even on your phone. You just need something like, You need to like Lesley says, tie it to something that you do daily so that you're gonna see it like, for example, the making coffee and doing push ups while I'm waiting for the coffee to brew.Lesley Logan 31:23 I like it while you're brushing your teeth, because you do probably do that twice a day. I like it being on the mirror and not on your phone so you don't get distracted. My ADHD, as soon as they open their phone, they're getting fucking lost and they're somewhere else. Brad Crowell 31:35 I think that's wise. Lesley Logan 31:36 And if they don't update that note every day, then the note gets buried. So like, let's just put it on paper on your mirror, and you can read it twice a day while you're brushing your teeth, because while you're brushing your teeth, you're like, man, two minutes is a long time. It's a long time. So what if you read it for the whole two minutes?Brad Crowell 31:51 What if, I mean again, it doesn't have to be two minutes long. It could just be a few sentences. Lesley Logan 31:51 No, it could be a few sentences that you read over and over again for two minutes. Brad Crowell 31:58 Yeah, that's cool. Stick around. We'll be right back. We're gonna dig into some really great Be It Action Items that Amy shared with us like she's a powerhouse, y'all, I'm very continuously impressed by her. Lesley Logan 32:10 I know. Brad Crowell 32:10 Yeah, well, we'll be right back. All right. So finally, let's talk about those Be It Action Items. What bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted action items can we take away from your convo with Amy Ledin? So funny enough, I'm going to let you say what she got excited about. But she she also said she's got this interesting framework that she created about habit building, and she calls it five for 50, okay? And, yeah, I thought this was clever. I know there, you know there's you talk a little bit differently about the length of time it takes to build a habit. Lesley Logan 32:45 Yeah. I actually this idea. Cares thing (inaduible) Brad Crowell 32:49 Wait, wait, let me tell the idea. Okay, so 5 for 50, what is it? 5 for 50, you're picking five specific things that you want to turn into habits, and you're going to perform these habits for 50 consecutive days in a row, right? So little redundant there consecutive means in a row. So 50 consecutive days you're going to perform these five specific habits that you want to change. And there's one caveat, four out of five of those must be things you genuinely intend to continue to do long term. So you're not picking five things that you might want to try out. That's not what we're talking about. We're talking about four of the things you definitely want to build into your life. And the fifth thing, maybe that's the thing you want to try out, right? And the examples that she gave were, she has a 26 year old son who was like, I really want to learn to draw. And he he said, I'm going to do it for 30 minutes every day. And and after a few days, he was like, whoa, this is overkill. I I'm not an amazing (inaudible) I reduced it to 10 minutes a day, but he still did it 10 minutes a day for 50 days.Lesley Logan 33:52 Yeah, and that. And so she does give there's a you have the first week to adjust the habit so I. Brad Crowell 33:59 Increased his time because he got really into drawing. And by the end of 50 days, she said he was like, Michael Jordan of drawing, yeah, yeah, yeah. She said it's amazing what you can do. You know, you know how you know whether it's playing the guitar or whatever it is, you know, the but the so the fifth habit is reserved for personal growth area that the person wants to explore. This will allow you to dabble in it, to see if it's something you'd like to continue to, you know, without the pressure of a forever commitment. So for her, it was getting back into journaling. She's like, you know, I used to do it. I was really intentional about it before I got out of the habit of it. And like, I kind of want to do it, but I'm not really sure if I want to do it again. So she was like, I'm going to add that in as my fifth thing. So, you know, and, yeah, that seven day window gives you time to redefine, redefine those agreements. There's 50 those five things over the 50 days, you know, if the initial commitment proves too much. And I thought, I thought this was kind of clever and and so that said, I wanted to check in with you, Lesley, because you said, oh, I started learning Tarot. Lesley Logan 34:47 Yeah, tarot. Brad Crowell 34:49 Tarot, I said, tarot. Lesley Logan 35:00 I know, like I'm rowing a boat, like I'm learning to row, yeah, tarot, yeah. I'm still learning it. I'm still learning it. I have missed a few days on the return of our, of our coming here, but I actually, except for, according to the app, I missed a couple times. I think that's because of the plane. Like, I, you know, I actually do believe I did it on the days that I did it, but, like, it was like, you missed it, but I actually did almost 50 days in a row on that and I am not a little hiatus, because we have to get back to life. And it just was like, Okay, this is actually filling a job and not like a hobby and so, but I love it. I'm really into it. And I just, I'm really excited, because I just got a notification that this 2026 journal is coming, and it's like a daily Tarot journal, so it will help me with my because with Tarot, you have to, like, immerse yourself in it, to learn it. You know, like, you got to learn the cards, but then you got to draw the cards. And so I'm trying to find these different ways to make sure it's around me. So it's easy to do sure, but I am loving this. This is really fun for me, and it's also really interesting when I tell people I'm learning it, because they're like, oh, are you new readings? And it's like, no, no, no, not everything that I do is going to become something I get paid to do. This is for me, doing it for myself, but I but I actually like, I really like, here's the thing. We can all talk about the same thing in different ways, and some people are going to love it, and some really love other things. I actually really like the way that B.J. does habits, which is what I'm going to go into the rest of the of the month. That being said, this might be exactly what you want to do. Or you can actually go, Hmm, I wonder what my five habits would be. You can actually use what I am doing the next the for the next month to come up with your 5 for 50. And then starting on day one of the year, you could go through the first 50 days of the year using Amy's, so you can actually do both.Brad Crowell 37:05 Sure, I dig it. Well. Anyway, I thought that. I thought it was a good like, I love it. It's a good challenge. You know, it's a challenge, but it's a good one. Lesley Logan 37:12 And I think it, I think it is a challenge, and you're not. It's not like, they do this every 50 days where they start new things, like they, they do this and then like they, I think if she said it was a couple times a year, it's like, not like, every 50 days, like, Okay, it's time for our new 5 for 50. Like, you've run out of things to do. So my Be It Action Items, she is so clever, she actually used her DACs and the Be It acronym. So.Brad Crowell 37:36 DACs are the daily action commitments, which for her were cards that she was writing on. Lesley Logan 37:41 Yeah, like, those cute little like, recipe cards, yeah. So B is bold, pick one agreement that matters. So your bold action, and that she is saying is, pick an agreement that matters, and then you're gonna do E, which is executable, write it in real words, not vague words, be specific on what you're shooting for. And then I the intrinsic is link it to how you want it to feel, not how much you want to weigh or how much you want to make. So like, not anything like external, but how you want, how that one thing is going to make you feel on the inside. And then T targeted, start today, not someday, be very specific of when you're going to start doing the thing. So I thought that was, like, a really fun way for her to use her DACs with the Be It. I was like, oh, look at that, be it till you see it right there.Brad Crowell 38:29 Yeah, it's I thought it was quite clever.Lesley Logan 38:32 Yeah, I know. I love when people give me my acronym back. I don't want to make it a rule, but, like, it does make me smile. I'm not saying anything guests who are listening to this that maybe you should do it, but, but it's really good. I can't believe it's been 555 episodes. Brad Crowell 38:52 Wait. Lesley Logan 38:53 She was on Episode five.Brad Crowell 38:54 Yeah, this is episode 611.Lesley Logan 38:56 I know, but she was on episode she was on episode 610 so she, it's been 555 from her. Brad Crowell 39:02 605 baby. Lesley Logan 39:06 Oh, nailing it. Nailing it on these episodes (inaudible) wow. I, like, don't even have my brain doubled down on that, like, I doubled down on that, and I really was like, oh, that's 555, that equals 610, five, five plus five. That's 10. Really, this is why I actually write down math when I do it and not do it in my head. Anyways.Brad Crowell 39:37 We listen to a pod where he says, I don't do live math so but yeah, maybe we should adopt that.Lesley Logan 39:43 Clearly I don't do live math. All right, I am Lesley Logan, and I, I am imperfect. Clearly from this episode,Brad Crowell 39:51 I'm Brad Crowell. Thanks for being here.Lesley Logan 39:51 Yeah, make sure you share this with a friend who needs to hear it. It's really, really great. And also we want to hear, Amy's gonna want to hear, especially like, did you do 5 and 50? Did you pick an agreement? Did you do anything like share it with her. I know she'll love to hear it, and it will inspire her and empower you. And until next time, Be It Till You See It. Brad Crowell 40:11 Bye for now. Lesley Logan 40:12 That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 40:55 It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 41:00 It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 41:05 Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 41:12 Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 41:15 Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
"Sustainability is about reliance and resilience. Our focus needs to be on how systems remain reliable over time." Céline Gerson shares how Fugro is reshaping its business to focus on resilience, adaptability, and sustainability. She explains the importance of critical minerals, coastal resilience, and digital transformation for the future of geophysics. Her insights highlight how innovation, respect, and collaboration can help geoscientists succeed in a rapidly changing world. KEY TAKEAWAYS > Innovation often emerges during times of crisis, and companies can use downturns to launch new technologies and approaches. > Applied geophysics plays a direct role in climate resiliency projects, from strengthening coastal infrastructure to modeling storm surge impacts. > Transparency about data limitations and involving diverse teams in decision-making strengthens risk management and builds trust in geoscience recommendations. GUEST BIO Céline Gerson is the Group Director Americas at Fugro and President of Fugro USA. With over 25 years of experience, Céline has a proven record of successfully growing complex technical businesses across various industries. Before joining Fugro, Céline served as Vice President, Global Account Director for Schlumberger. She was particularly focused on energy transition, sustainability, and digital transformation. Before that, she was President of Schlumberger Canada. Along with being a Harvard Business School Alumna, Céline holds a Bachelor's degree from the European University of Brussels and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Houston. THIS EPISODE SPONSORED BY STRYDE STRYDE enables high-resolution subsurface imaging that helps emerging sectors such as CCS, hydrogen, geothermal, and minerals de-risk and accelerate exploration - delivered through the industry's fastest, most cost-efficient, and agile seismic solution. Discover more about STRYDE at https://stryde.io/what-we-do.
George Perlov was a quintessential New Yorker. A MPA from Columbia. The Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation at The Advertising Council. A condo in Park Slope.Then fate and love propelled him into an entirely different life.It involves living in Brussels, Berlin and Florence. Starting his own firm, George Perlov Consulting. These days, George Perlov lives a fully European life. None of it was planned.
In this livestream, Yanis Varoufakis and Ukrainian sociologist Volodymyr Ishchenko explore how EU leaders are undermining Ukraine to justify their plans to re-arm Europe. If EU leaders won't send troops and won't negotiate, whom does their "solidarity" really serve? And why are some in Brussels worried that peace itself would threaten their new militarisation agenda? Join us for this crucial conversation on the future of Ukraine, the geopolitics of the Trump plan, and what a real path to peace would require. Hosted by Mehran Khalili. FOLLOW THE SPEAKERS Yanis: @yanisvaroufakis — https://www.yanisvaroufakis.eu Volodymyr: @Volod_Ishchenko — https://x.com/Volod_Ishchenko Mehran: @mkhalili — https://www.mehrankhalili.com/subscribe Volodymyr's latest book: https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/3216-towards-the-abyss SUPPORT US Join DiEM25: https://diem25.org/join Donate to DiEM25: https://diem25.org/donate Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/c/DiEM25official
On Washington Wednesday, Hunter Baker breaks down Trump's Tennessee test; on World Tour, updates from Nigeria, Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan, and Brussels; and a closer look at the friendship between J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Plus, a cat-astrophic delivery, Erick Erickson on elite isolation, and the Wednesday morning newsSupport The World and Everything in It today at wng.org/donateAdditional support comes from Ambassadors Impact Network. Helping entrepreneurs with a purpose find the support they need to thrive with faith-aligned financing options. More at ambassadorsimpact.comAnd from WatersEdge. Save more. Do more. Give more. Helping Christians support ministry by giving through a donor-advised fund. watersedge.com/DAF
Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger PictureThe [CB] is pushing their agenda across the country and world. They are now pushing their Universal Basic Income in Illinois, this will fail. US production is picking up. SEC is cracking down on ETF’s. Trump has now nominated Kevin Hassett to take over the position of Powell. This restructuring will begin soon and the alternative currency will show it. The [DS] knows they are running out of time and they are losing control over Zelensky, this is why they are now pushing a war with Russia. They do not want peace. Trump is exposing the corruption and pushing for elections to remove Zelensky. Trump has null and voided everything Biden/Obama have done over the last 4 years. It’s like everything they did doesn’t exist. The [DS] is boxed in, there is no escape. Economy https://twitter.com/MJTruthUltra/status/1996238986650464720?s=20 government, and I’m here to help,”. (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/AwakenedOutlaw/status/1996060994892955661?s=20 logs, program letters, etc. weekly or be limited to 3-months of SNAP benefits in a 3-year period. US Industrial Production Sees Biggest Annual Gain In 3 Years Despite Slowing Capacity Utilization Industrial Production rose just 0.1% MoM (as expected) up from the downwardly revised 0.3% MoM decline in August. On a YoY basis, production rose 1.62% – its best since Nov 2022… US Manufacturing output was unchanged in September (slowing from the 0.1% MoM rise in August), but, like IP, that supported a 1.5% YoY rise in output, its highest level since April 2022… Source: zerohedge.com https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1996217766366400884?s=20 registration of ETFs that seek to provide more than 200% (2x) leveraged exposure to underlying indices or securities,” the SEC wrote. Leverage is clearly out of control. Bessent says White House may ‘veto’ Federal Reserve presidents Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday he would push a new requirement that the Federal Reserve’s regional bank presidents live in their districts for at least three years before taking office, a move that could give the White House more power over the independent agency. Bessent said that “there is a disconnect with the framing of the Federal Reserve” and added that, “unless someone has lived in their district for three years, we’re going to veto them.” Source: msn.com https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1995954684859941373?s=20 In a July 2025 interview, Hassett highlighted the Fed’s origins under the gold standard in 1913 to critique current practices: “When the Federal Reserve was created, we were under the Gold Standard—and the idea that the Fed could print money and then spend $2.5B on a building… I think that we’ve got a real problem of oversight and excess spending.” This aligns with sound money ideals, where gold symbolizes disciplined, non-inflationary currency, but he stops short of calling for reinstatement. Monetary economist Judy Shelton (author of Good as Gold) praised Hassett in July 2025 for referencing the gold standard, noting it as a reminder that “Fed has a lot to answer for” in deviating from that era’s stability. Hassett views Bitcoin as “digital gold” for its scarcity and hedge qualities—echoing sound money without physical backing. Political/Rights https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1996252623209373754?s=20 created sweeping exemptions covering Afghans who worked for the Taliban during the first regime (1996-2001) and again after August 2021, enabling hundreds of individuals normally barred under terrorism laws to enter the U.S. TRIG waivers skyrocketed to 6,848 in FY 2024, the vast majority for refugees, including 374 Taliban civil servants and more than 3,000 individuals who provided “limited” support to Tier 1 or 2 terror groups. Now, after the ambush killing of a West Virginia National Guard soldier by Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, critics say Biden knowingly imported massive security risks into American neighborhoods. OUTRAGE: Minneapolis Police Chief Urges Somali Community to Dial 911 on Masked ICE Agents — Promises Cops Will “Intervene” Against Federal Arrests Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara speaks at a press conference alongside city officials as he urges Somali residents to call 911 on masked individuals Police leadership in Minneapolis is urging the city's Somali community, and other immigrant residents, to call 911 if they spot masked individuals detaining people in their neighborhoods. He urged community members to call 911 if they were unsure whether those enforcing arrests were legitimate law enforcement — and pledged MPD would investigate and log every such call. He did not stop at documentation, however. “If there is anything that is … a violation of someone's human rights or civil rights, excessive force or anything like that, they absolutely have a duty to intervene as police officers,” O'Hara declared. https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1995956308902879320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1995956308902879320%7Ctwgr%5E19002c76c52297fc2dd58664d00870448c39f149%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2025%2F12%2Foutrage-minneapolis-police-chief-urges-somali-community-dial%2F Source: thegatewaypundit.com UNREAL: Mayor Jacob Frey Declares He Won't Cooperate With ICE… and Suddenly Starts Speaking Somali to His Audience Mid-Speech Minneapolis far-left Mayor Jacob Frey abruptly shifted a public address into Somali, all while promising that city police will refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. At a press conference held on Tuesday, Frey stood alongside St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, Ward 6 Council Member Jamal Osman, Police Chief Brian O'Hara, and other city leaders, reacting to reports that the federal government is preparing a targeted immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota's Twin Cities. This is not the first time the far-left mayor has drawn backlash from conservatives for switching into Somali during public remarks. Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1995991450530553880?s=20 https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1995920756203516224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1995920756203516224%7Ctwgr%5E7752673c29b3a4de82187485d2de8512019722ba%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Frusty-weiss%2F2025%2F12%2F02%2Ftim-walz-gets-skewered-by-kristi-noem-over-visa-fraud-warns-minnesota-is-about-to-feel-the-wrath-of-ice-n2196746 https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1995918101200703814?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1995918101200703814%7Ctwgr%5E6e01980749bee6d0aabd2036c6c2b51da5cb194a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fkatie-jerkovich%2F2025%2F12%2F02%2Fpam-bondi-proves-trumps-flipped-script-on-crime-in-us-n2196748 https://twitter.com/DiligentDenizen/status/1996268038895907125?