Podcasts about builders

Jeff Gunsberg and I sat down with serial entrepreneur Steven Haddad—and the conversation went way deeper than business. Here are 3 takeaways that stuck: 1 - Build from demand, not ego. Steven's foundation was simple: listen first, then build. The most durable businesses aren't dreamed up—they're requested. 2- Work ethic beats pedigree. Every time. From mopping floors at seven to leading multiple companies, nothing replaced showing up early, staying late, and doing the work others won't. 3 -Bet on people before numbers. Fast returns are tempting. Builders are rare. Every lesson—good or painful—came down to who was in the room. And at the center of it all was his dad, Sam—who built from nothing and passed down one rule that still drives everything: You don't have to be smarter than everyone… but you can outwork anyone. That's not just advice. That's a blueprint. Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience Website: https://jondwoskin.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big! Connect with Jeff Gunsberg:Website: https://title-connect.com   *E - explicit language may be used in this podcast.

Sometimes we have jobs to do that really are not fun to do. It may be the dishes, taking out the trash, cleaning up your room, or if you live in my family the dreaded chore is picking up the dog poop! The quickest way to pick up the dog poop is to put a grocery bag on your hand and just scoop it up. When we have a job to do, how do we do it? Happily? Cheerfully? Or do we whine and complain? Nehemiah had a very difficult task ahead of him. It seemed impossible, yet with God's help and determination, Nehemiah got it done! Year B Quarter 2 Week 25All Bible verses are from the NKJVHymn: Bringing in the SheavesWrite to Ms. Katie: seedpod@startingwithjesus.comKatie's Korner: https://startingwithjesus.com/katies-korner/Find the Lessons Here: Kindergarten https://bit.ly/SeedPodKLessonsPrimary https://bit.ly/SeedPodPLessonsConnect with Us:Website: https://startingwithjesus.comStarting With Jesus - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StartingWithJesusSeedPod - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCvU2FBPEL5-Zi2QW0STVLg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingwithjesusFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/startingwithjesusAcknowledgments:Bible Readings this Week: Abigail & AndrewPodcast Producer: Katie ChitwoodSound Engineer: Dillon AustinMy Bible First, https://bit.ly/SeedPodLesson  for use of their Bible Lesson curriculum.AudioVerse, https://www.audioverse.org/  for partnering with us and supporting our ministry.Lindsey Mills, for writing and performing our SeedPod Kids Theme Song & Background Music. To learn more about her music or to get her CD, email her: lindsey@startingwithjesus.com

This Sunday, we dive head‑first into the cosmic blueprint.   Dane Quirk joins The Amish Inquisition to reveal what he calls The One Complete System — the unchanging, un‑debunkable Law that governs all of reality. From sacred geometry to harmonic ratios, from 432 to 25920 to 1260, from the micro to the macro, Dane argues that the entire universe is built on a single, elegant, repeating code. For thousands of years, the Masters, the Builders, and the ancient engineers left clues scattered across the Earth — in stone, in number, in proportion, in sound. According to Dane, those clues were never random. They were part of an identical blueprint, a unified equation that underpins creation itself. And now, he says, the code has been cracked. Dane's work blends mathematics, cosmology, music, engineering, and ancient wisdom into a single, audacious claim: Reality is harmonic. Creation is geometric. And the blueprint has always been hiding in plain sight. Join us live for a deep, mind‑bending conversation that spans the Earth, the heavens, and the hidden architecture of existence.

Sometimes we have jobs to do that really are not fun to do. It may be the dishes, taking out the trash, cleaning up your room, or if you live in my family the dreaded chore is picking up the dog poop! The quickest way to pick up the dog poop is to put a grocery bag on your hand and just scoop it up. When we have a job to do, how do we do it? Happily? Cheerfully? Or do we whine and complain? Nehemiah had a very difficult task ahead of him. It seemed impossible, yet with God's help and determination, Nehemiah got it done! Year B Quarter 2 Week 25All Bible verses are from the NKJVHymn: Bringing in the SheavesWrite to Ms. Katie: seedpod@startingwithjesus.comKatie's Korner: https://startingwithjesus.com/katies-korner/Find the Lessons Here: Kindergarten https://bit.ly/SeedPodKLessonsPrimary https://bit.ly/SeedPodPLessonsConnect with Us:Website: https://startingwithjesus.comStarting With Jesus - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StartingWithJesusSeedPod - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCvU2FBPEL5-Zi2QW0STVLg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingwithjesusFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