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1996268038895907125%7Ctwgr%5Efc686f6c13365f75910a196f3fa3620a5f168083%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2025%2F12%2Fbreaking-house-oversight-committee-dems-release-never-before%2F https://twitter.com/JoeLang51440671/status/1996022839250461041?s=20 DOGE Geopolitical https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1996173544884154529?s=20 https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/1996233719469035734?s=20 https://twitter.com/JimFergusonUK/status/1996175636352700892?s=20 , and even Hezbollah have a presence in South America — and their anchor presence is inside Venezuela.” Let that sink in. 8 million Venezuelans displaced Spillover into Colombia, Brazil, the U.S. Cartels, trafficking networks, and Iranian intelligence embedded in the region Rubio isn't speaking hypothetically — he's confirming what U.S. intel has known for years: Venezuela is no longer just a failed socialist state. It's a forward operating base for Iran and Hezbollah in the Western Hemisphere. This is why the situation is escalating. This is why Trump's ultimatum matters. This is why Maduro's regime cannot be ignored or “managed.” The threat isn't local — it's global. War/Peace https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1995724042285056018?s=20 that was left in unsecured parking lot in an industrial area near Burg in Saxony-Anhalt, according to the German Ministry of Defense. https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1996226688363979160?s=20 the beginning of the war for fossil fuels. Now we’re down to €1.5 billion per month…we aim to bring it down to ZERO.” “This is a good day for Europe and for our independence from Russian fossil fuels — this is how we make Europe resilient.” “The European Union agreed on Wednesday to phase out Russian gas imports by late 2027 as part of an effort to end the bloc’s decade-long dependency on Russian energy.” – Reuters https://twitter.com/MyLordBebo/status/1996207752134488284?s=20 https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1996197728167043438?s=20 text does not address our concerns.” Meaning: No legal cover, no political suicide. The plan was simple on paper – use immobilized Russian funds as collateral for loans to keep Ukraine afloat. But Belgium is the custodian of the largest chunk of those assets. If something goes wrong, they're the ones holding the radioactive bag. This isn't some bureaucratic squabble. It's the EU's financing strategy cracking in real time. Prévot's pushback signals the core fear: If Europe touches Russian state money without watertight legal armor, Moscow retaliates – economically, diplomatically, and possibly through countersanctions on European firms. And here's the thing: the Commission thought it had majority backing. Belgium saying “nope” on the morning of rollout is a political body-slam. Happening next? The EU will scramble to rewrite the legal plumbing. Germany and France will pressure Belgium quietly – nobody wants to admit the plan is wobbling. Russia will weaponize the hesitation as proof the West can't agree on how to bankroll Ukraine. And Kyiv? Still waiting for the money that was supposed to be “already there.” Another example of Europe discovering that seizing assets is easy. Using them? That's where the real war begins. Ursula von der Leyen did not state that she received “permission” from the US to seize Russian assets. In a recent appearance at the GLOBSEC forum, she said that she informed the incoming Trump administration (specifically mentioning a conversation with Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent) about the EU’s proposal to use frozen Russian assets as collateral for a “reparations loan” to Ukraine, and that “it was positively received.” https://twitter.com/briefing_block_/status/1996241939931201801?s=20 https://twitter.com/Dubinsky_pro/status/1996242036417028176?s=20 regime. Now the system is falling apart. Yermak is out. The crackdown is collapsing. Ukraine must release all political prisoners. I call on everyone involved in peace talks to demand this from Zelensky. These people committed no crimes. They were jailed for their faith, political views and demanding peace. Zelensky built a dictatorship – and filled prisons with dissent. I know what I'm talking about: I spent 24 months behind bars under this system. https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1996231792752287822?s=20 to Brussels to meet Zelensky, the team returned to Washington. No official reason was given, but the message is clear: there's no deal, yet. Putin's warning didn't help. He said Russia is “ready” for war in Europe and claimed any future conflict would be so fierce that “nobody will be left to negotiate with.” This setback casts doubt on whether a negotiated end to the war is possible anytime soon. It also suggests Kyiv isn't ready to engage on Moscow's terms. What's next: Watch for how Ukraine positions itself diplomatically in the coming weeks, and whether Trump's team will try again with a revised proposal. https://twitter.com/MJTruthUltra/status/1996059724173754525?s=20 situation may quickly arise where there is no one left for us to negotiate with” https://twitter.com/Panchenko_X/status/1996192741508645286?s=20 been given the black mark and is seen globally as corrupt. Many Ukrainian politicians are already quietly fleeing to Moscow in an attempt to negotiate. They hope that the Russians and Americans will come and shower everyone with money for the elections. It won’t happen that way. According to my information, the US and Russia are already discussing possible candidates for the position of President. I cannot make the names public. https://twitter.com/TimOnPoint/status/1995949121929138184?s=20 targets is the rule, not the exception. The physical status of possible survivors is not part of the consideration with stand-off weapons. This has been the norm under both Republican and Democrat administrations since the first Hellfire was mounted on a Predator years ago. Anyone who tells you otherwise, is lying or ignorant. The method is ugly, no doubt about it, but there's nothing new here except politics. https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/1996006625333727410?s=20 Medical/False Flags https://twitter.com/JoeLang51440671/status/1996048243516456967?s=20 Man in TSA Sues Feds for Not Allowing Him to “Pat Down” Women A man who says he is a woman is suing the federal government over restrictions in his job at the Transportation Security Administration that do not allow him to “pat down” female travelers. That restriction followed an executive order from President Donald Trump against recognizing transgenderism claims in the federal government. The claim being made by Mittereder is that the policy violates federal civil rights law. According to the report on the recently filed lawsuit, Mittereder began working at the TSA in 2024 and now is stationed at Dulles International Airport in Virginia. He claims because he is not allowed to pat down women, his job prospects are being hurt. Source: thelibertydaily.com [DS] Agenda https://twitter.com/TheLastRefuge2/status/1996069477197451483?s=20 questioning people (McCord, Wolfe, Jones, Warner and various staff), not merely discussing them. Rather than talk about what XXX is doing, or what motivates XXX, they would simply be going to XXX asking questions (on/off camera) and then reporting on what XXX responds with. Instead, what we are getting is a screenplay, that the ‘journalists’ (battle for influence) sell through various platforms. From here on out when I see it, I will draw attention to it. After a few examples it will become obvious. https://twitter.com/LauraLoomer/status/1996183770790048092?s=20 1, 2025, Maxine's California residence remains in default with a redemption amount still due totaling $21,302.95, despite her recent payment of $19,033.94 on August 13, 2025. Maxine also is incurring a monthly penalty of $301.45. Maxine is not competent to serve as the ranking member on the House Financial Services Committee when she cannot even keep her own house in order. https://twitter.com/SBA_Kelly/status/1995846331202457607?s=20 executives implicated in these schemes. Despite Governor Walz's best efforts to obstruct, SBA continues to work to expose abuse and hold perpetrators accountable, full stop. https://twitter.com/GOPoversight/status/1996237594514915451?s=20 https://twitter.com/TonySeruga/status/1996226960393957435?s=20 https://twitter.com/IlhanMN/status/1995957774510162165?s=20 https://twitter.com/almostjingo/status/1996051371251155359?s=20 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1996222235783401610?s=20 So all of these people were installed. https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1996195848087384084?s=20 https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1995934359569007036?s=20 President Trump's Plan https://twitter.com/StateDept/status/1996218048458490302?s=20 imminent threat to the world and to the broader West, but especially the United States who they identify as the chief source of evil on the planet.” https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1996213829802307948?s=20 that received benefits more than twice – multiple people received benefits in 6 states – In February, for the first time ever, the Federal Government asked for alls rates to turn over their data to root out the fraud. —— 29 Red states said yes —— 21 Blue states said no “So as of next week, we have begun and will begin to stop moving federal funds into those states until they comply. California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington https://twitter.com/MediasLies/status/1996279507079008317?s=20 states already share the data with zero privacy disasters. – USDA's own audits show $10–15 billion a year in improper payments and fraud. – The “court order” she keeps citing is a preliminary injunction, not a final ruling. Refusing basic federal oversight of a fully federally funded program isn't about privacy. It's about protecting bloated rolls and hiding waste. BREAKING: In Stunning Development, President Trump Issues Full and Unconditional Pardon to Texas Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar Biden's DOJ charged Cuellar, a nine-term Democrat Texas lawmaker who represents an area along the US-Mexico border, after he lashed out at both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for allowing illegal aliens to pour over the border. the TRUTH. It is unAmerican and, as I previously stated, the Radical Left Democrats are a complete and total threat to Democracy! They will attack, rob, lie, cheat, destroy, and decimate anyone who dares to oppose their Far Left Agenda, an Agenda that, if left unchecked, will obliterate our magnificent Country. Because of these facts, and others, I am hereby announcing my full and unconditional PARDON of beloved Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar, and Imelda. Henry, I don't know you, but you can sleep well tonight — Your nightmare is finally over! Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1996053923820351745?s=20 despite recent disagreements: Senator Paul: “I know we have been at odds recently but in ur first term you signed an executive order to legalize Association Health Plans (that allow individuals to buy collectively health insurance via Costco, Amazon, or Sam’s Club). This collaboration brought us together and still holds the promise of lowering insurance premiums.” Paul noted the plan failed because Democrat AGs fought it in court, but it could now pass through Congress. Here’s why this matters: the current system forces individuals to buy insurance alone, giving them zero bargaining power against massive insurance companies. Association Health Plans let people band together through retailers or organizations to negotiate as a group, the same way large corporations do for their employees. More buyers in a pool means more leverage. More leverage means lower premiums. It costs nothing to implement and simply changes labor law. Competition works. Let Americans shop for insurance the same way they shop for everything else. https://twitter.com/EliseStefanik/status/1995856738994565416?s=20 Raskin against Trump Republicans to block this provision to protect the deep state. This is an easy one. This bill is DOA unless this provision gets added in as it was passed out of committee https://twitter.com/FBIDDBongino/status/1996205447917781326?s=20 -The Director and I made a long series of important personnel changes. The new leadership team has produced dramatic results which we will produce for you, in detail, as the year wraps up. They will include a historic drop in the homicide rate, along with record disruptions, arrests and drug interdictions. Many of these personnel changes have upset a group of Comey-Wray era disgruntled former agents who prefer the old ways of operating. We are not going back -We have been working on an AI project to assist our investigators and analysts in the national security space. I received an update yesterday and I am happy to report that the product looks promising. More coming on this. – We are in the end stages of a redesign of the FBI crisis management process. The redesign is intended to make information more accessible and transparent in a crisis to enable quick and effective decision making. The project should be complete by the end of the calendar year. -We saved the taxpayers billions of dollars by scrapping the plan for an expensive new FBI headquarters building. We will be moving to the existing Reagan building after decades of fruitless haggling as the current FBI headquarters building crumbles. -We relocated over a thousand headquarters based personnel out of the Washington DC area and into the field to focus on violent crime, crimes against children, and terrorism. Those agents are now working on the mission in those regional offices. -In recognition of the growing threat, and in conjunction with the President's Executive Order, we designed, launched and completed the FBI's first-ever counter-drone school last month. Special thanks to Sebastian Gorka and DDCOS Regan for their help on the project. -The work force apprehended 4 of the FBI's 10 most wanted fugitives, and we are hunting down the rest. -We produced unprecedented disclosures, and took action on documents related to January 6, Crossfire Hurricane, Arctic Frost, and more. -The new leadership team, and the work force, made a series of ANTIFA related arrests in multiple states and assisted in record numbers of deportations and apprehensions. -Some of the culture changes we implemented include eliminating DEI, reforming the physical fitness test, making promotions contingent on real world results, severing ties with the SPLC and ADL, and implementing a new training curriculum to reflect current mission requirements. We dedicated significant personnel and financial assets to streamlining FOIA reform to ensure responsiveness. -We shut down multiple open air drug markets nationwide and, in conjunction with the White House, had 12 fentanyl precursors from China listed. -We created CIO and CTO positions to work with the CFO to find efficiencies and implement new technologies to assist in our mission. We conduct bi-weekly meetings and we have found and eliminated tens of millions of dollars in duplicative contracts, unnecessary real estate, and outdated technology. These are real savings to the taxpayer and each budget dollar allocated is intensely scrutinized for value. -We vastly expanded the overseas biometrics program to stop bad actors before they board a plane or vessel to the US. This gives us the ability to expand the border outwards and prevent the problems from coming here. -We are in the end stages of a reform project on our intelligence analysis positions to make them more responsive to current mission needs. We have been working with the field on this and we're happy with the progress. -We implemented a technology working group to ensure our technology tools evolve with the mission. Thank you, and God bless America and all those who defend Her. https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1995992366553981026?s=20 (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");
Day 1,378.Today, as the world reacts to the marathon – but ultimately fruitless – talks in Moscow on Tuesday night, we examine how the impasse will shape today's meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers and, also in Brussels, the European Council's discussions on frozen Russian assets and the ‘new era' the EU says it is entering, free from Russian fossil fuels. Plus, our Russia expert assesses Moscow's ‘caviar diplomacy' and its growing problems in Africa, and we report how Australia and New Zealand are stepping up their support for Ukraine. Finally, we hear the assessment of Ukraine's former Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, on the current state of the war – and whether he harbours any ambition to succeed President Zelensky.ContributorsDominic Nicholls (Associate Editor, Defence). @DomNicholls on X.James Kilner (Foreign Correspondent). @jkjourno on X.With thanks to Latika Bourke. @latikambourke on X.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Latika Bourke Substackhttps://substack.com/@latikambourkeAustralia and New Zealand join forces to fund NATO weapons for Ukrainehttps://thenightly.com.au/world/australia-and-new-zealand-join-forces-to-fund-nato-weapons-for-ukraine-c-20819893Today's Telegraph Ukraine Live Blog:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/03/ukraine-russia-war-latest-news-peace-deal-talks/Cosmonaut Artemyev was removed from the Crew-12 crew: https://theins.ru/news/287330 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nato foreign ministers meet in Brussels following a US-Russia summit in Moscow. Then: we look ahead to Australia’s teen social-media ban. Plus: the campaign to bring back doors in hotel-room bathrooms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The European Union has reached a deal to phase out Russian gas faster than originally planned — a move aimed at finally severing ties between the bloc and its once-primary energy supplier. The head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, joined Stephen Carroll on Bloomberg Radio in Brussels to discuss the deal, as well as the broader issue of energy security in the regionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Philip Hendrich, senior manager for the Americas at Eurostar Group, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report at the Railbookers Group Global Summit about Eurostar's expanded network across London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne. Hendrik explains how Railbookers helps travel advisors navigate immigration changes post-Brexit, simplify logistics, access Business Premier and VIP services, package pre- and post-cruise itineraries, and earn stronger commissions. For more information, visit www.railbookers.com and www.eurostar.com.
NATO's foreign ministers have been meeting in Brussels to discuss Ukraine. Correspondent Ross Cullen spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
Brussels Attempts Deregulation — Joseph Sternberg — Sternberg describes the European Union's complex multi-institutional governance structure and recent tentative moves toward deregulation, particularly regarding climate reporting requirements and digital technology regulations. Sternberg argues that Brussels officials are gradually acknowledging that excessive regulatory frameworks systematically damage economic competitiveness and drive entrepreneurs from European jurisdictions toward more favorable regulatory environments. Sternberg emphasizes that these modest deregulatory reforms confront a race against accelerating economic decline, requiring more aggressive structural reforms to restore European competitiveness relative to American and Chinese competitors. 1906 BRUSSELS
PREVIEW — Joseph Sternberg — The Failure of the "Brussels Effect." Joseph Sternberg of the Wall Street Journalcritiques the "Brussels Effect," a regulatory theory positing that heavy European Union regulatory standards would enable European companies to achieve competitive advantage through compliance-driven market dynamics. Sternbergcharacterizes this strategic approach as "total nonsense," demonstrating that EU regulatory frameworks have systematically stifled the growth of major technology startups and innovative enterprises compared to the dynamism of Silicon Valley, producing technological and economic underperformance. Sternberg reports that Brussels officials are gradually accepting this uncomfortable reality and reconsidering the regulatory framework's strategic efficacy. 1884 BRUSSELS
In this lecture, Mark Taubert, who chairs the national DNACPR policy for Wales, and is a palliative care clinician, reviews current practices. He will encourage you to consider your own end of life care advance care plan, and attempt to write down your prior wishes. He reviews recent concerns, scandals and media outputs and looks at current resuscitation policies, guidelines and resources. He also discusses, from a clinician's point of view, how the prospect of a natural, anticipated and accepted death in the near future can be a trigger to better advance care planning. Furthermore, he looks at online conspiracy theories, and poor Covid-19 clinical practice, and outlines resources such as the Welsh TalkCPR videos, that can help improve communication in an area rife with misconceptions and misunderstanding.This lecture was recorded by Mark Taubert on the 5th of November 2025 at Bernard's Inn Hall, LondonProfessor Mark Taubert is a UK hospital consultant and clinical director at Velindre University NHS Trust in Cardiff. He is Vice-President of the Brussels-based European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC), a non-governmental organisation dedicated to worldwide improvement in palliative care. His Cardiff University academic activities include advance care planning and new media in medical settings. He is the founder of TalkCPR.com and chairs the national Future Care Planning strategy group for NHS Wales. He has advised UK government on matters relating to palliative care, treatment escalation decisions, and the last years of life. Public engagement efforts include numerous BBC programmes and a Ted Talk on how we use and misuse language in healthcare settings. He also writes for international news outlets like the Washington Post, Newsweek, the Spectator and the Guardian. The transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/dnr-formsGresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham College's mission, please consider making a donation: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-today Website: https://gresham.ac.ukX: https://x.com/GreshamCollegeFacebook: https://facebook.com/greshamcollegeInstagram: https://instagram.com/greshamcollegeBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/greshamcollege.bsky.social TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greshamcollegeSupport Us: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-todaySupport the show
Send us a textA fascinating interview hosted by Claire Loneragan of the Women's Rights Network with this week's special guest, Jo Brew, a founding member of Women's Declaration International (WDI), an international network of volunteer women dedicated to preserving female sex-based rights throughout the world.Jo takes us through her intriguing journey of feminist advocacy from her Cambridge university days, feminist magazine publishing, working in European academia and with Women in Development Europe, to the creation of WDI. We hear extensively about the structure and work of WDI, with its international country contacts and weekly guest contributors. Jo touches on how geopolitical shifts distinctly promote or push back against gender ideology cuture and the disturbing cementation into EU policies a generation ago, by powerfully positioned ideologues in Brussels.Jo Brew is a political commentator, podcaster and author with bestselling titles including Big Sister is Watching You! and, A New Operating System for Patriarchy … also, an enthusiastic gardener!Useful links:WDI website: https://www.womensdeclaration.com/enWDI Statement on wars: https://womensdeclaration.com/documents/480/WDI_Statement_on_Wars.pdfFeminist Question Time and, Radical Feminist perspectives: https://www.womensdeclaration.com/en/webinarsIf you enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to hear more, go to womensrights.network/wrn-podcast to listen, download and subscribe to more of our episodes. And if you'd like to join our conversations, go to womensrights.network/join-wrn
If you want to get leaner and live longer check out https://milliondollarbodylabs.com Is diabetes truly a life sentence, or can you reverse it without relying on drugs like Metformin or Ozempic? I talked with Chris Reade, who discovered a serious health condition after a life insurance exam. His A1C went from normal to a high 9.1 in 10 months because of visceral fat around his pancreas. Doctors told him this disease was progressive and incurable, but Chris refused that sentence. He researched and found a simple strategy focused on using soluble fiber to control blood sugar spikes. This method forces weight loss naturally by providing bulk, reducing hunger, and mitigating the effect of sugar. His approach involves practical, everyday systems like habit stacking and focusing on food volume to give control back to the individual. Key Takeaways Type 2 diabetes is caused by the accumulation of visceral fat (more than a gram or two) on the pancreas, which hinders its function. It has been known since the 1970s that you can absolutely reverse diabetes. Losing more than 10% of your body weight causes the body to pull fat off the pancreas, leading to the reversal of Type 2 diabetes roughly 80% of the time. Soluble fiber, found in foods like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, oatmeal, and chickpeas, slows digestion and absorbs sugar, mitigating blood sugar spikes. By focusing heavily on soluble fiber, you feel very full all the time, which is a key mechanism for effortless weight loss and managing cravings. Performing even a small amount of exercise, such as two to five minutes of walking immediately after a meal, can knock blood sugar down by up to 25%. The current medical model for treating diabetes in the U.S. is structured to promote dependency on medication, making diabetes prevention and remission less of a focus. Resources Website: https://www.beatingdiabetes.us Book: Beating Diabetes by Chris Reade. https://www.beatingdiabetes.us/the-book Instagram: @beatingdiabetesus https://www.instagram.com/beatingdiabetesus LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beatingdiabetes/ Nate Palmer: The founder of The Million Dollar Body and author of "The Million Dollar Body Method", Nate has been coaching for over 15 years and has worked personally with over 1,000 clients. Website: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/ Book: The Million Dollar Body Method Lean Energy Stack: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/pages/lean Instagram: @_milliondollarbody
Tough issues have yet to be resolved following U.S.–Ukrainian talks in Florida, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday, as he and other Ukrainian officials toured Europe to rally their allies. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy is heading to Moscow to brief the Kremlin. Zelenskyy arrived in Paris to rally support from French President Emmanuel Macron, and will travel to Ireland tomorrow. Ukraine's defense minister attended an EU counterparts meeting in Brussels today.Luigi Mangione is due in New York state court today. He's accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson a year ago. His attorneys are seeking to have evidence thrown out of court, including a notebook and a nine-millimeter handgun that prosecutors say matches the one used in the killing. The prosecution says the notebook contains passages describing Mangione's intent to “wack” a health insurance executive. His lawyers argue that investigators seized the items illegally from the 27-year-old's backpack without a warrant.
A special episode in association with Hitachi Energy, recorded at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels. Andrew Mueller discusses the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition with a panel of experts from Hitachi Energy, GE Vernova and Aurora.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What's it like navigating the world as a disabled parent? Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two women from the US and Italy about the reality of parenting with a disability and about why it's important to reconsider some of the common misconceptions that exist within society around the kind of life that disabled mothers can provide for their children. Jessica Slice is an American disabled author, speaker and essayist who now lives in Toronto with her husband and two children. She was diagnosed with an autonomic nervous system disorder in her twenties after a strenuous hike while on holiday in Greece. The condition changed her life forever – requiring her to use a wheelchair and sometimes experiencing chronic pain - but it also made her consider having children, seriously for the very first time. Her book, Unfit Parent: A Disabled Mother Challenges An Inaccessible World chronicles some of the obstacles that disabled parents face, and examines the societal beliefs that underpin those barriers.Laura Coccia from Italy is a former Paralympian who is now a representative at the European Disability Forum. She now lives in Brussels and says she faces stigma everyday as a mother with a form of cerebral palsy. She wrote a weekly online diary about her pregnancy as a disabled woman in 2019, giving a candid insight to some of the challenges she faced, but also how she was going through the same things as any other pregnant woman. She has also co-authored a children's book called La Sedia Magica della Mamma, created to show disability not as an obstacle but as a natural part of life.Producer: Emily Naylor and Hannah Dean(Image: Jessica Slice (L). Credit Vanessa Heins. (R) Laura Coccia courtesy Laura Coccia)
Georg Von Harrach, Brussels-based journalist; Arthur Sullivan, Berlin-based journalist; and Nick Thorpe, Central European correspondent for BBC News
Steve and his guest, Scottish political economist William Thomson, use the fight over Scotland's independence to dissect how class power hides inside “neutral” economic rules. Will, founder of SCOTONOMICS, talks about his journey from neoclassical training to a heterodox, political-economy perspective grounded in MMT, ecological economics, and class analysis. He recently wrote a paper (with friend-of-the-podcast Dirk Ehnts) showing how the Scottish government's plan to copy the EU's Stability and Growth Pact and delay its own currency would lock an “independent” Scotland into permanent austerity and dependence on markets and foreign owners. Will explains that more foreign direct investment, supply-side reforms, and 3% deficit caps aren't “responsible” policy – they are mechanisms to protect external and domestic elites at the expense of workers and communities. Steve and Will stress that MMT is just a lens without an explicit socialist or working-class political economy. The same monetary tools can be used for empire, war, and repression. They argue for an independence project built on monetary sovereignty, full employment, ecological limits, and economic resilience... not on appeasing markets and Brussels. William Thompson is a Scottish political economist and founder of SCOTONOMICS. He worked for almost a decade in the financial services sector in London. He has an MSc in the Green Economy and MEcon in the Economics of Sustainability. Based in Dunblane, Will writes regular blog posts and articles on economics in various publications including The National newspaper in Scotland and the Scottish Left Review. Support SCOTONOMICS: patreon.com/Scotonomics. @Williamgallus on X https://scotonomics.org/
IP Fridays - your intellectual property podcast about trademarks, patents, designs and much more
I am Rolf Claessen and together with my co-host Ken Suzan I am welcoming you to episode 169 of our podcast IP Fridays! Today's interview guest is Prof. Aloys Hüttermann, co-founder of my patent law firm Michalski Hüttermann & Partner and a true expert on the Unified Patent Court. He has written several books about the new system and we talk about all the things that plaintiffs and defendants can learn from the first decisions of the court and what they mean for strategic decisions of the parties involved. But before we jump into this very interesting interview, I have news for you! The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is planning rule changes that would make it virtually impossible for third parties to challenge invalid patents before the patent office. Criticism has come from the EFF and other inventor rights advocates: the new rules would play into the hands of so-called non-practicing entities (NPEs), as those attacked would have few cost-effective ways to have questionable patents deleted. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) reports a new record in international patent applications: in 2024, around 3.7 million patent applications were filed worldwide – an increase of 4.9% over the previous year. The main drivers were Asian countries (China alone accounted for 1.8 million), while demand for trademark protection has stabilized after the pandemic decline. US rapper Eminem is taking legal action in Australia against a company that sells swimwear under the name “Swim Shady.” He believes this infringes on his famous “Slim Shady” brand. The case illustrates that even humorous allusions to well-known brand names can lead to legal conflicts. A new ruling by the Unified Patent Court (UPC) demonstrates its cross-border impact. In “Fujifilm v. Kodak,” the local chamber in Mannheim issued an injunction that extends to the UK despite Brexit. The UPC confirmed its jurisdiction over the UK parts of a European patent, as the defendant Kodak is based in a UPC member state. A dispute over standard patents is looming at the EU level: the Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) of the European Parliament voted to take the European Commission to the European Court of Justice. The reason for this is the Commission’s controversial withdrawal of a draft regulation on the licensing of standard-essential patents (SEPs). Parliament President Roberta Metsola is to decide by mid-November whether to file the lawsuit. In trademark law, USPTO Director Squires reported on October 31, 2025, that a new unit (“Trademark Registration Protection Office”) had removed approximately 61,000 invalid trademark applications from the registries. This cleanup of the backlog relieved the examining authority and accelerated the processing of legitimate applications. Now let's jump into the interview with Aloys Hüttermann: The Unified Patent Court Comes of Age – Insights from Prof. Aloys Hüttermann The Unified Patent Court (UPC) has moved from a long-discussed project to a living, breathing court system that already shapes patent enforcement in Europe. In a recent IP Fridays interview, Prof. Aloys Hüttermann – founder and equity partner at Michalski · Hüttermann & Partner and one of the earliest commentators on the UPC – shared his experiences from the first years of practice, as well as his view on how the UPC fits into the global patent litigation landscape. This article summarises the key points of that conversation and is meant as an accessible overview for in-house counsel, patent attorneys and business leaders who want to understand what the UPC means for their strategy. How Prof. Hüttermann Became “Mr. UPC” Prof. Hüttermann has been closely involved with the UPC for more than a decade. When it became clear, around 13 years ago, that the European project of a unified patent court and a unitary patent was finally going to happen, he recognised that this would fundamentally change patent enforcement in Europe. He started to follow the legislative and political developments in detail and went beyond mere observation. As author and editor of several books and a major commentary on the UPC, he helped shape the discussion around the new system. His first book on the UPC appeared in 2016 – years before the court finally opened its doors in 2023. What fascinated him from the beginning was the unique opportunity to witness the creation of an entirely new court system, to analyse how it would be built and, where possible, to contribute to its understanding and development. It was clear to him that this system would be a “game changer” for European patent enforcement. UPC in the Global Triangle: Europe, the US and China In practice, most international patent disputes revolve around three major regions: the UPC territory in Europe, the United States and China. Each of these regions has its own procedural culture, cost structure and strategic impact. From a territorial perspective, the UPC is particularly attractive because it can, under the right conditions, grant pan-European injunctions that cover a broad range of EU Member States with a single decision. This consolidation of enforcement is something national courts in Europe simply cannot offer. From a cost perspective, the UPC is significantly cheaper than US litigation, especially if one compares the cost of one UPC action with a bundle of separate national cases in large European markets. When viewed against the territorial reach and procedural speed, the “bang for the buck” is very compelling. China is again a different story. The sheer volume of cases there is enormous, with tens of thousands of patent infringement cases per year. Chinese courts are known for their speed; first-instance decisions within about a year are common. In this respect they resemble the UPC more than the US does. The UPC also aims at a roughly 12 to 15 month time frame for first-instance cases where validity is at issue. The US, by contrast, features extensive discovery, occasionally jury trials and often longer timelines. The procedural culture is very different. The UPC, like Chinese courts, operates without discovery in the US sense, which makes proceedings more focused on the written record and expert evidence that the parties present, and less on pre-trial disclosure battles. Whether a company chooses to litigate in the US, the UPC, China, or some combination of these forums will depend on where the key markets and assets are. However, in Prof. Hüttermann's view, once Europe is an important market, it is hard to justify ignoring the UPC. He expects the court's caseload and influence to grow strongly over the coming years. A Landmark UPC Case: Syngenta v. Sumitomo A particularly important case in which Prof. Hüttermann was involved is the Syngenta v. Sumitomo matter, concerning a composition patent. This case has become a landmark in UPC practice for several reasons. First, the Court of Appeal clarified a central point about the reach of UPC injunctions. It made clear that once infringement is established in one Member State, this will usually be sufficient to justify a pan-European injunction covering all UPC countries designated by the patent. That confirmation gave patent owners confidence that the UPC can in fact deliver broad, cross-border relief in one go. Second, the facts of the case raised novel issues about evidence and territorial reach. The allegedly infringing product had been analysed based on a sample from the Czech Republic, which is not part of the UPC system. Later, the same product with the same name was marketed in Bulgaria, which is within UPC territory. The Court of Appeal held that the earlier analysis of the Czech sample could be relied on for enforcement in Bulgaria. This showed that evidence from outside the UPC territory can be sufficient, as long as it is properly linked to the products marketed within the UPC. Third, the Court of Appeal took the opportunity to state its view on inventive step. It confirmed that combining prior-art documents requires a “pointer”, in line with the EPO's problem-solution approach. The mere theoretical possibility of extracting a certain piece of information from a document does not suffice to justify an inventive-step attack. This is one of several decisions where the UPC has shown a strong alignment with EPO case law on substantive patentability. For Prof. Hüttermann personally, the case was also a lesson in oral advocacy before the UPC. During the two appeal hearings, the presiding judge asked unexpected questions that required quick and creative responses while the hearing continued. His practical takeaway is that parties should appear with a small, well-coordinated team: large enough to allow someone to work on a tricky question in the background, but small enough to remain agile. Two or three lawyers seem ideal; beyond that, coordination becomes difficult and “too many cooks spoil the broth”. A Game-Changing CJEU Decision: Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte v. Electrolux Surprisingly, one of the most important developments for European patent litigation in the past year did not come from the UPC at all, but from the Court of Justice of the European Union. In Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte v. Electrolux, the CJEU revisited the rules on cross-border jurisdiction under the Brussels I Recast Regulation (Brussels Ia). Previously, under what practitioners often referred to as the GAT/LuK regime, a court in one EU country was largely prevented from granting relief for alleged infringement in another country if the validity of the foreign patent was contested there. This significantly limited the possibilities for cross-border injunctions. In Bosch, the CJEU changed course. Without going into all procedural details, the essence is that courts in the EU now have broader powers to grant cross-border relief when certain conditions are met, particularly when at least one defendant is domiciled in the forum state. The concept of an “anchor defendant” plays a central role: if you sue one group company in its home forum, other group companies in other countries, including outside the EU, can be drawn into the case. This has already had practical consequences. German courts, for example, have issued pan-European injunctions covering around twenty countries in pharmaceutical cases. There are even attempts to sue European companies for infringement of US patents based on acts in the US, using the logic of Bosch as a starting point. How far courts will ultimately go remains to be seen, but the potential is enormous. For the UPC, this development is highly relevant. The UPC operates in the same jurisdictional environment as national courts, and many defendants in UPC cases will be domiciled in UPC countries. This increases the likelihood that the UPC, too, can leverage the broadened possibilities for cross-border relief. In addition, we have already seen UPC decisions that include non-EU countries such as the UK within the scope of injunctions, in certain constellations. The interaction between UPC practice and the Bosch jurisprudence of the CJEU is only beginning to unfold. Does the UPC Follow EPO Case Law? A key concern for many patent owners and practitioners is whether the UPC will follow the EPO's Boards of Appeal or develop its own, possibly divergent, case law on validity. On procedural matters, the UPC is naturally different from the EPO. It has its own rules of procedure, its own timelines and its own tools, such as “front-loaded” pleadings and tight limits on late-filed material. On substantive law, however, Prof. Hüttermann's conclusion is clear: there is “nothing new under the sun”. The UPC's approach to novelty, inventive step and added matter is very close to that of the EPO. The famous “gold standard” for added matter appears frequently in UPC decisions. Intermediate generalisations are treated with the same suspicion as at the EPO. In at least one case, the UPC revoked a patent for added matter even though the EPO had granted it in exactly that form. The alignment is not accidental. The UPC only deals with European patents granted by the EPO; it does not hear cases on purely national patents. If the UPC were more generous than the EPO, many patents would never reach it. If it were systematically stricter, patentees would be more tempted to opt out of the system. In practice, the UPC tends to apply the EPO's standards and, where anything differs, it is usually a matter of factual appreciation rather than a different legal test. For practitioners, this has a very practical implication: if you want to predict how the UPC will decide on validity, the best starting point is to ask how the EPO would analyse the case. The UPC may not always reach the same result in parallel EPO opposition proceedings, but the conceptual framework is largely the same. Trends in UPC Practice: PIs, Equivalents and Division-Specific Styles Even in its early years, certain trends and differences between UPC divisions can be observed. On preliminary injunctions, the local division in Düsseldorf has taken a particularly proactive role. It has been responsible for most of the ex parte PIs granted so far and applies a rather strict notion of urgency, often considering one month after knowledge of the infringement as still acceptable, but treating longer delays with scepticism. Other divisions tend to see two months as still compatible with urgency, and they are much more cautious with ex parte measures. Munich, by contrast, has indicated a strong preference for inter partes PI proceedings and appears reluctant to grant ex parte relief at all. A judge from Munich has even described the main action as the “fast” procedure and the inter partes PI as the “very fast” one, leaving little room for an even faster ex parte track. There are also differences in how divisions handle amendments and auxiliary requests in PI proceedings. Munich has suggested that if a patentee needs to rely on claim amendments or auxiliary requests in a PI, the request is unlikely to succeed. Other divisions have been more open to considering auxiliary requests. The doctrine of equivalents is another area where practice is not yet harmonised. The Hague division has explicitly applied a test taken from Dutch law in at least one case and found infringement by equivalence. However, the Court of Appeal has not yet endorsed a specific test, and in another recent Hague case the same division did not apply that Dutch-law test again. The Mannheim division has openly called for the development of an autonomous, pan-European equivalence test, but has not yet fixed such a test in a concrete decision. This is clearly an area to watch. Interim conferences are commonly used in most divisions to clarify issues early on, but Düsseldorf often dispenses with them to save time. In practice, interim conferences can be very helpful for narrowing down the issues, though parties should not expect to be able to predict the final decision from what is discussed there. Sometimes topics that dominate the interim conference play little or no role in the main oral hearing. A Front-Loaded System and Typical Strategic Mistakes UPC proceedings are highly front-loaded and very fast. A defendant usually has three months from service of the statement of claim to file a full statement of defence and any counterclaim for revocation. This is manageable, but only if the time is used wisely. One common strategic problem is that parties lose time at the beginning and only develop a clear strategy late in the three-month period. According to Prof. Hüttermann, it is crucial to have a firm strategy within the first two or three weeks and then execute it consistently. Constantly changing direction is a recipe for failure in such a compressed system. Another characteristic is the strict attitude towards late-filed material. It is difficult to introduce new documents or new inventive-step attacks later in the procedure. In some cases even alternative combinations of already-filed prior-art documents have been viewed as “new” attacks and rejected as late. At the appeal stage, the Court of Appeal has even considered new arguments based on different parts of a book already in the file as potentially late-filed. This does not mean that parties should flood the court with dozens of alternative attacks in the initial brief. In one revocation action, a plaintiff filed about fifty different inventive-step attacks, only to be told by the court that this was not acceptable and that the attacks had to be reduced and structured. The UPC is not a body conducting ex officio examination. It is entitled to manage the case actively and to ask parties to focus on the most relevant issues. Evidence Gathering, Protective Letters and the Defendant's Perspective The UPC provides powerful tools for both sides. Evidence inspection is becoming more common, not only at trade fairs but also at company premises. This can be a valuable tool for patentees, but it also poses a serious risk for defendants who may suddenly face court-ordered inspections. From the perspective of potential defendants, protective letters are an important instrument, especially in divisions like Düsseldorf where ex parte PIs are possible. A well-written protective letter, filed in advance, can significantly reduce the risk of a surprise injunction. The court fees are moderate, but the content of the protective letter must be carefully prepared; a poor submission can cause more harm than good. Despite the strong tools available to patentees, Prof. Hüttermann does not view the UPC as unfair to defendants. If a defendant files a solid revocation counterclaim, the pressure shifts to the patentee, who then has only two months to reply, prepare all auxiliary requests and adapt the enforcement strategy. This is even more demanding than at the EPO, because the patentee must not only respond to validity attacks but also ensure that any amended claims still capture the allegedly infringing product. It is entirely possible to secure the survival of a patent with an auxiliary request that no longer covers the defendant's product. In that scenario, the patentee has “won” on validity but lost the infringement case. Managing this tension under tight time limits is a key challenge of UPC practice. The Future Role of the UPC and How to Prepare Today the UPC hears a few hundred cases per year, compared with several thousand patent cases in the US and tens of thousands in China. Nevertheless, both the court itself and experienced practitioners see significant growth potential. Prof. Hüttermann expects case numbers to multiply in the medium term. Whether the UPC will become the first choice forum in global disputes or remain one pillar in parallel proceedings alongside the US and China will depend on the strategies of large patentees and the evolution of case law. However, the court is well equipped: it covers a large, economically important territory, is comparatively cost-effective and offers fast procedures with robust remedies. For companies that may end up before the UPC, preparation is essential. On the offensive side, that means building strong evidence and legal arguments before filing, being ready to proceed quickly and structured, and understanding the specific styles of the relevant divisions. On the defensive side, it may mean filing protective letters in risk-exposed markets, preparing internal processes for rapid reaction if a statement of claim arrives, and taking inspection requests seriously. Conclusion The Unified Patent Court has quickly moved from theory to practice. It offers pan-European relief, fast and front-loaded procedures, and a substantive approach that closely mirrors the EPO's case law. At the same time, national and EU-level developments like the Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte v. Electrolux decision are reshaping the jurisdictional framework in which the UPC operates, opening the door for far-reaching cross-border injunctions. For patent owners and potential defendants alike, the message is clear: the UPC is here to stay and will become more important year by year. Those who invest the time to understand its dynamics now – including its alignment with the EPO, the differences between divisions, and the strategic implications of its procedures – will be in a much better position when the first UPC dispute lands on their desk. Here is the full transcript of the interview: Rolf Claessen:Today's interview guest is Prof. Aloys Hüttermann. He is founder and equity partner of my firm, Michalski · Hüttermann & Partner. More importantly for today's interview, he has written several books about the Unified Patent Court. The first one already came out in 2016. He is co-editor and author of one of the leading commentaries on the UPC and has gained substantial experience in UPC cases so far – one of them even together with me. Thank you very much for being on IP Fridays again, Aloys. Aloys Hüttermann:Thank you for inviting me, it's an honour. How did you get so deeply involved in the UPC? Rolf Claessen:Before we dive into the details, how did you end up so deeply involved in the Unified Patent Court? And what personally fascinates you about this court? Aloys Hüttermann:This goes back quite a while – roughly 13 years. At that time it became clear that, after several failed attempts, Europe would really get a pan-European court and a pan-European patent, and that this time it was serious. I thought: this is going to be the future. That interested me a lot, both intellectually and practically. A completely new system was being built. You could watch how it evolved – and, if possible, even help shape it a bit. It was also obvious to me that this would be a complete game changer. Nobody expected that it would take until 2023 before the system actually started operating, but now it is here. I became heavily interested early on. As you mentioned, my first book on the UPC was published in 2016, in the expectation that the system would start soon. It took a bit longer, but now we finally have it. UPC vs. US and China – speed, cost and impact Rolf Claessen:Before we go deeper into the UPC, let's zoom out. If you compare litigation before the UPC with patent litigation in the US and in China – in terms of speed, cost and the impact of decisions – what are the key differences that a business leader should understand? Aloys Hüttermann:If you look at the three big regions – the UPC territory in Europe, the US and China – these are the major economic areas for many technology companies. One important point is territorial reach. In the UPC, if the conditions are met, you can get pan-European injunctions that cover many EU Member States in one go. We will talk about this later in more detail. On costs there is a huge difference between the US and the UPC. The UPC is much cheaper than US litigation, especially once you look at the number of countries you can cover with one case if the patent has been validated widely. China is different again. The number of patent infringement cases there is enormous. I have seen statistics of around 40,000 infringement cases per year in China. That is huge – compared with roughly 164 UPC infringement cases in the first year and maybe around 200 in the current year. On speed, Chinese courts are known to be very fast. You often get a first-instance decision in about a year. The UPC is comparable: if there is a counterclaim for revocation, you are looking at something like 12 to 15 months for a first-instance decision. The US can be slower, and the procedure is very different. You have full discovery, you may have juries. None of that exists at the UPC. From that perspective, Chinese and UPC proceedings are more similar to each other than either is to the US. The UPC is still a young court. We have to see how influential its case law will be worldwide in the long run. What we already see, at least in Germany, is a clear trend away from purely national patent litigation and towards the UPC. That is inside Europe. The global impact will develop over time. When is the UPC the most powerful tool? Rolf Claessen:Let's take the perspective of a global company. It has significant sales in Europe and in the US and production or key suppliers in China. In which situations would you say the UPC is your most powerful tool? And when might the US or China be the more strategic battleground? Aloys Hüttermann:To be honest, I would almost always consider bringing a case before the UPC. The “bang for the buck” is very good. The UPC is rather fast. That alone already gives you leverage in negotiations. The threat of a quick, wide-reaching injunction is a strong negotiation tool. Whether you litigate in the US instead of the UPC, or in addition, or whether you also go to China – that depends heavily on the individual case: where the products are sold, where the key markets are, where the defendant has assets, and so on. But in my view, once you have substantial sales in Europe, you should seriously consider the UPC. And for that reason alone I expect case numbers at the UPC to increase significantly in the coming years. A landmark UPC case: Syngenta vs. Sumitomo (composition patent) Rolf Claessen:You have already been involved in several UPC cases – and one of them together with me, which was great fun. Looking at the last 12 to 18 months, is there a case, decision or development that you find particularly noteworthy – something that really changed how you think about UPC litigation or how companies should prepare? Aloys Hüttermann:The most important UPC case I have been involved in so far is the Syngenta v. Sumitomo case on a composition patent. It has become a real landmark and was even mentioned in the UPC's annual report. It is important for several reasons. First, it was one of the first cases in which the Court of Appeal said very clearly: if you have established infringement in one Member State, that will usually be enough for a pan-European injunction covering all UPC countries designated by the patent. That is a powerful statement about the reach of UPC relief. Second, the facts were interesting. The patent concerned a composition. We had analysed a sample that had been obtained in the Czech Republic, which is not a UPC country. Later, the same product was marketed under the same name in Bulgaria, which is in the UPC. The question was whether the analysis of the Czech sample could be used as a basis for enforcement in Bulgaria. The Court of Appeal said yes, that was sufficient. Third, the Court of Appeal took the opportunity to say something about inventive step. It more or less confirmed that the UPC's approach is very close to the EPO's problem-solution approach. It emphasised that, if you want to combine prior-art documents, you need a “pointer” to do so. The mere theoretical possibility that a skilled person could dig a particular piece of information out of a document is not enough. For me personally, the most memorable aspect of this case was not the outcome – that was largely in line with what we had expected – but the oral hearings at the appeal stage. We had two hearings. In both, the presiding judge asked us a question that we had not anticipated at all. And then you have about 20 minutes to come up with a convincing answer while the hearing continues. We managed it, but it made me think a lot about how you should prepare for oral hearings at the UPC. My conclusion is: you should go in with a team, but not too big. In German we say, “Zu viele Köche verderben den Brei” – too many cooks spoil the broth. Two or three people seems ideal. One of them can work quietly on such a surprise question at the side, while the others continue arguing the case. In the end the case went very well for us, so I can speak about it quite calmly now. But in the moment your heart rate definitely goes up. The CJEU's Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte v. Electrolux decision – a real game changer Rolf Claessen:You also mentioned another development that is not even a UPC case, but still very important for European patent litigation. Aloys Hüttermann:Yes. In my view, the most important case of the last twelve months is not a UPC decision but a judgment of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU): Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte v. Electrolux. This is going to be a real game changer for European IP law, and I am sure we have not seen the end of its effects yet. One example: someone has recently sued BMW before the Landgericht München I, a German court, for infringement of a US patent based on acts in the US. The argument is that this could be backed by the logic of Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte v. Electrolux. We do not know yet what the court will do with that, but the fact that people are trying this shows how far-reaching the decision might be. Within the UPC we have already seen injunctions being issued for countries outside the UPC territory and even outside the EU, for example including the UK. So you see how these developments start to interact. Rolf Claessen:For listeners who have not followed the case so closely: in very simple terms, the CJEU opened the door for courts in one EU country to rule on patent infringement that took place in other countries as well, right? Aloys Hüttermann:Exactly. Before Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte v. Electrolux we had what was often called the GAT/LuK regime. The basic idea was: if you sue someone in, say, Germany for infringement of a European patent, and you also ask for an injunction for France, and the defendant then challenges the validity of the patent in France, the German court cannot grant you an injunction covering France. The Bosch decision changed that. The legal basis is the Brussels I Recast Regulation (Brussels Ia), which deals with jurisdiction in civil and commercial matters in the EU. It is not specific to IP; it applies to civil cases generally, but it does have some provisions that are relevant for patents. In Bosch, a Swedish court asked the CJEU for guidance on cross-border injunctions. The CJEU more or less overturned its old GAT/LuK case law. Now, in principle, if the defendant is domiciled in a particular Member State, the courts of that state can also grant cross-border relief for other countries, under certain conditions. We will not go into all the details here – that could fill a whole separate IP Fridays episode – but one important concept is the “anchor defendant”. If you sue a group of companies and at least one defendant is domiciled in the forum state, then other group companies in other countries – even outside the EU, for example in Hong Kong – can be drawn into the case and affected by the decision. This is not limited to the UPC, but of course it is highly relevant for UPC litigation. Statistically it increases the chances that at least one defendant will be domiciled in a UPC country, simply because there are many of them. And we have already seen courts like the Landgericht München I grant pan-European injunctions for around 20 countries in a pharmaceutical case. Rolf Claessen:Just to clarify: does it have to be the headquarters of the defendant in that country, or is any registered office enough? Aloys Hüttermann:That is one of the open points. If the headquarters are in Europe, then it is clear that subsidiaries outside Europe can be affected as well. If the group's headquarters are outside Europe and only a subsidiary is here, the situation is less clear and we will have to see what the courts make of it. Does the UPC follow EPO case law? Rolf Claessen:Many patent owners and in-house counsel wonder: does the UPC largely follow the case law of the EPO Boards of Appeal, or is it starting to develop its own distinct line? What is your impression so far – both on substantive issues like novelty and inventive step, and on procedural questions? Aloys Hüttermann:On procedure the UPC is, of course, very different. It has its own procedural rules and they are not the same as at the EPO. If we look at patent validity, however, my impression is that there is “nothing new under the sun” – that was the title of a recent talk I gave and will give again in Hamburg. Substantively, the case law of the UPC and the EPO is very similar. For inventive step, people sometimes say the UPC does not use the classical problem-solution approach but a more “holistic” approach – whatever that is supposed to mean. In practice, in both systems you read and interpret prior-art documents and decide what they really disclose. In my view, the “error bar” that comes from two courts simply reading a document slightly differently is much larger than any systematic difference in legal approach. If you look at other grounds, such as novelty and added matter, the UPC even follows the EPO almost verbatim. The famous “gold standard” for added matter appears all over UPC decisions, even if the EPO case numbers are not always cited. The same is true for novelty. So the rule-based, almost “Hilbertian” EPO approach is very much present at the UPC. There is also a structural reason for that. All patents that the UPC currently deals with have been granted by the EPO. The UPC does not handle patents granted only by national offices. If the UPC wanted to deviate from EPO case law and be more generous, then many patents would never reach the UPC in the first place. The most generous approach you can have is the one used by the granting authority – the EPO. So if the UPC wants to be different, it can only be stricter, not more lenient. And there is little incentive to be systematically stricter, because that would reduce the number of patents that are attractive to enforce before the UPC. Patent owners might simply opt out. Rolf Claessen:We also talked about added matter and a recent case where the Court of Appeal was even stricter than the EPO. That probably gives US patent practitioners a massive headache. They already struggle with added-matter rules in Europe, and now the UPC might be even tougher. Aloys Hüttermann:Yes, especially on added matter. I once spoke with a US practitioner who said, “We hope the UPC will move away from intermediate generalisations.” There is no chance of that. We already have cases where the Court of Appeal confirmed that intermediate generalisations are not allowed, in full alignment with the EPO. You mentioned a recent case where a patent was revoked for added matter, even though it had been granted by the EPO in exactly that form. This shows quite nicely what to expect. If you want to predict how the UPC will handle a revocation action, the best starting point is to ask: “What would the EPO do?” Of course, there will still be cases where the UPC finds an invention to be inventive while the EPO, in parallel opposition proceedings, does not – or vice versa. But those are differences in the appreciation of the facts and the prior art, which you will always have. The underlying legal approach is essentially the same. Rolf Claessen:So you do not see a real example yet where the UPC has taken a totally different route from the EPO on validity? Aloys Hüttermann:No, not really. If I had to estimate how the UPC will decide, I would always start from what I think the EPO would have done. Trends in UPC practice: PIs, equivalents, interim conferences Rolf Claessen:If you look across the different UPC divisions and cases: what trends do you see in practice? For example regarding timelines, preliminary injunctions, how validity attacks are handled, and how UPC cases interact with EPO oppositions or national proceedings? Aloys Hüttermann:If you take the most active divisions – essentially the big four in Germany and the local division in The Hague – they all try to be very careful and diligent in their decisions. But you can already see some differences in practice. For preliminary injunctions there is a clear distinction between the local division in Düsseldorf and most other divisions. Düsseldorf considers one month after knowledge of the infringement as still sufficiently urgent. If you wait longer, it is usually considered too late. In many other divisions, two months is still viewed as fine. Düsseldorf has also been the division that issued most of the ex parte preliminary injunctions so far. Apart from one special outlier where a standing judge from Brussels was temporarily sitting in Milan, Düsseldorf is basically the only one. Other divisions have been much more reluctant. At a conference, Judge Pichlmaier from the Munich division once said that he could hardly imagine a situation where his division would grant an ex parte PI. In his words, the UPC has two types of procedure: one that is fast – the normal main action – and one that is very fast – the inter partes PI procedure. But you do not really have an “ultra-fast” ex parte track, at least not in his division. Another difference relates to amendments and auxiliary requests in PI proceedings. In one recent case in Munich the court said more or less that if you have to amend your patent or rely on auxiliary requests in a PI, you lose. Other divisions have been more flexible and have allowed auxiliary requests. Equivalence is another area where we do not have a unified line yet. So far, only the Hague division has clearly found infringement under the doctrine of equivalents and explicitly used a test taken from Dutch law. Whether that test will be approved by the Court of Appeal is completely open – the first case settled, so the Court of Appeal never ruled on it, and a second one is still very recent. Interestingly, there was another Hague decision a few weeks ago where equivalence was on the table, but the division did not apply that Dutch-law test. We do not know yet why. The Mannheim division has written in one decision that it would be desirable to develop an autonomous pan-European test for equivalence, instead of just importing the German, UK or Dutch criteria. But they did not formulate such a test in that case because it was not necessary for the decision. So we will have to see how that evolves. On timelines, one practical difference is that Düsseldorf usually does not hold an interim conference. That saves them some time. Most other divisions do hold interim conferences. Personally, I like the idea because it can help clarify issues. But you cannot safely read the final outcome from these conferences. I have also seen cases where questions raised at the interim conference did not play any role in the main oral hearing. So they are useful for clarification, but not as a crystal ball. Front-loaded proceedings and typical strategic mistakes Rolf Claessen:If you look at the behaviour of parties so far – both patentees and defendants – what are the most common strategic mistakes you see in UPC litigation? And what would a well-prepared company do differently before the first statement of claim is ever filed? Aloys Hüttermann:You know you do not really want me to answer that question… Rolf Claessen:I do! Aloys Hüttermann:All right. The biggest mistake, of course, is that they do not hire me. That is the main problem. Seriously, it is difficult to judge parties' behaviour from the outside. You rarely know the full picture. There may be national proceedings, licensing discussions, settlement talks, and so on in the background. That can limit what a party can do at the UPC. So instead of criticising, I prefer to say what is a good idea at the UPC. The system is very front-loaded and very fast. If you are sued, you have three months to file your statement of defence and your counterclaim for revocation. In my view, three months are manageable – but only if you use the time wisely and do not waste it on things that are not essential. If you receive a statement of claim, you have to act immediately. You should have a clear strategy within maybe two or three weeks and then implement it. If you change your strategy every few weeks, chances are high that you will fail. Another point is that everything is front-loaded. It is very hard to introduce new documents or new attacks later. Some divisions have been a bit generous in individual cases, but the general line is strict. We have seen, for example, that even if you filed a book in first instance, you may not be allowed to rely on a different chapter from the same book for a new inventive-step attack at the appeal stage. That can be regarded as late-filed, because you could have done it earlier. There is also case law saying that if you first argue inventive step as “D1 plus D2”, and later want to argue “D2 plus D1”, that can already be considered a new, late attack. On the other hand, we had a revocation action where the plaintiff filed about 50 different inventive-step attacks in the initial brief. The division then said: this does not work. Please cut them down or put them in a clear hierarchy. In the end, not all of them were considered. The UPC does not conduct an ex officio examination. It is entitled to manage the case and to tell the parties to limit themselves in the interest of a fair and efficient procedure. Rolf Claessen:I have the feeling that the EPO is also becoming more front-loaded – if you want to rely on documents later, you should file them early. But it sounds like the UPC is even more extreme in that regard. Aloys Hüttermann:Yes, that is true. Protective letters, inspections and the defendant's perspective Rolf Claessen:Suppose someone from a company is listening now and thinks: “We might be exposed at the UPC,” or, “We should maybe use the UPC offensively against competitors.” What would you consider sensible first steps before any concrete dispute arises? And looking three to five years ahead, how central do you expect the UPC to become in global patent litigation compared to the US and China? Aloys Hüttermann:Let me start with the second part. I expect the UPC to become significantly more important. If we have around 200 cases this year, that is a good start, but it is still very small compared to, say, 4,000 to 5,000 patent cases per year in the US and 40,000 or so in China. Even François Bürgin and Klaus Grabinski, in interviews, have said that they are happy with the case load, but the potential is much larger. In my view, it is almost inevitable that we will see four or five times as many UPC cases in the not-too-distant future. As numbers grow, the influence of the UPC will grow as well. Whether, in five or ten years, companies will treat the UPC as their first choice forum – or whether they will usually run it in parallel with US litigation in major disputes – remains to be seen. The UPC would be well equipped for that: the territory it covers is large, Europe is still an important economy, and the UPC procedure is very attractive from a company's perspective. On sensible first steps: if you are worried about being sued, a protective letter can make a lot of sense – especially in divisions like Düsseldorf, where ex parte PIs are possible in principle. A protective letter is not very expensive in terms of court fees. There is also an internal system that ensures the court reads it before deciding on urgent measures. Of course, the content must have a certain quality; a poor protective letter can even backfire. If you are planning to sue someone before the UPC, you should be extremely well prepared when you file. You should already have all important documents and evidence at hand. As we discussed, it is hard to introduce new material later. One tool that is becoming more and more popular is inspection – not just at trade fairs, where we already saw cases very early, but also at company premises. Our firm has already handled such an inspection case. That is something you should keep in mind on both sides: it is a powerful evidence-gathering tool, but also a serious risk if you are on the receiving end. From the defendant's perspective, I do not think the UPC is unfair. If you do your job properly and put a solid revocation counterclaim on the table, then the patentee has only two months to prepare a full reply and all auxiliary requests. And there is a twist that makes life even harder for the patentee than at the EPO. At the EPO the question is mainly: do my auxiliary requests overcome the objections and are they patentable? At the UPC there is an additional layer: do I still have infringement under the amended claims? You may save your patent with an auxiliary request that no longer reads on the defendant's product. That is great for validity, but you have just lost the infringement case. You have kept the patent but lost the battle. And all of this under very tight time limits. That creates considerable pressure on both sides. How to contact Prof. Hüttermann Rolf Claessen:Thank you very much for this really great interview, Aloys. Inside our firm you have a nickname: “the walking encyclopedia of the Unified Patent Court” – because you have written so many books about it and have dealt with the UPC for such a long time. What is the best way for listeners to get in touch with you? Aloys Hüttermann:The easiest way is by email. You can simply write to me, and that is usually the best way to contact me. As you may have noticed, I also like to speak. I am a frequent speaker at conferences. If you happen to be at one of the conferences where I am on the programme – for example, next week in Hamburg – feel free to come up to me and ask me anything in person. But email is probably the most reliable first step. Rolf Claessen:Perfect. Thank you very much, Aloys. Aloys Hüttermann:Thank you. It was a pleasure to be on IP Fridays again. Some of your long-time listeners may remember that a few years ago – when you were not yet part of our firm – we already did an episode on the UPC, back when everything was still very speculative. It is great to be back now that the system is actually in place and working. Rolf Claessen:I am very happy to have you back on the show.
Leaving the US after weeks on the road, we zoom out from New York and Washington and asks a question we almost never ask in Europe: what if the real future of geopolitics isn't in Brussels, Beijing or DC, but in Central Asia? To get there, we bring in historian Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads, to map the region we lazily call “the Stans”; Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan, plus Afghanistan, Iran and their neighbours. Together we unpack why this vast strip of land, once the beating heart of the Silk Roads, is suddenly back at the centre of the global game: home to huge reserves of oil, gas, uranium, rare earths and critical minerals, a young and growing population, and wedged between Russia, China, India, Pakistan and Iran. We hear how Central Asian states are learning to play everyone off against everyone and why the new Great Game isn't a neat East vs West story at all. If the world is getting more dangerous, more digital and more fragmented, what does it mean that Ireland is the EU's weak link on defence, with tiny cyber budgets, under-protected seabed cables and a very cosy version of neutrality? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lesley Logan and Brad Crowell break down the powerful conversation with keynote speaker and coach John Mollura, exploring how perfectionism, procrastination, and overthinking quietly chip away at your self-trust. They unpack why these three all stem from fear, how they derail the small promises you make to yourself, and why that matters more than you think. This recap is your reminder that confidence isn't a mystery; it's built through honest awareness and daily follow-through.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:The shift from self-judgment to a seeker mindset that opens new direction.How changing lanes later in life reflects growth rather than starting over.The Big Three that derail meaningful actions by operating from fear.Breaking your own commitments as the root cause behind loss of self-trust.Why honoring tiny choices today makes you a hero to your future self.Episode References/Links:Black Friday Cyber Monday Sale - https://opc.me/bfcmOPC Winter Tour - https://opc.me/tourPilates Journal Expo - https://xxll.co/pilatesjournalCambodia Retreat Waitlist - https://crowsnestretreats.comAgency Mini - https://prfit.biz/miniContrology Pilates Conference in Poland - https://xxll.co/polandContrology Pilates Conference in Brussels - https://xxll.co/brusselsPilates on Tour - https://www.pilates.comSubmit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questionsJohn Mollura's Website - https://www.johnmollura.comJohn Mollura's Free Resources - https://www.johnmollura.com/freestuffEpisode 119: John Mollura - https://beitpod.com/ep119Episode 592: Dr. Jill Allen - https://beitpod.com/ep592 If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! 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DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Brad Crowell 0:00 These three behaviors constantly derail us from doing the things that we want to do or the things that we say are so important for us. And he said, all three of them share the same root. Okay, what is the root of perfectionism, procrastination and overthinking? Lesley Logan 0:15 Drum roll please. Brad Crowell 0:18 Fear.Lesley Logan 0:21 Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.Lesley Logan 1:03 Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co-host in life, Brad, and I are going to dig into the encouraging convo I have with John Mollura in our last episode. If you haven't yet listened to that interview, feel free to pause this now. Go back and listen to that one, and then listen to this one, or listen to this one and then listen to that one. They're fun, back-to-back, to be completely honest, in whatever order you want to do. And John Mollura, he said this is his second time on the pod. Brad Crowell 1:28 Yeah, the first one he was in the hundos. Lesley Logan 1:27 Yeah. I know. Is that crazy? It's insane. Brad Crowell 1:28 Yeah, yeah. Like this probably puts him almost 500 episodes ago. Lesley Logan 1:34 I know. Who else should we bring back? Send it in, guys. Brad Crowell 1:38 Let us know. Lesley Logan 1:38 Today is Thursday, November 27th 2025 and for Americans, it is Turkey Day. Brad Crowell 1:46 It's Thanksgiving Day. Lesley Logan 1:47 Yes, but it's also for Americans and anyone else wants to celebrate, Un-Thanksgiving Day. Brad Crowell 1:54 That's right. Lesley Logan 1:54 Let's, before people get upset, this is what Un-Thanksgiving Day is. It's also known as National Day of Mourning, or Indigenous People's Sunrise Ceremony, is commemorated on the fourth Thursday in November. That is on purpose, because, well, I'll tell you more in a second, this place, it takes a place on November 27th but it just happens on to be on the same Thursday as Thanksgiving, because it's always the fourth Thursday. And it actually there's a big thing over on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay to honor the indigenous peoples of America and promote their rights. And the reason why we do this is because, well, there's also, naturally a mourning is what they do in Boston, but what they do in happened in at Alcatraz is when it was no longer being used as a prison, the indigenous people went and took over the island, and they lived in it and inhabited and controlled it for 19 months. And it's kind of amazing. It's basically them taking their land back, which is very beautiful on we didn't do this because we'll have episodes come on Monday, but I really love that on Columbus Day, the day formerly known as Columbus Day in this household, but known as Indigenous People's Day, somebody, somebody posted a meme that said a reminder that on this day in 1492 indigenous people discovered Columbus lost at sea, or whatever day it was. I don't know if I heard the year correctly, but I love it. It's like, yeah, you fucking discovered this place. You so. So anyways, if you're like me and Brad, sometimes these holidays are kind of hard to celebrate, because, like, of course, I want to spend time with family. Of course I'll spend time with friends. Of course, we need days off, and we do need some joy, but I think finding new ways to educate ourselves and then celebrate those people is wise. Brad Crowell 3:48 Yeah, or just to have some clarity around the history of a holiday, you know, like, like, like, historically, the Romans would take the conquered people's holidays, and, you know, morph them so that the people could still celebrate, and then over time, things would change, you know. And now, all of a sudden, we have, you know, things like Christmas or Halloween or whatever, you know. And they've been, they've been basically taken over, and Thanksgiving is, is, I don't think Thanksgiving was taken over, but Thanksgiving has a different premise.Lesley Logan 4:22 There's a folkloric story about, like, what happened I'm like this, but (inaudible).Brad Crowell 4:25 But it's, well, it's, yeah, it's well, it's, it's that, you know, we came, we saw, we conquered, kind of thing and we did that. But it's a day of thanks, right? Thanks for this new land that we took from people. So, you know, thank you for that.Lesley Logan 4:41 It's like a bully kicking a kid taking a lunch, going, thanks, man.Brad Crowell 4:43 You know, so so I still think that we can have a day where we we are thankful for the things that we have and family and those things. But I think it's also fair to to to recognize that, you know, like that, like for the native people of this continent. They they want to remember their history too, and the genocide of indigenous people that happened when we came over here, so.Lesley Logan 5:12 Yeah, and I just think, like, Hallmark washing, and no offense to that company, but like, just making everything, like this beautiful day to like, you know, go out and buy decorations and all this different stuff. It's like, I think you can have a day of thanks, I think. But I also think, like, it is, it is important that we're educating ourselves about the people that have been hurt by this kind of stuff, and also, like, have a day of thanks and be thankful for them and what they did on, you know, for this land before we got here. Brad Crowell 5:39 Yeah, Thanks for Thanks for going down that journey with us. Lesley Logan 5:42 Yeah, Happy Thanksgiving Day. Brad Crowell 5:44 Yeah, it's intentionally on Thanksgiving every year. It's the fourth, same as the fourth, fourth Thursday of November. Lesley Logan 5:50 So and you know what? Here's the deal, if you're like guys, thanks, totally understand. You know, honor them every day. And I love Thanksgiving. That is very, very cool. But for some people who are having a hard time right now with this holiday, we just gave you one. You're welcome.Brad Crowell 6:04 Yeah, all right. Coming up it is. We are in the middle of our Black Friday Cyber Monday sale right now for OPC, onlinepilatesclasses.com. Just go to, actually check your emails. But I want to say it's opc.me/bfcm, Black Friday Cyber Monday, for the short link for that. In December, in literally a week, we leave and we hit the road. We are driving to Colorado. We're gonna be in Colorado Springs. We're not gonna review all the days and the locations and all the things.Lesley Logan 6:32 There's 23 of them. Brad Crowell 6:33 There are 23 cities, public stops there. And we have, you know, definitely more than 50% sold out. We are more than that already as we're recording this, and you know. Lesley Logan 6:44 Powered by Balanced Body, so we're gonna be bringing our Controlology line with us. We'll have some prizes from them. You don't have to be a Pilates instructor to come. You don't even have to have done Pilates for you to come. (inaudible) my fucking friends have come, and they don't, have never done it before. So you are welcome to bring a family member or ditch them and say that you have something to do for work. It's important. Everyone understands. So go to opc.me/tour for tickets in the remaining stops. And then what's also happening later in December, because we're not doing a Black Friday, Cyber Monday sale for Profitable Pilates this year, we are doing something special December 26th through the 31st so, but you'll need to have the be on the email list for Profitable Pilates. So if you're not on that list, you need to get on that list, yeah, and go do that. And then after our tour is over, we come home. I fix my roots, I change my nails, I launch a mentorship program, and then we drive out to Huntington Beach. Brad Crowell 7:40 I think I'll shave while you're doing all those things. Lesley Logan 7:40 I mean, you'll have your shave going on, but you'll probably need a trim. So we're gonna go, we'll be at the Pilates Journal Expo in Huntington Beach. It's the first time the Pilates Journal is doing an event in the States. It's a humongous lineup of teachers, some that I, who I used to take from when I was a baby Pilates person, and some that I've taught how to teach. So it's kind of crazy. So you'll want to go to the Pilates Journal Expo to join us on that party, xxll.co/pilatesjournal. Then we're home for a little bit, thank goodness, because, like everybody and their mom is wanting to visit in February, and, oh, there's more in January. Brad Crowell 8:05 Yeah, there's more in Jan. So we're gonna be.Lesley Logan 8:12 It's also my birthday. I don't see that on the events list.Brad Crowell 8:17 For those of you who've been interested in joining us on a Pilates retreat where we hang out, we decompress from all the insanity that this life has for us. Each and every one of us is different. Go to crowsnestretreats.com. Get yourself on the waitlist. In January, we're going to be doing our pre sale, our early bird for our retreat for next year, which will be in October at our home in Cambodia. We're actually going to be doing a call at the middle end of January. It's not yet on the calendar exactly, but we're going to have a call, and we're going to interview a couple of our past attendees. We're going to hang out, we're going to talk about the trip and all the things that everybody's ever wanted to know. It's going to be great. So come join us for that, but you got to be on the waitlist for that. Go to crowsnestretreats.com to get on the waitlist. And then in February, something that is really I'm passionate about as well, is Agency Mini. Okay, so as you know, we coach Pilates business owners, and we have a coaching program and all those fun things. But people ask, you know, often look at it and go, I don't know if I'm ready for a six month commitment. No problem. That's why we created Agency Mini, and it's a three-day program. Okay? Used to be seven. We've shrunk it down to three, because we all know how crazy life actually is. It is a really powerful three days, and you should join us for that. Go to prfit.biz/mini prfit.biz/mini. That's profit without the O.Lesley Logan 9:35 And then we get on our plane for the first time in almost six months. Brad Crowell 9:39 Which is insane. Lesley Logan 9:40 Insane but so delicious. I'm sitting here knowing we have six months not. Brad Crowell 9:45 Of no flying. Lesley Logan 9:46 So it's the really ridiculous thing. But I saw it on the day we were at the airport some reel which is like, Have you ever been to the airport and you realize, like, every time I go to the airport, it is everybody's first time on this earth. And so I was just like looking at people, and honestly, I had more empathy for them. I'm like, well, it's their first time here. And then we pull a move where we like, just stop in the middle of the airport, like you did, like, like people do, and then we're just like, turn and like, I'm like, so sorry. Brad Crowell 10:11 Cutting people off. Oops.Lesley Logan 10:11 Like, I was like, oops, I'm so sorry. It's our first time on this planet. They didn't understand what I was saying. But I laugh my heart out. But anyways, we're home for six months, and then when we get on a plane, it's a big deal because we are going to be in three different countries, teaching in the content, continent of Europe, because I can't say the EU anymore, since the Brexit. So school year, we're starting to right, I have to like London and England is its own thing. Brad Crowell 10:37 Almost positive. Lesley Logan 10:38 I have to say, like the European continent, so annoying, but we'll just say,Brad Crowell 10:44 Yeah, it's considered part of Europe geographically. Lesley Logan 10:46 But not the EU. Brad Crowell 10:47 Although technically it's the European continental shelf. Anyway, no, it's not the EU but it is part of Europe.Lesley Logan 10:54 It's like when we were in John o'Groats, and we had to be so specific, we couldn't say we were at the top of the UK. We had to say we're at the top of the mainland UK.Brad Crowell 10:58 Right. Because there are islands north of the mainland.Lesley Logan 11:01 Or top of mainland Scotland. So okay, so in March, we're going to be in Poland at the Controlology Pilates Conference, xxll.co/poland Karen Frischmann is doing that with me, and it's really fun. We haven't been back there in a couple of years. Really, really great time. Really cool people there. So I can't wait to see you guys. And then the next weekend we'll be in Brussels. Els Studio tells and you want to go to xxll.co/brussels same, two teachers, very different workshops, also private sessions. So choose the adventure you want to go on, check out both lineups, and pick the one you want to go to or come to both and hang out with us in two different countries, why not? And then in April, Brad and I will be at the POT in London. We're very excited about it, it's my first POT in London, (inaudible) I know it's, it's gonna be a great time. It's gonna be a really fun to see all those people. So pick the one you want, my European fabulous people, because that's it for 2026. That's all there is. Brad Crowell 11:59 So xxll.co/poland or slash Brussels. Eventually we might have slash London, but they're not. They don't even have a landing page up yet to buy tickets for that. Lesley Logan 12:08 From the time that we're recording this. Brad Crowell 12:08 Yeah, we're just, we're putting it on your radar. So go to pilates.com and go see their continuing education. That's where they have all that information about future POTs Pilates On Tour. Brad Crowell 12:19 All right, so this week, we had a question for you from Natalie. Lesley Logan 12:25 Hit me with it. Brad Crowell 12:27 @nathalieds9011 asks on YouTube about the video, How to Take Your Pilates Practice Outdoors. She said, hey, how about doing Pilates outdoors during winter in Madrid, which is where I am, winter is not extreme. I have a big terrace, which is where I do Pilates. Since inside my apartment, there's just not that much space for me to move.Lesley Logan 12:43 I mean, if you live somewhere where it's beautiful in the winter, fuck yeah. Do it outside. Tag me in a video. Take one of my classes on OPC, or Pilates Anytime or on YouTube. And I want to see your, I want to live vicariously through you, because, let me tell you, I would love being in Madrid in the winter. Instead, I am in the winter places. Brad Crowell 13:04 I'm in the winter places.Lesley Logan 13:04 I'm in the places where winter happens. But I would, love that's great. I mean, like, when I did that video, I was being conscious of, like, if I say, you do it outdoors, I'm gonna get someone say I can't. It's negative 21 degrees here, and it's gonna be 115 here. So I have to, like, you know, be considerate, because some people just don't feel seen. So you, my dear, are in the blessed space. We actually have a couple OPC members who also live in Spain, and they do their Pilates outside all year long. So please, rock on. Do it, but, but basically, when you're doing Pilates outside, there's just things to consider. You can check out that video we did on YouTube, because I'm not gonna list the exhaust, exhaustive list that I gave on there, but we just did Pilates in Cambodia, and something we have to consider is, like bugs, you know, rain. We can do it in the rain there, because we have a covered patio, but as long as the rain isn't going sideways, which can happen, then we have these things that we bring down to make the walls. So it's not so much water on the patio, but the mosquitoes don't care, so we have to we have extra fans that like make it harder for them to land, you know. So there's just things you want to think about when you're doing Pilates outside, and I have blue eyes, it is really difficult for me to do outside Pilates when there's no cover. I was doing, early in the spring, I was doing yoga outside in the morning, and it was fine, as long as I was in down dog, but the moment I came up, the sun was in my face, and I was like, well, this isn't this is terrible. I need sunglasses, but you can't do sunglasses. You can't work out with sunglasses. So like you just it looks stunning. Just make sure you have things set up so that you're not constantly distracted from your workout, about being outside. You know that's all. Brad Crowell 13:06 Love it. Lesley Logan 13:06 If you have a question, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534, or submit them at beitpod.com/questions, where I would like you to send a win as well. I'm being demanding here. Come on. You have a win in your life. You do. You wanna know something, one of our retreaters would. Brad Crowell 13:06 You wanna know something. Lesley Logan 13:06 You wanna know something. One of our, one of our retreaters shared a win one day after our retreat. She said, I only said, I'm sorry two times. It was amazing. Like, if you walk around like, that's a fucking win. Huge win. Instead of walking around, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Like, she just said, excuse me, and then when she needed to, she said, I'm sorry, and she's like, oh, two times it was such a win. So those are the wins I want to hear. I don't need to hear, like, I have my biggest launch ever. Okay, great. That's wonderful. I'm super excited for you, and you can send that in, but like, there were little wins along the way. And if you don't celebrate those you are, you're unlikely to feel fulfilled for a long period of time. So send them in. Brad Crowell 13:37 Yeah, I just looked up on our board we have a win. Lesley Logan 13:37 Great. Brad Crowell 13:37 I'm gonna read it. Lesley Logan 13:37 Oh, okay, okay great. Brad Crowell 13:37 Big win this week. This is from Jordan BB, I've neglected using my Wunda Chair for quite a while now. So I decided it was time to break out my Chair Flashcards. I started working through the order and whatever bits of time I had available each day, starting from the top of the deck each day to get to the to get the repetition. By the time I got to my second week, I started feeling connections in my body that the week previous, I couldn't have even dreamed of. Exercises that felt impossible to move were actually moving. But even better, I felt more connected to myself. Super excited to add my Chair back into my regular rotation. Thank you, Lesley for the amazing flashcards. Lesley Logan 16:32 I mean, I'm so grateful for you. And don't click that off, Brad, because I'm going to say it on FYF so she can hear it on one of those episodes. But thank you like that is so freaking cool. Brad Crowell 16:42 Great job, Jordan. Lesley Logan 16:43 I just want another shout out to Jordan. She is also a listener who, when she discovered this podcast, went back to the beginning and listened to every single one. Brad Crowell 16:51 Wow. Lesley Logan 16:51 I know. So pretty big deal. Pretty amazing win. All right, Jordan, you're amazing. I'll put that in FYF so you're gonna hear it twice, because what if she misses this episode? All right, let's talk about John Mollura.Brad Crowell 17:05 John Mollura. Okay, so stick around. We'll be right back. We're going to talk about John. Brad Crowell 17:11 Welcome back. All right, let's dig into this convo you have with John Mollura. John is a personal coach and keynote speaker who helps people move from fear and hesitation into confidence and action, which I love that. For 15 years he had he led test operations on NASA missions before stepping into a new chapter as an award winning photographer, with work featured in National Geographic. Today, he shares those experiences through coaching and his signature talk, Elite Level Confidence, giving people simple tools to build trust in themselves and take consistent action in their lives. Look, we, Lesley and I have, man, we connected with John three or four years ago now, and. Lesley Logan 17:52 At least, he was in the hundreds. So.Brad Crowell 17:54 Yeah, look, if you like to read newsletters, John's newsletters are great. He really takes time to write enjoyable newsletters, and I read them. Lesley Logan 18:05 You don't read anything. Brad Crowell 18:07 I don't really read anything. So John's newsletters are really fun. So I really like that. I feel like I've been along his journey with him, as he's shifted from engineer to photographer to now being a speaker and a coach, so we're really fired up for him. It's been awesome to have him. He's coming to speak to Agency, our coaching group multiple times, and his content is available for those who are members of Agency. And then we were like, hey, man, would you like to be back on the pod? And we got this epic episode. It's like this episode felt like a mic drop moment on every chapter of the conversation that y'all, y'all were having, you know, talking about confidence, talking about perfectionism, talking about all these great things that, I, I literally listened to it twice. So. Lesley Logan 18:58 I love that, that's so good. Well, thanks for doing that. I mean, it's so fun to have guests back and see where they've gone. Some people have gone further in the same lane. Some people have switched lanes. Some people have reversed and then rewound and, you know, like it's and so he has switched lanes. But really it seems like it all aligns, because he, basically what I like that he said, which goes with what I'm just saying, is that he talked about, it's being really important to be aware. Like, the more aware you are, it's actually a really powerful thing and and it's because when you have a seeker mindset, right? Like, that's going to help you, when you have that curiosity, it's going to help you in what you want to be and what you want to do. So clearly, he was in that seeking mode, that being aware mode, and that's where he's like, Oh, I'm a, I'm an award winning photographer, I'm a NASA engineer, but I actually really want, I'm feeling called, to do this thing over here and it lights me up, and that, you, just going to Gay Hendricks like, that's his genius zone. Like, it would be so easy for him to it's, it's a what does Gay call it, like, your whatever. Like, there's a zone of excellence, which is his photography, but his own genius is this. And I just really loved it. He also said, like, when you are being aware, it's important that you don't judge yourself with your awareness. Like, that's where the critic lives. You like things you'll say is like, well, that's not gonna happen. Or, like, this is never gonna work. But instead, shifting into that seeker mindset and having awareness and curiosity.Brad Crowell 20:23 Yeah, that, so, okay, this part, I thought, was really heartfelt, because he already in his adult life with kids and a wife changed from being a, I'm guessing, stable, high paying government job, where he's an engineer for NASA, to an unstable, potentially high paying, but who knows, job of being a photographer. Now he happens to kick ass at being a photographer, you know, but he said, the engineering job, he quit. He started something else. He got another engineering job, then realized that still wasn't the right answer. Then he started doing something that he found fulfilling. And then after a while, was like, this isn't doing it either. And then decided to make us another change in his adult life. And he's like, I honestly didn't even want to tell my wife, because she'd already been on the journey with me getting out of being an engineer. And now I'm like, thought I was doing the thing I wanted to do, but I'm not feeling it, you know, it's not actually the right thing for me. And and then, you know, and so he has, what I thought was really great, is you threw in there. Well, look, it was maybe we end up thinking that we need to do this thing for because we made the decision, right? For me, this really resonated with my decision to go to college for music, right? And I left. And then my whole time in Los Angeles, for the for the first decade I was there, I was like, I am a musician. That's how I defined myself. It's how I saw myself. I am in a band. I do perform. This is what I do. This is who I am. And when you started, when that started to shift and change and not be that anymore. I was like, well, what do I do now? You know, that I'm not, you know, can I do something else? Like, am I allowed? Because I felt (inaudible), I had literally spent $80,000 or whatever was going to college. I don't even know. A lot of money, you know, going to college to be a musician, you know, am I, am I like, is it okay to not be a musician anymore? You know, while I still can think of myself as a musician today, that's not my primary thing that I'm doing, but it was just one step along the way and and I think it's okay for us to be making these changes in our lives. You know, my I never talked with my friend about this, but my high school buddy went to school to be an engineer, right? He went to Germany, he came back, he was doing all this really fancy engineering stuff, and then somewhere along the way, was like, I this isn't it. And then he went back to school to be a doctor. Like, I was like, wait, you signed up for like, four more years of school after already going to, like four or five years of school. And, you know, now he's a doctor, and I have to imagine he really likes it, or he wouldn't keep doing it. But that is quite a path to jump from one to another, especially when the foundation to become a doctor again, you're, you're starting over, in a way, you know, so.Lesley Logan 20:25 Yeah, I think that's and I think that clearly in that instance, like, he must have had to be a seeker and not a judger in his like, well, this is gonna work. Oh my God, it's four more years of school. Brad Crowell 23:33 Judging himself. Lesley Logan 23:39 Like, using himself, you know, or what like, and this is like, this is the hard part, right? Because when you share some things, it's really, really important who you share stuff with. Like, I think sometimes some of you who are listening, you so badly want someone in your life's love that you're telling them the thing that you're wanting to do, and they are not your cheerleader. It's not because they are an asshole or trying to be an asshole, it's that they are in the critic zone. And so you have to be mindful, like, who you're sharing your dreams with, until you feel the muscle is very strong. And I don't think that that was, like, why he didn't want to share it with his wife, but we were very clear, like he was just was just like, now we're starting all over again. But like, I do think that, like, there are, like, when we told my grandfather we're in Cambodia, he's like, it's not safe there, right? And we're like. Brad Crowell 24:32 What's he, like, all he's doing is projecting his own fear. Lesley Logan 24:34 His own fear, you know, and so, so just be mindful those of you who are listening, who are like, in the curious space, in the awareness space, and you're feeling called, yes, you have excellent investments and other things you've done in your life, but you're being called to do something else. Be mindful that you tell the friends who are like, fuck yeah, you should do that. The other people in your life, you'll tell them when the muscle is a bit stronger, because I would just be afraid that their critic will come out and bring your critic to the party, and we don't need that.Brad Crowell 25:05 Well, I think, I think the high level here, you know, the conclusion of this thought is awareness plus curiosity is a win, right? Awareness plus curiosity, it enables progress, right? So no matter where you are in your life, no matter what projects you're working on, if you have both awareness and curiosity, you will be able to move that ball forward. So love that. And speaking of your grandfather, that leads into what I really loved in a roundabout way, you'll get, we'll get there. Lesley Logan 25:36 I can't wait. I'm excited. I'm looking at these notes. Did you know, my grandfather?Brad Crowell 25:41 I did. So the big three that John talked about, this was a whole nother chapter of the conversation, and this is where I kept saying, these are mic drop moments, you know? He said, hey, look, you know, it's not even about perfection. It's not even about procrastination. He said, in fact, there are the, these are the big three things that I talk about all the time, perfectionism, procrastination and overthinking. He said these three behaviors constantly derail us from doing the things that we want to do, or the things that we say are so important for us. And he said the thing that they're like they don't, all three of them share the same root. Okay, what are, what is the root of perfectionism, procrastination and overthinking? Lesley Logan 26:22 Drum roll, please. Brad Crowell 26:26 Fear. Right? And this is what your grandfather was, was applying. He was, he was projecting his fear on us. And that's when, when you share something with someone, be cautious of that in the sense that they are, they know you really well. They love you. They want the best for you. And they are going to immediately, like, look at it and see what is the problem that that could happen here. And they're going to push that out there and right? And that could be really deflating for you, especially if you aren't yet, like you don't yet have surety in the place you're going, you're feeling it out right, because that, like they don't want you to be hurt or fail, or any of those things and fear is that that root, and it's easy for that to blossom into these things, perfectionism, procrastination and overthinking. And he said, by understanding that fear is the root of these three people, can now get honest with ourselves and begin asking, what is it actually that I'm so scared of? What is it actually? I can't remember who it was, but a couple weeks ago, we had another episode. She was a business coach. Lesley Logan 27:37 Oh, Jill. Brad Crowell 27:39 Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it was, I think it was her. She said, what am I afraid of? What's the worst could happen. I could go bankrupt, right? And I was like, well, that's a pretty big deal, you know? But for her, she was like, okay. Lesley Logan 27:52 Jill Allen. Dr. Jill Allen.Brad Crowell 27:52 Dr. Jill Allen, yeah she said, okay, I could go bankrupt. And it's like, well, okay, but she acknowledged that, like, what am I so afraid of, if that's the worst that could happen can that be overcome? Like, is that like, it doesn't it's not something to laugh at. But what if it do? What if it does happen? Lesley Logan 28:10 I don't know. Do I share this, like, my, I remember my trainer when I was, like, thinking of breaking up with my ex, and I was like, just like, not. He's like, what are you afraid of? Like, I don't. He's like, you're not gonna die. Like, he's like, to me, the scariest thing, the thing that, like, the ultimate fear, is death. And you breaking up with him, you're not gonna die. Like, in my situation, I'm sure that that's not the same for other people, but in my I could, he would just let me walk away. And I was like, oh, I'm not gonna die. That is, that is I can do like, I love this question. I think it's really important to reflect on and journal about Brad Crowell 28:40 What am I so scared of? I remember being my first I just moved to L.A. and I had no money, and I got a job at this restaurant. It took me a week to get a job at a restaurant of where I walked around to, I don't know, a dozen more, I don't even know. I would evaluate the restaurant, see how busy they were at dinner, decide, could I make enough money here, and then, do I want to work here? Does this seem cool? And I would put in an application, and I went to all these different places, and I finally got this job, because I went back a second a third time, I really wanted to work at this restaurant. And I then I met these guys, and they offered me a job. And I called my best friend at the time and I said, hey, man, I'm thinking of doing this. And he I said, but I'm worried. I'm worried about, you know, like, they're gonna pay me a salary, but I've, I've, I would be, I would have to give up my restaurant job. And he's like, you can get another restaurant job. And I was like, oh, you're right. Like, that's so true. Lesley Logan 29:37 Yes, yes, even in a shitty economy, there's always an opportunity for something. It might not be, you know, it might not be the the restaurant job, but it would be a restaurant job like, you know, like, there's just, there's, there's options.Brad Crowell 29:52 Yeah, so I just thought that was really astute of John to take these three things, which we all have dealt with, struggled with in our lives, perfectionism, procrastination, overthinking, connect the dots that there's fear is the root of these three things, and then how do we how do we lean into that? What are we so afraid of? What are we so afraid of? Lesley Logan 30:18 Yeah, and your fears are allowed to be like, they could be legitimate fears. And then at least the power is removed when it has air, you know, like the power of fear is really removed when you just, like, put it out on the table. And at least then you can figure out, like, well, what would I do if that happened? You know, so I loved it. I loved, you know, John's, we posted the tour, and we'll be at Rehoboth Beach Delaware. Brad Crowell 30:42 Yeah, it's, it's really close to where he lives.Lesley Logan 30:45 I think it's really close. I think we should finally fucking see him. Brad Crowell 30:53 Yeah, yeah, it's gonna be good. Lesley Logan 30:57 John. Brad Crowell 30:57 We're calling you out, John, we're calling you. Lesley Logan 30:57 We're gonna, we gotta talk. Brad Crowell 30:57 We're gonna call you. Lesley Logan 30:53 We gotta talk about food. How about coffee. How about a happy hour?Brad Crowell 30:57 Love it. All right. Well, stick around. We'll be right back, because we've got some great Be It Action Items from John as well. Lesley Logan 31:04 John, you can also text us. That's fine too. Brad Crowell 31:06 Yeah. All right, we'll be right back. Brad Crowell 31:10 Finally, let's talk about those Be It Action Items. What are the bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted action items that we could take away from your convo with John Mollura. He said, confidence is the ability to trust yourself. Confidence is the ability to trust yourself. Most of us are showing up for the person we've made a commitment to. Okay, I'll pick you up at six. Okay, I'll do the dishes. Okay, I'll take the trash out, right? You're committing to someone else. I'll do my homework. I'll do this thing, whatever. But we constantly let our own selves down. And it doesn't seem like a big deal. Lesley Logan 31:48 It is a humongous deal. You say you're gonna go to bed at 9 pm and you don't go to bed till 10, you are literally taking a drop out of the confidence bucket.Brad Crowell 31:57 Yeah, and it's subconscious. You might not be like, oh, can't believe it. Oh, I didn't go to bed at nine o'clock.Lesley Logan 32:03 Please, please listen to the habits podcast, and don't do that.Brad Crowell 32:05 In your in in your belief you're chipping away at the foundation of confidence that you have in yourself when you don't uphold your own decisions to yourself, right? And you might not realize that that's happening. But he explained the actual root cause of people's lack of confidence is that they're not showing up for themselves, and meaning that loss of self-trust because we consistently and continually break commitments we made to ourselves time and time again, that will it's it's fascinating, because John is an engineer first, so he still thinks and talks like an engineer, even though he's very creative with photography and now working with his clients and coaching. But he started talking about data, you know, or the data, sorry, and so he said, he said, you why, why don't we uphold these things to ourselves? Because we never have upheld these things to ourselves. But we can change that. We can rectify that by starting to keep these promises to ourselves. When you start to give your brain a new set of data to work with, instead of the old data of broken self-promises, right? So how do we do that? Small, consistent actions that aren't a big thing, but over time, they add up to I am consistent. I do this thing. I do wake up, you know, earlier. I do go all the things that we say we want to go do, but we don't uphold we don't do them. Why don't we follow through? It's because we never have. Well, we can change that by making these small decisions, day by day.Lesley Logan 33:38 Agreed. I loved these, he gave us some questions, and this is really fun thing for you to journal upon. It said, when making conscious decisions on honor one's future self, one must ask, is what I'm going to do or not do going to cause me to be a hero to the future me? I love this like I love this. I look back at the the me in 2013 who made that big decision, go, I'm a fucking hero to myself, like, I thank God I fucking did that when I did it, because my whole life was like the domino effect of like, everything that I wanted. So yes, right? The goal is to ensure that when you meet your future self, you are not staying there tired and disappointed because you failed to go after it. Like if you ever said, oh, by this date, I want to have X thing. And then you didn't do anything, and then you got to that day like, I wanted to be over here by now. Well, the effort thing, it's not like I have missed dates on goals that I was working towards. And there's a difference between actually working towards something and the deadline is further than you thought, than not doing anything at all, and getting to the deadline,Brad Crowell 34:47 I think, I mean, I was thinking about goal setting and all that kind of stuff. Like, okay, this, this quarter in business, we're gonna do $100,000 and you, you know, work, work, work, and you make only $60,000 but it was more than you've ever made before. It doesn't mean that you like didn't make that you didn't keep a promise to yourself.Lesley Logan 35:09 Right. Well, were you, were you the person who could like, did the effort you put towards it, could it have been $100,000 if the stars had aligned? Then, then you should, whatever you land with you should celebrate, because the person that you made yourself be to do those things is the goal, is the journey, right? Is the hero. So the action should result in you high fiving yourself and saying, thank you for honoring me. Thank you for doing that, that the thing in that moment. He also said, you can call him. You guys, I have not like, that's insane, free calls. And he also gave some free resources over on his site, on johnnmollura.com, that's John with an H-N-N.Brad Crowell 35:10 Yeah, J-O-H-N-M-O-L-L-U-R-A dot com, johnmollura.com. Lesley Logan 35:49 Yeah. So check those out. I love it. John, you're such an inspiration. Thank you for sharing your journey with us and the Be It Till You See It babes. I'm Lesley Logan. Brad Crowell 36:06 And I'm Brad Crowell. Lesley Logan 36:07 Thanks for joining us. How are you going to use these tips in your life? Tag John. Tell us. Send this to a friend who needs to hear who needs to be a hero in their life, and until next time, Be It Till You See It.Brad Crowell 36:17 Bye for now. Lesley Logan 36:19 That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod. Brad Crowell 37:00 It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 37:06 It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 37:10 Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 37:17 Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 37:21 Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
It hasn't been a Good Week for the climate since, er, 1820-something? And it wasn't last week, either. But it is a good week for The Europeans, because we're joined by Luisa Neubauer, one of Germany's best-known climate activists. Luisa recently wrote a terrific piece for The Economist about Europe's climate “vibe shift”. We got her insights on what has caused the greenlash and what we ought to be doing about it. It's a thoughtful, self-reflective, heartening conversation we think you'll enjoy. We're also talking about Brussels' proposed “military Schengen” agreement, which would allow EU member states to move troops and equipment across borders relatively swiftly. (You don't want to know how sluggish things are now.) And we're taking a look at Slovenia's troubling new “Šutar Law”, a security bill that is widely understood to target the Roma minority. In other news… The Europeans are launching a newsletter! If you want to hear more about what happened in Europe over the past week and find out what we left on the podcast-cutting-room floor, subscribe to GOOD WEEK BAD WEEK over on Substack. New issues hit inboxes on Friday mornings. And someone else has a new newsletter, too. Our very own Katy Lee has just published the first issue of Millefeuille, an English-language newsletter “for Parisians who are bad at local news”. If you fall in the middle of the Europeans podcast–Francophile Venn diagram, subscribe here. This week's Inspiration Station recommendations are two newly resurfaced works by Johann Sebastian Bach (here and here) and Carlo Rovelli's book about the physics of time, The Order of Time. And if you, too, are in the market for a novella to help you knock out your 2025 reading goals, Dominic likes Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These. Other resources for this episode: “The surreal 45-day trek at the heart of Nato's defence” - Financial Times, 17 November, 2025 “Commission moves towards ‘Military Schengen' and transformation of defence industry” - European Commission press release, 19 November, 2025 “Why you probably should not re-gauge railways in Europe” - Jon Worth, 30 September, 2025 “Slovenia's ‘Šutar Law' Sets a Dangerous Precedent for Europe” - Roma Foundation for Europe, 18 November, 2025 “Romani Activists Fear Collective Punishment & Discrimination as Slovenia Passes New Security Bill" - European Roma Rights Centre, 7 November, 2025 This podcast was brought to you in cooperation with Euranet Plus, the leading radio network for EU news. But it's contributions from listeners that truly make it all possible—we could not continue to make the show without you! If you like what we do, you can chip in to help us cover our production costs at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (in many different currencies), or you can gift a donation to a superfan. We'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast. We think two feels like a reasonable number. Produced by Morgan Childs Editorial support from Katz Laszlo Mixing and mastering by Wojciech Oleksiak Music by Jim Barne and Mariska Martina YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | Substack | hello@europeanspodcast.com
This episode of 'The New Abnormal' podcast features Jonathan Barth: Founder, Think-Tanker, Brussels Expert and Author of the forthcoming book #EscapingCollapse. His passion is to illuminate how Europe needs to respond to the geopolitical turn and make our institutions ready for a security and climate-disrupted world, with particular focus on financial, fiscal, industrial and energy policy.As a think tanker with various affiliations Jonathan maintains and works with a comprehensive network of high-level public officials and policy stakeholders in Brussels and Berlin; including the European Commission, the German government, governmental agencies, and international organisations such as the UN and the OECD.He's a Senior Fellow at the Jacques Delors Institute, Exec Chair of the Board at Geostrategic Europe, Co-founder and Senior Fellow at the ZOE Institute for Future-fit Economies, and Senior Strategic Advisor at the We Mean Business Coalition.Jonathan is a deeply informed individual, and I found the discussion (which also included an overview of his book, which blends the psychology of grief and economics) to be fascinating. I hope you do too!
Send us a textThe table can be joyful and nourishing at the same time. We open the season with a simple promise: keep the flavors you love, swap the parts that don't love you back. From a resistant starch gravy that boosts your microbiome to a mushroom-forward, breadless stuffing that hits all the nostalgic notes, we map a path to a Thanksgiving that tastes great and leaves you energized.We rethink side dishes through a health-first lens without losing comfort: slow-roasted sweet potatoes finished with cinnamon for better glycemic control, and an antioxidant-rich spotlight on purple sweet potatoes that bring deep color and deeper benefits. For greens, Brussels sprouts or collard greens deliver sulforaphane for brain, liver, and heart support—just don't overcook them. Along the way we break a holiday myth: the “turkey coma” usually comes from sugary sides, not tryptophan. Make protein your anchor for satiety, stable energy, and fewer dessert cravings.Dessert still gets its moment. A pumpkin pie with a pecan or almond crust shifts the macro balance to healthy fats and fiber, pairs perfectly with warm spices, and can be lightly sweetened with monk fruit or stevia without the aftertaste. We also talk liver-friendly choices: why alcohol collides with fructose and omega-6 seed oils, and how a few tweaks protect metabolic health during a season of abundance. If you use a continuous glucose monitor, this is the perfect time to experiment and learn—no guilt, just data that helps you feel better.Pull up a chair with gratitude, savor the company, and cook in a way that makes tomorrow brighter. If this guide helps you plan your feast, tap follow, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.www.thehealthedgepodcast.com
Morena Pedriali Errani was born and raised in Ferrara, by a Sinti family of circus artists and owners. She is also a circus artist, an activist for Romani rights and part of the communications team for Movimento Kethane. She has been a finalist for the Premio Campiello Giovani and Premio Chiara Giovani. She presented some of her writing at the European Parliament in Brussels, through the Roma association Phiren Amenca. She is the author of Before You Close Your Eyes and The Sky Above of Gaza Doesn't Ever Color.About Morena's workRoma crushes: Morena's family and Laura GrecaleYou can book 1:1 readings with Jez at jezminavonthiele.com, and book readings and holistic healing sessions with Paulina at romaniholistic.com.Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast.You can find us on Instagram, TikTok, BlueSky, and Facebook @romanistanpodcast, and on Twitter @romanistanpod. To support us, Join our Patreon for extra content or donate to Ko-fi.com/romanistan, and please rate, review, and subscribe. It helps us so much. Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. You can get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling, online or wherever books are sold. If you love it, please give us 5 stars on Amazon & Goodreads. Visit https://romanistanpodcast.com for events, educational resources, merch, and more. Email us at romanistanpodcast@gmail.com for inquiries. Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina StevensConceived of by Paulina StevensEdited by Viktor PachasWith Music by Viktor PachasAnd Artwork by Elijah VardoSupport the show
The financial system we rely on today isn't what it used to be. From the Fed's creation of "reserves" instead of real money to the collateral-driven markets that emerged after 2008, Lance Roberts & Garrett Baldwin break down how the game has changed—and what it means for your wealth. We cover everything from repo markets, ETFs, and the Buffett Indicator to the rise of passive investing and why sovereign nations are quietly buying gold. Plus, we explore how debasement works in real terms—through asset prices, housing costs, and purchasing power—and why education about money is more important than ever for the next generation. If you've ever wondered how the system really works, or what comes next when "no one wants to buy the debt," this is your deep dive into the new era of money, markets, and wealth. 0:00 - INTRO 0:18 - The Substack Battle 3:15 - We are not printing money - the Fed's ability to create unlimited reserves; the multiplication of purchasing power has brought us to where we are today. 5:16 - How money is created (chart) 8:15 - Without REPO, Wall Street does not open How the system shifted after 2008 - more collateral-driven 11:47 - What Alan Greenspan did in 1999 - Slowing the Velocity of Money 14:45 - The System is broken - why we have to check in with Brussels, Frankfort, Japan before executing monetary policy Impact of passive investing 19:54 - Real Household Equity Ownership (chart) - inequity of wealth 21:08 - The folly of a 50-year mortgage How to really make housing more affordable CATH EFT 26:05 - How we got ETF's 28:35 - What happens when no one buys debt anymore? 31:02 - The Buffett Indicator - Valuations & Market trends 32:44 - The Construct of Debasement in asset prices, land, and output - what it really is 34:58 - Purchasing power of a dollar (Chart) 38:17 - The Damage Done by Stimmie checks 39:20 - The Hedge of Tomorrow (2024) What did the wealthy buy? 41:46 - Why Sovereigns Buy Gold 42:41 - Adapting as the Rules are Broken - The Nvidia Story 44:07 - Teaching Kids About Finance & Investing, Budgeting & Life Focus on Education with an eye to future earnings 49:45 - Stocks for Christmas STU 52:24 - Being the Author of your own Life #FinancialSystem #FederalReserve #MarketCycle #WealthInequality #GoldAndDebt
Belgium entered its second day of a coordinated, three-day strike on Tuesday, as unions protest against the government's sweeping austerity plans. The action began yesterday, when trains and public transport walked off the job. The national rail operator managed to run only one or two out of three trains, while several Eurostar services between Brussels and Paris were cancelled. Today, schools, crèches, hospitals, and other public services are joining the strike, making daily life across the country difficult. And tomorrow is expected to be the most disruptive day of all with a full general strike that will shut down nearly everything, including Belgium's two largest airports, Brussels-Zaventem and Charleroi, where all departing flights have already been cancelled.But is this the start of a political storm for the De Wever government?Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Whither America? It's the question that the Swedish writer Johan Norberg examines in both a recent Washington Post op-ed as well as his new book, Peak Human. What we can learn from history's great civilizations, Norberg argues, is that they decline when they turn inward, away from both the outside world and innovation. “All Sparta, no Athens”, as he puts it. So what does that tell us not only about Trump's America but also Putin's Russia and Xi's China? And what should we make of Europe, which is neither Sparta nor Athens? And when compared with China, Russia and Europe, Norberg's vision of the American future seems relatively sunny. So maybe, with or without MAGA, the 21st century really will be the American century. * MAGA doesn't fit any traditional conservative or liberal framework. It's a radical ideology built around a strongman who has no patience for democratic process, rule of law, or compromise—precisely the institutions that classical liberalism and genuine conservatism have always sought to protect.* Declining empires are the most dangerous. Russia is “all Sparta, no Athens”—a society that builds barracks rather than innovation, extracts resources rather than creates wealth, and fears any neighboring democracy that might give its own people ideas. Putin may sense this is his last chance to rearrange the world order.* China's split personality may doom its long-term prospects. Deng Xiaoping borrowed from Athens—openness, experimentation, “crossing the river by feeling the stones.” Xi Jinping has reverted to Sparta—centralized control that can build electric vehicle factories fast but stifles the strange surprises that drive real innovation.* America's saving grace may be its constitutional limits. The courts are the only branch doing their job right now, striking down unconstitutional overreach one case at a time. Republicans know there's life after Trump—and after two centuries of championing the Constitution, they can't simply throw it aside.* Europe is Rome without the military power. The EU's great idea—an open continent that experiments with different solutions—is undermined by a Mandarin class in Brussels that insists on standardizing everything. That's why great European startups keep moving to California.Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe
The EU and the US have restarted their trade negotiations in a bid to settle sticking points left unsolved in their tariff deal reached in July. The US side called on the EU to reconsider its digital rules and find "a balanced approach" if it wanted Washington to lower import duties on steel and aluminium. Plus, global talks on protecting wildlife and ensuring sustainable trade have kicked off in Uzbekistan. The EU wants to tighten restrictions on the trade of eels, something Japan is vehemently against.
Lorenzo Fiori reports that climate change is threatening Italian food production, particularly cheese, due to drought and heat waves in the south, especially the Puglia region, where stressed cows are reducing milk production and impacting specialty cheeses like mozzarella and burrata. Milk cannot be shipped from the north because local water and hay are essential to the unique flavor of southern cheese. Fiori emphasizes that Italian food is a famous brand precisely because it belongs to its territory, criticizing pre-prepared sauces found in Brussels as inauthentic carbonara, which must be made fresh. In Milan, Christmas preparations are underway, with shop windows decorated festively and street lights scheduled to be switched on December 7th. 1947
SHOW 11-21-25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT UKRAINE FIRST HOUR 9-915 HEADLINE: Las Vegas Shifts Focus with Formula 1 and Lower-End Tourism; California Politics Hit by Indictments GUEST: Jeff Bliss Jeff Bliss reports that the Formula 1 race on the Las Vegas city circuit is attracting major spectacle and high-end tourism, though the city is also attempting recovery by catering to lower-income demographics, evidenced by positive activity at the Excalibur Casino, while facing major competition from a new Indian casino near Bakersfield, California, operated by the Tahone tribe and twice the size of Caesars Palace. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom's former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, and four others were indicted on 23 counts of fraud. Additionally, an investigation into the Palisades fire revealed that state workers ordered the LA Fire Department to back off a previously burned area that rekindled, allegedly to protect endangered plants. 915-930 HEADLINE: Industrial Policy and Tariffs Lack Coherence; Removal of Food Tariffs Implies Inflationary EffectGUEST: Veronique De Rugy Veronique De Rugy discusses US industrial policy, noting the trade deficit has increased despite tariffs, and the administration's decision to remove tariffs on food items—goods not produced domestically—is seen as an implicit admission that tariffs contribute to the "affordability crisis" because tariffs are a tax primarily borne by American consumers. The goals behind tariffs have shifted from fighting China to raising revenue, and the largest tariff exemption is for computer parts, indicating an understanding that tariffs could contradict other goals like energy abundance. De Rugyargues that US economic power stems from innovation and a willingness to invest, making industrial policy involving tariffs and seeking foreign investment largely unnecessary and potentially harmful. 930-945 HEADLINE: Mixed US Economic Signals: Strong GDP Contrasts Low Consumer Sentiment; AI Adoption Increases GUEST: Gene Marks Gene Marks discusses the US economy, noting that third-quarter GDP growth is estimated near 4%, contrasting sharply with record-low consumer sentiment in a "tale of two economies" where salaried workers receiving pay raises of 5–7% are outpacing 3% inflation and continuing to spend, while hourly workers struggle. Despite job growth in construction, leading indicators like the architectural billings index show contraction for 11 months. In technology, 88% of major companies are adopting artificial intelligence, though scaling remains limited, with AI already replacing low-level programmers and enhancing customer service. Agentic AI, capable of performing complex tasks, is predicted to impact fields like accounting and marketing by 2027–2028. However, Marks argues that most current major corporate layoffs stem from typical corporate bloat and mismanagement rather than AI, at least not yet. 945-10 SECOND HOUR 10-1015 HEADLINE: Lancaster County Economy Booms Despite Low Consumer Confidence; Local Entrepreneurs ThriveGUEST: Jim McTague Jim McTague reports that the economy in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is strong, suggesting it mirrors the greater US economy despite reports of low consumer confidence, observing robust traffic at tourist destinations like Kitchen Kettle Village, a shopping locale established in 1954, with spending largely supported by well-off boomers. Local entrepreneurs are experiencing great success—a dealer selling eclectic electric lamps in Park City Mall is already earning $4,500 per week at the start of the holiday season, and high volume at Costco, where the Amish are major buyers, further indicates available disposable income. McTague concludes that the real economy on Main Street is strong and likely headed for a blockbuster Christmas season. 1015-1030 HEADLINE: Climate Change Threatens Iconic Italian Cheeses; Southern Drought Reduces Milk Production Quality GUEST: Lorenzo Fiori Lorenzo Fiori reports that climate change is threatening Italian food production, particularly cheese, due to drought and heat waves in the south, especially the Puglia region, where stressed cows are reducing milk production and impacting specialty cheeses like mozzarella and burrata. Milk cannot be shipped from the north because local water and hay are essential to the unique flavor of southern cheese. Fiori emphasizes that Italian food is a famous brand precisely because it belongs to its territory, criticizing pre-prepared sauces found in Brussels as inauthentic carbonara, which must be made fresh. In Milan, Christmas preparations are underway, with shop windows decorated festively and street lights scheduled to be switched on December 7th. 1030-1045 HEADLINE: Private Space Advances (Blue Origin, Rocket Lab) Challenge NASA SLS, EU Space Law CriticizedGUEST: Bob Zimmerman Bob Zimmerman reports that Blue Origin's New Glenn orbital rocket successfully completed its second launch, including landing the first stage and demonstrating reuse capability comparable to Falcon 9. New Glenn, larger than Falcon 9, is scheduled for upgrades with more powerful BE4 and BE3U engines, making it nearly comparable to NASA's costly and expendable SLS rocket. Rocket Lab set a new annual launch record with 15 successful orbital launches, surpassing Russia's frequency, and has conducted suborbital HASTE launches for military testing. India is upgrading its largest LVM rocket's upper stage for multiple restarts, essential for its space station and crewed missions. The US State Department opposes a proposed European Union space law seeking to impose EU regulations on companies from other nations, potentially discrediting the EU if passed. Finally, NASA has hired startup Catalyst to attempt a daring robotic rescue of the decaying Swift telescope. 1045-1100 THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 HEADLINE: McFaul: Autocrats Are on the Rise; US Must Unite Allies and Attract Global Talent to CompeteGUEST: Michael McFaul Michael McFaul's book Autocrats Versus Democrats argues that Putinism is driven by anti-Western ideology, making Putin a risk-taker, and McFaul believes the US erred by lacking a robust response and failing to provide arms after the 2014 Crimea invasion, stressing that helping Ukraine win is essential to inspire Russian democrats. He asserts that the appeal of autocracy is growing globally and advises that the US must align democracies against autocrats while advocating for human rights, citing the need to support imprisoned publisher Jimmy Lai. Long-term strategy requires the US and its allies to unite, as they are collectively stronger economically and militarily than autocracies, and McFaulstrongly recommends attracting international talent by reversing restrictive immigration policies, calling it a great strength the US is currently losing. 1115-1130 1130-1145 1145-1200 FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 HEADLINE: US-Saudi Nuclear Deal Raises Proliferation Concerns; Military Micro-Reactors Retreat from Front Lines GUEST: Henry Sokolski Henry Sokolski states that Saudi Crown Prince MBS's goal is to obtain a bomb option, and while the new US-Saudi agreement does not include assistance with nuclear fuel production, a reactor still provides the necessary "cover" used by countries like Iran. MBS has made clear he will acquire a bomb if Iran does, regardless of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Sokolski also discusses the US military's Janus program for small reactors, initially conceived for vulnerable front-line bases but pushed back to remote areas like Alaska and the lower 48 due to concerns about drones and vulnerability. Finally, the US may be moving toward nuclear socialism—government ownership of commercial reactors, potentially funded by Japan—to encourage commercialization even without secured market contracts. 1215-1230 1230-1245 HEADLINE: Scenario: Russia Attacks NATO Member Estonia; Europe's "Kantian Dreams" and Lack of Readiness Prevent Article 5 Response GUEST: Jakub Grygiel Jakub Grygiel analyzes the German book If Russia Wins, which outlines a scenario where Russia attacks NATO member Estonia around 2028 following a stalled conflict in Ukraine, capturing Narva and an island before halting its advance and creating confusion within NATO. Europeans, living in "Kantian dreams of eternal peace," prioritize a quick end to the conflict and fear escalation, and the scenario posits that the US President decides a World War III over a "tiny piece of land" is not worthwhile, leading Estonia to forego invoking NATO's Article 5 out of fear of alliance rejection. Grygielnotes that decades of demilitarization leave Europe unprepared for war, highlighting that US reinforcements could take 45 days to move and societies lack the political will to fund necessary rearmament.
Our speaker is Nicolas Veron who is a Senior Fellow at Bruegel in Brussels as well as at the Peterson Institute in DC. He is also the author of the book entitled Europe's Banking Union at Ten: Unfinished Yet Transformative. I want to learn from Nicolas about the resilience of the European Union and how it has been affected by the European banking crisis, Brexit, the war in Ukraine, and fears of increasing immigration. Get full access to What Happens Next in 6 Minutes with Larry Bernstein at www.whathappensnextin6minutes.com/subscribe
This week on Sinica, I welcome back Finbarr Bermingham, the Brussels-based Europe correspondent for the South China Morning Post, about the Nexperia dispute — one of the most revealing episodes in the global contest over semiconductor supply chains. Nexperia, a Dutch-headquartered chipmaker owned by Shanghai-listed Wingtech, became the subject of extraordinary government intervention when the Netherlands invoked a Cold War-era emergency law to seize temporary control of the company and suspend its Chinese CEO. Finbarr's reporting, drawing on Dutch court documents and expert sources, has illuminated the tangled threads of this story: preexisting concerns about governance and technology transfer, mounting U.S. pressure on The Hague to remove Chinese management, and the timing of the Dutch action on the very day the U.S. rolled out its affiliate rule. We discuss China's retaliatory export controls on chips packaged at Nexperia's Dongguan facilities, the role of the Trump-Xi meeting in Busan in unlocking a temporary thaw, and what this case reveals about Europe's agonizing position between American pressure and Chinese integration in global production networks.4:34 – Why the "Europe cracks down on Chinese acquisition" framing was too simple 6:17 – The Dutch court's extraordinary tick-tock of events and U.S. lobbying 9:04 – The June pressure from Washington: divestment or the affiliate list 10:13 – Dutch fears of production know-how relocating to China 12:35 – The impossible position: damned if they did, damned if they didn't 14:46 – The obscure Cold War-era Goods Availability Act 17:11 – CEO Zhang Xuezheng and the question of who stopped cooperating first 19:26 – Was China's export control a state policy or a corporate move? 22:16 – Europe's de-risking framework and the lessons from Nexperia 25:39 – The fragmented European response: Germany, France, Hungary, and the Baltics 30:31 – Did Germany shape the response behind the scenes? 33:06 – The Trump-Xi meeting in Busan and the resolution of the crisis 37:01 – Will the Nexperia case deter future European interventions? 40:28 – Is Europe still an attractive market for Chinese investment? 41:59 – The Europe China Forum: unusually polite in a time of tenterhooksPaying it forward: Dewey Sim (SCMP diplomacy desk, Beijing); Coco Feng (SCMP technology, Guangdong); Khushboo Razdan (SCMP North America); Sense Hofstede (Chinese Bossen newsletter)Recommendations: Finbarr: Chokepoints by Edward Fishman; Underground Empire by Henry Farrell and Abe Newman; "What China Wants from Europe" by John Delury (Engelsberg Ideas) Kaiser: The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan and Milady (2023 French film adaptation)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
We're approaching crunch time in Belém, and a long-running COP30 saga may finally have found its landing spot. After days of rumour, diplomacy and thunderous rainforest downpours, the question of who will host COP31 looks close to being resolved - and it all plays out over the course of our day's recording.Paul Dickinson and Fiona McRaith trace the twists of the Australia-Turkey negotiations in real time, with insight from former UN diplomat Dean Bialek. Plus, we hear from political journalist Thais Bilenky on the domestic pressures shaping Lula's approach, as the Brazilian president personally steps in to break the deadlock.Across the day, the team also dives into one of the summit's biggest sticking points: CBAM, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. In a wide-ranging conversation, the EU's Teresa Ribera lays out why Brussels sees CBAM as essential for true decarbonisation - but why it's sparking concern among countries who fear they'll be penalised while still industrialising.Then it's over to the Action Agenda, with Dan Ioschpe and Jennie Dodson giving a ground-level view of how coalitions, companies and cities are reshaping the COP's centre of gravity - from regenerative landscapes in Brazil to global momentum across grids, food systems and industry.Finally, as we're packing up the mics, news of COP31 appears to land. What does this unusual arrangement mean? What happens to the long-promised Pacific Island leadership? And what will it take for next year's COP to deliver on the ambition so many hoped this decision would unlock?Learn more:
Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz to defend his ATP Finals title and racked up his 4th title of the fall season. Carlos Alcaraz ends the season as the ATP #1 FAA continued his hot play post US Open, winning Brussels and making the final of Paris to go along w a SF showing in Turin. Can he continue his great play in 2026 and maybe win the first major of his career? Plus Jimmy and Brett answer some of your questions on a brand new episode of the Advantage Connors podcast. *Sponsor-ExpressVPN-find out how you can get up to four extra months FREE. Follow us on - Twitter - @AdvConnors @JimmyConnors @Brett_Connors Instagram - @AdvConnors @Bretterz @GolddoodIsabella Facebook - Jimmy Connors official Facebook page Leave your questions/topics/or links to stories you want us to talk about next week on Jimmy's official Facebook page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lesley and Brad recap key insights from physical therapist Dr. Jen Fraboni (@docjenfit), co-host of The Optimal Body Podcast. Known for helping people move with less pain and more confidence, Dr. Jen redefines pain as an “alarm,” not a stop sign—your body's way of asking for better care and awareness. Lesley and Brad unpack her practical strategies for building stability before flexibility, tuning in before you train, and aging with strength and ease.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:How Lesley's pain-as-alarm concept to daily self-check habits.Brad overcomes foot pain by staying active instead of stopping.How Lesley's yoga experience illustrated “stability before flexibility” The importance of reflection and consistency when pain shows up unexpectedly.How building strength supports graceful aging and confidence in movement.Episode References/Links:OPC Winter Tour - https://opc.me/tour0Pilates Journal Expo - https://xxll.co/pilatesjournalCambodia Retreat Waitlist - https://crowsnestretreats.com/waitlistAgency Mini - https://prfit.biz/miniContrology Pilates Conference in Poland - https://xxll.co/polandContrology Pilates Conference in Brussels - https://xxll.co/brusselsSubmit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questionsDr. Jen Fraboni's Website - https://jen.healthThe Optimal Body Podcast - https://www.docjenfit.com/podcastDr. Jen Fraboni's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/docjenfitEpisode 589: Brad Bizjack - https://beitpod.com/ep589 If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00 When we feel pain, really doing some sort of, creating some sort of, like, okay, hold on, what's my sleep like, what's my intake like, what's my fuel like, have I been consistent? You know, just do some reflection. Lesley Logan 0:12 Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. Lesley Logan 0:51 Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co-host in life, Brad, and I are going to dig into the empowering convo I had with Jen Fraboni in our last episode. If you haven't yet listened to that interview, you've missed out on an incredible interview with DocJenFit. That's her Instagram handle or her handle everywhere. So many of you love her, know her, and this was a really cool, I thought, very vulnerable convo as well. She shared a lot about going on her life, how she handles things. I love when people are like, just a human and so it's gonna be really good. So I can't wait to recap it, but before we do that, today is November 20th 2025, and we have two days to celebrate. And to be honest, there was like seven, so we could have chosen. There was a few that I was like, well, I don't use less, so we can't use use less day, because I'm so not participating. But there's a couple others, but we're going to focus on two of them. One is the Great American Smokeout. The American Cancer Society sponsors a Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November annually, challenging smokers to give up cigarettes for 24 hours. If you or a loved one smoke cigarettes, consider joining the movement and take the first step towards quitting cigarettes forever. How? Let's both try to do something tough for a day. I'll give up either coffee, sugar, social media. Brad Crowell 2:10 You're you are allowed to pitch this to them. Lesley Logan 2:13 Oh, this is how you're gonna pitch it. Brad Crowell 2:14 Yeah. This is how you're gonna pitch this to them. Lesley Logan 2:15 This is how you're gonna pitch it. So you're gonna, you, if you're a non-smoker, if you're a smoker, then you can tell another smoker, you guys could do it together. But if you're a non-smoker, asking a smoker, then you're gonna say, I'm gonna give up something they know. You're gonna have a hard time giving up for 24 hours. Brad Crowell 2:30 Like, maybe it's Instagram, maybe it's chocolate, could be sugar.Lesley Logan 2:35 Coffee, you know something like that and you give up smoking, think of it as a reset, not a rule. So.Brad Crowell 2:43 And that's what you can also tell them, It's a reset, not a rule. Lesley Logan 2:45 Well, Brad, can we, like, let's how hard, can we talk about it? Brad Crowell 2:50 We can certainly talk about it. Lesley Logan 2:51 Okay, you quit smoking. Brad Crowell 2:53 I did quit smoking. Lesley Logan 2:54 If he had been a smoker when we met, it would have not we would not be married 10 years. Brad Crowell 2:58 It's true. Lesley Logan 2:59 Because we would not have gone on a date. Brad Crowell 3:00 Yeah. I mean, it's. Lesley Logan 3:02 My grandfather was a smoker. Brad Crowell 3:04 It doesn't smell good. Lesley Logan 3:05 Yeah. So I have had two grandfathers who are massive smokers, one who lost a lung to smoking, and another one who had multiple heart problems, and the heart doctor refused to operate on him unless he quit smoking. So I, like, this is a big like, personal thing, because I lost family members to smoking. But I know it's not easy. So Brad.Brad Crowell 3:26 Yeah, I mean, I've told this story before, so it was the decision to smoke or to quit smoking was, for me, it was made emotionally, which is what made it easy. The decision to stop, to stay with that initial decision was actually quite challenging, you know, because of the addiction, because of nicotine, but because I wanted to sing more than I wanted to smoke, that was the emotional decision. It was like, oh my god, this is a very I just have to stop, like, I can't, I can't be on stage and not be able to sing. So that I think that was hard, because I had to hit a wall in order for that decision to become emotional and then for it to actually happen in my life. But okay, great. That's step one. Then step two is consistently not smoking when I used to smoke. So in the car with the window down, or I don't remember, you know, walking out of my apartment complex, there was a there was, like, part of my routine, you know, and doing those things, like continuing to do life, you're going to run back into those instances where you used to do the habit and would always make me think, this is what I would normally pull out a cigarette. And so that was, that was a constant battle for, honestly, for just a few weeks. Lesley Logan 4:56 Well, it's interesting, because so in a couple of weeks, we have a habit series starting and in one of the episodes, I talked about how to unravel a habit. And for smoking, like all we can be completely honest, there is an addictive element to it, in that they made it addictive. So you have a habit, you smoke when you're in traffic. My old roommate, she would she when she quit smoking was the hardest thing, because she's like, Lesley, I'm in traffic for 45 minutes, and I used to just sit there and smoke, and now I am not. So she had lollipops and teas and coffees because she needed something to do in the car. She actually had, like, the patches like, well, that helps you quit. So she's like, I don't even have the craving to smoke. I have the habit. So I will talk about how to unravel a habit in that series in December, so make sure you're paying attention. Okay, the other day, this is really important to Brad and I that we wanted to bring it up. (inaudible)Brad Crowell 5:47 Second thing we wanted to remember today. Lesley Logan 5:50 Yes. So it's Transgender Day of Remembrance. For generations, the transgender population has suffered various forms of abuse and even death for or murder, so we'll call it that, for challenging the views, notions and stereotypes around male and female identity. Every year, we set aside today as Transgender Day of Remembrance. This holiday is meant to honor, commemorate and memorialize those who face discrimination and stigma on a daily basis across this nation. This holiday is also meant to advocate for transgenders people's rights, as well as focus on the persistent struggles they face in their everyday lives and how others can share their love, support and hope. If you listen to this podcast and you have a fucking problem with transgenders, I am just going to be on, I need you to explore why. These are just people. They're just people, and they've been around forever. And I bring it, I bring it up in one of the FYF is coming up about like, how in the indigenous cultures, they actually have people, they already had words for this. This is something. It's actually a fucking cool thing. Like you have the ability to see the world the way they see it through both lenses. It's a powerful thing. And I fucking clearly I'm pissed about it, but I get so annoyed. We flew on a plane the other day, and no one has a problem using a toilet on a plane, but all of a sudden they have a fucking problem of sharing a bathroom with another person of a different gender, and it's like, what are we talking about here? You just shared a bathroom. So I don't understand when they make neutral bathrooms, how people get pissed about that. I also just listened to this one thing. If I could find the reel I'll send it to the team to link it. If you don't see the link below, it's because I couldn't find it. But this person is is explaining how it's sort of the safety of women to in the bathrooms, of why they want people using the bathrooms of their own, like birth certificate, right? And this one person is a trans man. He goes, so what you're actually saying is that men are a danger to women and you don't want them in their bathrooms. So that's the problem. We should solve that problem. We shouldn't be policing genitals. So I just get really upset because it's just bothersome to me. Why do we why do we care so much we have healthcare issues in this country. We have poverty issue. We have children who don't have enough food. Brad Crowell 8:06 We have food issues, yeah. Lesley Logan 8:07 The higher percentage of people. Brad Crowell 8:09 We have water issues. Did you know, I don't remember what the number is, but like, (inaudible) I think, I think it was Jackson, Mississippi, like, they don't have running water in in, like, many parts of the city. I don't know what the the numbers are, but like, that was a thing in a couple years ago. Lesley Logan 8:24 Yes, no, there's a higher percentage of people who are listening to this show that know someone who's homeless, who is a pover in poverty, who has food. What do you call it? Like a food uncertainty? Then then know of someone who's transgendered and so why? Like, what are we doing? So I'm just pissed about it. I'm just over it. I'm over people being so uptight and like that they're a threat to who you are. You know, it goes to that whole thing where it's like, if you don't like abortions, don't get one. If you don't like gay marriage, if somebody of your same sex asks you to marry them, don't say yes. Like, you don't have to do any of these things. You don't have to be trans like this is I just get annoyed. I'm pissed. Anyways, so today is the day to remember the people who have been fighting to exist as they feel like they should exist, and we should do what we can to honor those people. And if you don't know anyone, maybe consider looking at a community service organization in your area that you could donate to if you are listening from Las Vegas, when you buy food from the Bronze Cafe, their proceeds, part of their proceeds go to the LGBTQ community for mental health. So it's really, really cool. We use their restaurant for all of our retreats here in Las Vegas. We can help support that.Brad Crowell 9:37 And they have a second location at the.Lesley Logan 9:43 Oh Brad's so excited. Brad Crowell 9:45 The conservation preserve, the Springs Preserve here, which has has a massive cactus garden. So go to the cactus garden. Go eat lunch, and you'll be also helping support (inaudible) the transgender community here.Lesley Logan 9:58 Yeah, when you come visit Las Vegas, you should go to Springs Preserves, and then you can go to Bronze Cafe. Okay, cool stuff coming up now. So here we go. Brad Crowell 10:06 All right, so here's what we got coming up on the docket, actually, next week, or Yyeah, literally, in a few days, is the Black Friday Cyber Monday coming up for you've probably already been inundated with everything that's been crazy, but for us, we're going to do it actually, during the old school Black Friday Cyber, Cyber Monday is even new. Black Friday, so it's the 26th to the first of December for OPC only, y'all so check your email for more details, starting yesterday. So just go check your emails if you haven't already, we've got an offer for you with OPC.Lesley Logan 10:37 If you didn't get an email, it's because you have not signed up for our emails, or you unsubscribed from us, and we don't take that personally. You could just resubscribe. But yeah, the dates will be November 26th December 1st. Brad Crowell 10:47 If you're wondering what it is and you didn't get the email, just DM us and we can send you the right place.Lesley Logan 10:52 We're really excited about this sale, and it's the one time of the year we do it, so take advantage. Don't ask us on December 2nd for it. It's not how it works. It's actually a lot of work. Brad Crowell 11:01 Speaking of December, we're gonna be on the road again for our winter tour for OPC, and the actual dates we're gonna get, it's like starting on the seventh or sixth.Lesley Logan 11:11 No, it's like the fifth, I think it's the fifth in Colorado Springs, and it ends on. Brad Crowell 11:15 Oh, yeah, we gotta drive there, though, so we leave.Lesley Logan 11:18 We leave earlier than it starts. We come home the day that it ends so but it's like, it's like, December 5th through the January 6th or January 7th. Brad Crowell 11:28 And we do come home the day that ends. Lesley Logan 11:30 I, yeah, I know that we sound like when it comes to this tour that we're like, not organized. The last time we recorded, we had no idea where we're going. And now we do, and it's huge. The whole tour is listed, 23 cities. Brad Crowell 11:42 Yeah, 23. Lesley Logan 11:43 Colorado Springs. Brad Crowell 11:45 23 public events. Lesley Logan 11:46 St Louis.Brad Crowell 11:47 Yeah, the fifth, the first the first event is on December 5 in Colorado Springs, then we go to Fayetteville.Lesley Logan 11:54 Oh, Fayetteville. Oh, I'm so sorry. How could I skip Arkansas. Brad Crowell 11:57 Then St Louis on the 7th. Lesley Logan 11:58 Then St Louis, then Detroit, then Columbus. Brad Crowell 12:01 No, then Lexington. Lesley Logan 12:03 I'm going to Lexington. Brad Crowell 12:04 You're going to Lexington.Lesley Logan 12:04 Oh, I am going to Lexington, but I'm going in that order.Brad Crowell 12:06 Then you're going to Columbus, then you're going to Detroit.Lesley Logan 12:09 What? How does the map work? Am I going like zigzag?Brad Crowell 12:14 Believe it or not, they're almost in line. Yeah, they're, they are.Brad Crowell 12:18 I don't understand the middle. I'm so sorry. Okay, then we go to Pittsburgh. Lesley Logan 12:22 Okay, Pittsburgh. Then we go to. Brad Crowell 12:25 Rochester Lesley Logan 12:26 RochesterBrad Crowell 12:27 New York Lesley Logan 12:27 Oh, yeah, we're going to, do you say Rochester or you go Rochester. How do you say it? Brad Crowell 12:31 RochesterLesley Logan 12:32 RochesterBrad Crowell 12:33 Rochester, New York. And then we go to Boston, Cape Cod, Hartford, Connecticut. That's a new one for us. Hershey, Pennsylvania. We're coming back Rehoboth Beach. Lesley Logan 12:42 That's a new one for us. Brad Crowell 12:43 That's new, to Delaware, that'll be just after Christmas, and then we have Washington, DC, Virginia Beach, Charlotte, North Carolina. That's new for us. We've got Delray. This is Florida. We're gonna be hoofing it from North Carolina all the way down to Delray, Florida. This is new.Lesley Logan 12:59 Christmas Eve, Del Rey. Brad Crowell 13:01 Nope, New Year's Eve Del Rey. On a roll, here.Lesley Logan 13:07 You guys Del Rey is near Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Florida, correct? Brad Crowell 13:11 Yeah. It's just north of Fort Lauderdale, I think. Lesley Logan 13:14 So our Miami stop has moved up a little bit because most of you are driving from that area anyway, so you're welcome. And then we do New Year's Day with our Pilates crew that's in Tampa.Brad Crowell 13:26 Yes. Lesley Logan 13:26 And then we go to Pensacola. Brad Crowell 13:28 Yes. Then New Orleans. Lesley Logan 13:30 New Orleans, and then Houston. Brad Crowell 13:31 Then, Houston. Lesley Logan 13:32 Houston. We haven't been to Houston in years.Brad Crowell 13:34 Yeah, it's been quite a few years for us to be in Houston. That'll be on January 4th and then fifth in Austin, and then Phoenix, we're coming to you on the seventh.Lesley Logan 13:42 Yeah. So get your tickets at opc.me/events, by the way. Brad Crowell 13:46 Nope, opc.me/tour, opc.me/tour. Lesley Logan 13:50 There's two links. Okay, sorry, opc.me/tour is where you get your tickets. And at the time we're recording this, we're over 57% sold out. By the time you're hearing this, it's going to be way closer to sold out, because literally, nine events only have one spot right now in them. So go to opc.me/tour. Bring your friends. Also in December, we didn't do a Profitable Pilates Black Friday, Cyber Monday this year, because we want you to focus on, so save the date, December 26th or the 31st that will be on the Profitable Pilates newsletter list. So you have to be on that one. So for the Pilates instructors studio owners who want business flights, we're gonna have some special deal on Agency. We've never done it before. So make sure you're watching your inbox for that if you don't get those emails, just DM us and the team will help you out. Brad Crowell 14:36 By the way, we're 55% sold out. Lesley Logan 14:39 Oh, I know, but we're. Brad Crowell 14:40 I just checked. Lesley Logan 14:41 I know, but it hasn't been updated in 48 hours, so.Brad Crowell 14:44 Maybe even more, so it might be closer to 60. Good stuff.Lesley Logan 14:48 Yeah, I think so. And then after our tour, we come home for one day, kick off, eLevate, get our roots done, get our nails done by (inaudible), and then we go to Huntington Beach. Teach for the Pilates Journal Expo. This is a really cool two-day event, huge lineup of teachers. I don't I it's like a fucking party. So you should just go to xxll.co/pilatesjournal. So just two Xs guys, xxll.co/pilatesjournal. And then if you aren't already on the waitlist, you'll want to be on the waitlist because also, in January, we're going to open up the early bird registration for our Pilates retreat in Cambodia. This we just came back from. Brad Crowell 15:28 Y'all it is going to be amazing. Lesley Logan 15:30 I'm making so many mistakes, because we just got back and it was the coolest retreat of life. No offense to the people we've been on retreats with before, you were amazing.Brad Crowell 15:37 Incredible retreat. Lesley Logan 15:38 But like, if you have ever thought, oh, my god, they must get bored of this. We don't. We had the best fucking time. It was like we I just loved it. So I can't wait to take you,Brad Crowell 15:48 Yeah, and I think, I think this year is going to be sorry, next year, So 2026, is going to be even better. And I know we've had a lot of interest already, but one of the things we're going to do differently, in January, we're going to have a call for everyone who's curious about this, the retreat, all the questions. We're going to have a couple of our past retreaters join us live, and we're going to have them just answer those questions. You can ask them directly. They can share with you their experience, you know, the process of getting there, like, did they feel safe? What kind of food was it? What kind of activities did they enjoy? All the things that you might be curious about. And I'm telling you, it is gonna next year, is gonna sell quickly. So, get yourself on the waitlist. Go to crowsnestretreats.com and we can't wait to see it all there.Lesley Logan 16:34 Every group is got its own, different vibe. This group, we were like, rapping in the in the bus on the way to like, no one took a nap. Usually people are napping. We were like, half a native. So anyways, crowsnestretreats.com, crowsnestretreats.com/waitlist get you on the waitlist. Okay, in February, that is when our Agency Mini is happening. That is our three day event. I don't know if we're doing a second one next year. We're going to try, but you know, we'll see. So you're going back to Agency Mini, you want to get on the waitlist for that if you want to make sure you don't miss the early bird discount, prfit.biz/mini holy fucking molly, there's a lot of events coming up. So Poland and Brussels, that is in March, you guys. And I mean, a lot of questions about, are you doing anything in Europe? Anything? This is it. We're going, we're like, literally not getting on a plane until March, and I don't have plans to get on a plane after March until Cambodia. So if you want to see me, you need to check out the Poland Controlology Pilates conference. xxll.co/poland and or Brussels, xxll.co/brussels, two events, different workshops to both events, you can you're welcome to come to both. Karen Frischmann is actually collabing on that with me and the host studios, so you get two amazing teachers for the price of a weekend. And it's pretty kind of it's pretty awesome. So different workshops, plus there's a day of privates and semi private classes. So you can also jump in and enjoy some workouts with us. You don't want to miss it, because I don't know when we're coming back. Okay? And then we're gonna leave that. Brad and I are gonna do a vacation. Brad Crowell 18:08 What? Weird. Lesley Logan 18:09 About nine, 10 days vacation in Europe, and then April after our vacation, we wrap up in April at P.O.T. London, and now it's official. Now if you've been hearing me say, I'm not allowed to tell you, I don't know if we're allowed to tell you, we can tell you I signed a contract. I don't I don't I don't know if there's a link out yet, but I'm sure there is. So just look at like, P.O.T. London from Balanced Body, and you'll find it. All right, oh my gosh, okay, should we let's get to this audience question, and we got to get to this amazing recap episode.Brad Crowell 18:34 All right, so the audience question this week was from @audreyphipps1726, on YouTube. She, this is for the Pilates equipment for beginners video. She said, hey, what size is that Try Me Stability Ball. I would love to find one. Lesley Logan 18:50 Yeah, so the triad ball that's.Brad Crowell 18:53 I was wondering. Lesley Logan 18:54 Audrey, it took me a second. I was like, try me. I'd have to Google this, because sometimes people go, hey, what do you think of this item? And I'm like, I don't know what you're talking about, but I realize it's my accent. It's the triad ball, and I don't actually know the dimensions. It's a purple ball that you don't want to fill all the way up. It's smaller than a I guess it'd be like, volleyball size when it's filled up, but you want it to be a little squishy. And where did I get it. I think I went on Balanced Body. Let's see.Brad Crowell 19:24 The OPTP triad ball nine and a half inches. Lesley Logan 19:27 Is it purple? Brad Crowell 19:28 Um, yeah, it's purple. Lesley Logan 19:30 Yeah, the OPTP. Brad Crowell 19:32 Yeah. OPTP triad ball nine and a half inches. Lesley Logan 19:35 You can get it at like, Target. Brad Crowell 19:37 Yeah, even at Walmart. Lesley Logan 19:38 I'm not shopping at Target these days, but you can get on OPTP's website, they have a bunch. They have a huge website, lots of amazing stuff on TP actually, you'll kind of like, it's good products, good stuff. So if you have a question, you can text us at +13109055534, or submit it to beitpod.com/questions. You can also leave a win. And I love getting your wins, because I love helping people see like there's a celebration in everything. You know there's a reason to celebrate the whole every if you just watch the news and open up your phone, it fucking sucks. So you got to have a place where you know it's going to be some good news, and you might hear your win on a day you need to remind yourself that you had a fucking win.Brad Crowell 20:17 Yeah, that's true. Yeah, you are 100% right. Well, stick around. We'll be right back. Brad Crowell 20:23 Okay, welcome back. Let's talk about Dr. Jen Fraboni. Dr. Jen Fraboni, also known as Doc Jen Fit, is a physical therapist passionate about helping people move more with less pain and more confidence. She is the founder of Jen.Health, a platform and app designed to make strength, mobility and recovery accessible for everyone. Alongside her husband, she cohosts The Optimal Body Podcast. Her work has also been featured nationally, including on Good Morning America and NBC, where she shared simple strategies to ease back pain during the pandemic. So we well, it was just a great conversation, by the way, nobody knows this, but I get to watch the the full interview call, right? And. Lesley Logan 21:06 You watch it? Brad Crowell 21:07 Yeah, watch every single one of them. That's how I do prep. Oh, I thought you just listened, nope, 100% of the time watching the interview. So the beginning of it was really fun because you were saying that, basically you were like, oh my gosh, this is how my day is gonna go today. I'm so excited to start today with this interview.Lesley Logan 21:26 Well, because, because it was a Zoom call with Jen Fraboni. And I was like, it's Jen Fraboni. And then it was then she showed up, like, Oh my God. Like, I was like, I mean, I guess I could have looked up.Brad Crowell 21:39 Doc Jen Fit. Lesley Logan 21:40 I mean, I knew I was interviewing her at some point, but I just my brain didn't like keep her, keep her last name associated with her Instagram handle, but yeah, how fun is that? I don't know, maybe the team left in the outtakes. Yeah, it was so good. Brad Crowell 21:53 Yeah. So you know what, what the two of you were digging into. I thought it was just really great talking about paying because I I related a lot to that, especially this past year, I've actually had a lot of pain with my my foot. So anyway, you know. Lesley Logan 22:08 But well, that goes into, like, something like, what I liked that she addressed about pain was that, like, most of the time it's just an alarm. Especially if you didn't get an accident, like, and sometimes your pain is like, you're just sitting there, and all of a sudden something hurts in your body, and you're like, ah, this hurts. And I'm like, just sitting there, like, what are you talking about? So in that case, if it wasn't, like, you know, you fell down the stairs, you tripped across the street, you were in a car accident, if you have pain, it is your body going, Hey, hi. You're not taking good care of me, right? It's like, just trying to get your attention. And I just like, if we think of that as what it is, as opposed to, I have to stop doing everything that was associated with that, because this is what happens, right? People come to Pilates once a week. The goal is three to four times. Week four is better. That's the goal, right? But I have someone who'll come once a week, and they go, they'll see me the next week. Oh, last last week. My back hurt, so we need to be conscious of that. And it's like so there are six other days, plus the 23 hours of the day. I didn't see you. What did you do? How are you taking care of yourself? I'm not saying the Pilates doesn't didn't hurt you. What I am saying is more likely than not, it wasn't the Pilates, but the Pilates is the unique thing about your day, right? So it's, it's similar to, I have some stomach digestive issues, and I would go, Oh, I think I got gluten, or I must have had some dairy. When I found out that I'm also allergic to oats. And every fucking day I was having oat milk, right?. And I wasn't associating, like, any of the other boring food I was having all of the time, I was coming up with, like, this unique thing that could have happened, so I really like that.Brad Crowell 23:53 We were just with our friend, and the next day he was like, I think I got glutened yesterday. It must have been that meal that we ate, you know? And I said, you know, I'm I'm also not feeling 100% and then I thought about the restaurant, which is we've eaten at 100 times. And I was like, what did we do differently? And he had the spiciest Margarita I think I've ever tasted, and I was loading on the hot sauce. I was like, You know what, man, I wonder. I mean, look, it's possible that you got glutened but they were, they specifically came out and told us that they made this gluten free. So I'd be surprised. Maybe there was some leftover, something (inadible) but also, like, the two of us ate something that was pretty off the path. I like to eat spicy stuff, but, like, we ate a lot of it.Lesley Logan 24:39 His his his Margarita was almost undrinkable. Lesley Logan 24:42 It was crazy. You diluted it twice.Lesley Logan 24:44 And you know, I like a spicy mar I was like, I I think that was gonna provide a colonic, to be completely honest, anyways. But I just think, like, she gave some really great stuff, like she talked about her own personal experience, like she's got some back pain, and she's like, Oh, I've been sleeping less, I'm breastfeeding, I'm sitting more, and I'm not moving my body. So what can I do to be more conscious about the things that I need to give myself?Brad Crowell 25:06 Yeah, I think, I think, with the, with the the idea that people coming into class and saying, Oh, well, last week, I was in pain afterwards, you know, the what she mentioned, which I thought was really obvious but needed to be heard. She said, you know, if you're in the gym lifting and you like, tweak your back, obviously you're going to say, well, I shouldn't do that again. No, no problem, of course. But that was probably not that was the moment that things were stressed to the point of ouch. But that wasn't the only moment. There are definitely other things leading up to that exact moment of when, when your body is, like, we're done trying to hold it together here, now you're in pain. And she said, so, so there's other movements that you're probably doing in your life that are, it's cumulative, right? It's, it's, it's adding up over time, and then bam, maybe the moment that it happened was in a class when you're probably doing something particular that you wouldn't be normally doing, like doing a headstand, or whatever it might be, you know, being on one leg, you know, the, the, but, that's probably not where it started. Lesley Logan 26:16 I think we could all agree in this moment where we're not in pain, right? I hurt my knee doing a deadlift. When I hired my trainer, I said, Yeah, I've been dead lifting a lot lighter because it doesn't bother my knee. But the actual thing that's bothering my knee is the fact that I had weak inner thighs and hamstrings compared to my quads, and then the way my gait is on that leg, that's why my knee hurt. It just so happened that I felt the pain doing the deadlift. The deadlift is actually not the problem my form and my deadlift is not the problem. It is an in-balance and muscles on that leg. And so what can we be doing to make sure that we're taking, like, consistent care of ourselves, and then when we hear, when we feel pain, really doing some sort of creating, some sort of like, okay, hold on, what's my sleep like, what's my intake like, what's my fuel like, have I been consistent? So if you are someone who, like, doesn't work out for a week, and then goes and works out hard, like, I got to get in it, just so, you know, you're going to be in some pain afterwards because you didn't have consistency going into it. So, you know, just do some reflection before you go, oh, that's a problem.Brad Crowell 27:20 Speak about reflection, which, which is, this is pretty funny for, for if you have people coming in and saying, well, last time I did this, I hurt. Lesley Logan 27:29 Or if you are that person. Brad Crowell 27:30 Yeah or if you are that person, do you wake up and hurt like, should this? Does that mean you shouldn't sleep like? You know what I mean, the logic doesn't apply here. I just heard like. Lesley Logan 27:43 So this has nothing to do with that, but it's just my brain thing. Okay?. So this person goes, like, this, like, thing I saw. This person goes, I need to go on a vacation. And this other person goes, did you just come back from a vacation? And then it's like, you should just say, Did you have lunch yesterday? And they're like, yeah, that does that mean you need lunch today? Right? Like, yeah, like, you're if you're.Brad Crowell 28:06 Like, obviously, you're not gonna say, Well, I guess I shouldn't sleep because, because maybe you just slept on your shoulder, weird, or whatever. And also, too, it doesn't (inaudible) it also doesn't mean that your shoulder is broken or jacked up. It means you stressed it improperly for an extended period of time. Maybe you were sleeping on it weird, right? And how, like, you know, you know how that is, you know how that that feeling is. It could be your ankle or something where it takes a couple of hours for it to work itself out. And what's happening there, which I which I thought was interesting. She talks about how pain. It's a signal from the brain saying something is not 100% correct here. Something is not 100% correct here. Just a reminder. A reminder, a reminder.Lesley Logan 28:50 It's like, when you hit the button and the community goes, er, and you're like, let me hit that again, it goes, er, and you're like, I don't know why I'm expecting something different. Brad Crowell 28:58 Yeah, well, and here's how this, here's how this relates to what I loved. She said. She said, the more we don't use it, we lose it, right? You use it or lose it. You've heard that phrase a million times. But she said the thing that was that frustrates her the most is when she her clients come to her and say, the doctor told me I'm not allowed to do this anymore, right? The thing, whatever the thing is, and this is what related to me because, you know, a couple months, Well, geez, in February of this year, it's now, you know, November, I started to feel pain in my foot, in the top of my foot, it was like this pulling pain. It felt like fascia or nerves. I couldn't decide. I still can't decide. And for a long, long time, I just stopped things. I just stopped doing, you know, like, the pointing of my toe, stopped it. All the stuff that you do in yoga class, stopped it. I was like, I need some time off. Well, I gave up the time off, and it didn't fix it, right? So, then what? Then what it was the next thing we do? Started going to the chiropractor. Chiropractor couldn't figure out what's going on, right there. She's like, Hey, you're you're aligned. What are you talking about, right? So, you know, then I was like, must be these other things. So I'm starting to massage myself. I'm doing all this stuff. And then a couple, like, two months ago, I just decided, You know what, I'm just gonna get warm and I'm gonna keep using my foot. I'm just gonna keep using it. Because, you know, one of the things that she said is especially being pregnant a second time, she leaned into, you know, doing her workouts, when her body was was starting to, like, freak out, but her body was going through a major change, and she said, you know, maybe she modified the exercise, but she always felt better after doing her workout, despite being told, you know, you know, her body, you know, sending a signal. And I think, I think that we have to be careful with this. You know, same for me, I have to actually be careful with this. It's not no pain, no gain, yeah, it's not real. I don't agree with that. It's also, you know, there are, there are moments where your body is is trying to warn you on something, but you need to be able to decide for what that is and and understand, right? Is it like pain to the point of like damage, or are we talking that, that signal of warning, you know, that's like, Oh, you have to be cautious, right? Lesley Logan 31:12 Yeah. Well, it makes it so this morning, I was doing my first Pilates practice on the Reformer in three weeks. And I did not I was like, man, I got my Spine Corrector, and I was like, this not feel awesome. It didn't hurt. It just was like, right? And then I got in the Reformer, and the first overhead kind of was like, but then the second one felt better and the third one felt better. So it's not, it is no no pain, no gain. But is you, if you have a consistent practice of any kind of movement. When you start going, you know, if your body is telling you, this is not a good day or, Oh, hold on, this is opening up. I'm warming up to it. And so when I was doing tendon stretch on the Reformer, normally, I do a single leg tendon stretch. And I did tendon stretch. I did three, and I was like, I in no way feel safe, to lift a leg off. I'm gonna do four more and get off. I got to headstand. I did all the things but the actual headstand, because I have a consistent enough practice in my body, I could tell that I'm going to feel better when it's over, but I'm not pushing myself to do something it shouldn't do. And that just comes with time. It just comes with listening to your body. So, you gotta do that.Brad Crowell 32:20 Yeah, I mean, you know, she said something that I also thought was interesting, that we never, that I never thought about before. She said, clearly, the outside of our bodies change, our faces sag, or we get wrinkles, things, lalala, why would we never, why would we expect that there are no internal changes as well, right? And she was talking about, you know, joint degeneration, and, you know, all those kinds of things which are natural and they happen, you know, discs in your back, compression, all that kind of stuff. But the only way to age gracefully, despite your body deteriorating is strength. Is strong muscles, right? And so we still should be we need to be prioritizing that in our lives now so that we can be moving with ease as we age.Lesley Logan 33:11 Yeah, no, it's so and that's just it, you guys, you will never stop having to sleep enough drink, enough water and strengthen your muscles like that you're, so sorry, guaranteed in life until we no longer get to live on this beautiful planet. So, there you go.Brad Crowell 33:28 Yeah, yeah. All right. Well, stick around. We'll be right back. We're gonna dig into those Be It Action Items that we got from Dr. Jen Fit. Brad Crowell 33:35 All right, welcome back. Let's dig into these Be It Action Items. What bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted action items. Can we take away from your conversation with Dr. Jen Fraboni? She explicitly advised against relying on passive stretching as a primary solution for pain, even though it can feel good and relaxing, she said it's better to create stability, that is the fundamental requirement for the body to feel safe. So you were talking about the off balance muscles that you had, which is why your lifting was feeling pain, because you were unstable. Your one muscles, your one set of muscles, were stronger than the other set of muscles. She said, when you create stability, it creates a sense of safety. And she recommends focusing on active stretching, isometric holds and strengthening exercises. She highlighted Pilates as a modality that is great at creating stability and teaching the body safety, especially in the initial phases of pain recovery. So yay for Pilates. That's fantastic. What about you? Go ahead, go ahead.Lesley Logan 34:37 I was gonna say, like today, we were in yoga, and my left hamstring just would not open up. And the reality is my left hip just feeling unstable. That's why we're headed to the chiropractor after this. And it's like, I cannot open up this hamstring when my pelvis is out. And so I just really like, that was such a that's such a takeaway for me. I love that Be It Action Item. So be mindful of the passive stretching, my loves. Just be mindful. I love, this is great, t only way that we start to know how to move forward is if we tune in first. So it's really, this is this kind of goes back to, like a Brad BizJack's episode, actually, and that and that, maybe he didn't say it in this episode, but he has said it in something that I've heard of him before, which is, but go listen to that episode anyways, he's like, you would never, you would never just like, go get in the car and drive somewhere without having, like, a destination in mind. Unlike most people, don't check in with how they feel before they like move their body. They just start moving their body like they're not tuning in. So before you set a goal, before you do things, you have to kind of go inward first, so that you know where you're putting your compass, where you're putting your directions, where you're moving forward to. So otherwise you're like, oh, maybe I should do if you don't tune in first, you're gonna be the person who's like, oh, the hot new thing is Jiu Jitsu, and I'm doing Jiu Jitsu, and then that new hot thing is this box thing on a trampoline, like you're not going to actually be able to look at a movement modality and go, oh, that's what my body needs. You'll just be like, going hopping from one thing to the next expecting a quick fix. So I did love that one. And then she really, she advised onto every day to take five deep, long, slow breaths, mouth closed, and focus on taking breath into the sides of your rib cage. OPC members know this. Brad Crowell 36:24 Diaphragmatic breathing. Lesley Logan 36:26 And avoid breathing into your shoulders, neck or chest. Otherwise you're gonna feel stressed. But if you take these deep breaths, you often will see that the pain starts to diminish. I'm Lesley Logan. Brad Crowell 36:35 And I'm Brad Crowell. Lesley Logan 36:36 I really hope this was helpful, especially if pain is part of your daily life, it is really hard to be it till you see it in that kind of state. And so hopefully this gave you some tips, gave you some ideas, gave you some permission and share it with a friend who needs to hear it, especially one who's like this topic is like, what they're needing right now. It's, I don't know, there's just so much permission in this episode. Until next time, Be It Till You see it. Brad Crowell 36:55 Bye for now. Lesley Logan 36:57 That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 37:39 It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 37:44 It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 37:49 Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 37:56 Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 37:59 Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Lesley Logan 38:11 I don't know if we're doing a second one next year. We're gonna try, but you know, we'll see. Brad Crowell 38:16 You are just making up the URLs here. Lesley Logan 38:19 I'm not. Lesley Logan 38:19 Yeah, crowsnestretreats.com. Just go to crowsnestretreats.com. Lesley Logan 38:23 You gave me the waitlist one. Brad Crowell 38:25 No. Lesley Logan 38:25 Yeah, not on this sheet, but in life.Brad Crowell 38:28 Okay, because of 404. So I'll have the team fix that right now. Lesley Logan 38:31 Fix that, please, because I gave it to somebody else last week on Instagram, because you gave that to me. Okay.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
This week, Ethan Cook, N2K lead analyst and editor of the Caveat newsletter joins Dave and Ben with a rapid-fire download from Public Sector Ignite — from CISA's strategic pivot to the evolving threat landscape across China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. He teases major takeaways on quantum risk and the ticking clock to “Q-Day,” why telecoms remain a soft underbelly, and how AI is turbocharging both defenders and attackers. While this show covers legal topics, and Ben is a lawyer, the views expressed do not constitute legal advice. For official legal advice on any of the topics we cover, please contact your attorney. Get the weekly Caveat Briefing delivered to your inbox. Like what you heard? Be sure to check out and subscribe to our Caveat Briefing, a weekly newsletter available exclusively to N2K Pro members on N2K CyberWire's website. N2K Pro members receive our Thursday wrap-up covering the latest in privacy, policy, and research news, including incidents, techniques, compliance, trends, and more. This week's This week's Caveat Briefing covers Europe's unexpected shift toward loosening its once-aggressive tech rules, as policymakers move to simplify GDPR, delay parts of the A.I. Act, and ease data-use restrictions to boost competitiveness. The move signals a major tone change in Brussels, raising questions about whether scaling back oversight will spark innovation — or weaken one of the world's strongest digital privacy regimes. Curious about the details? Head over to the Caveat Briefing for the full scoop and additional compelling stories. Got a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to caveat@thecyberwire.com. Hope to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The former NBA power forward and unmistakably English John Amaechi talks leadership, psychology, and the everyday skills that make organizations work. His book It's Not Magic: The Ordinary Skills of Exceptional Leaders anchors a conversation about accountability, ambition, and what people misunderstand about excellence. Also: Europe's frozen-assets loan scheme, Macron's future-jets promise, and the contrast between Brussels' legalism and Trump's "sea boat, bomb boat" simplicity. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack
Around the globe, and here in the United States, energy markets face huge uncertainties. They include everything from rising geopolitical tensions to a wave of new liquefied natural gas supply, and from concentrated critical mineral supply chains to growing demand for electricity. These uncertainties are reflected by the International Energy Agency in this year's World Energy Outlook, which explores a range of possible energy futures — particularly around oil and gas demand. So how have energy policies at the country level, growing economic warfare, and rising prices impacted the IEA's outlook? How should we understand the role of energy security and geopolitical risk? Here in the US, how have energy policy shifts impacted the outlook? And what role do the transition to electric mobility and the pace of energy innovation play? This week, Jason Bordoff talks to Tim Gould about this year's World Energy Outlook, the IEA's flagship annual report. It projects a world with as much as 3 degrees of warming by 2100, under current policies, or with as little as 1.5 degrees of warming by 2100 if global energy systems quickly decarbonize. Tim is the International Energy Agency's chief energy economist. As part of this role, he co-leads the World Energy Outlook. Tim joined the IEA in 2008 as a specialist on Russian and Caspian energy. Before joining the agency, Tim worked on European and Eurasian energy issues in Brussels. Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff and Bill Loveless. Produced by Mary Catherine O'Connor, Caroline Pitman, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.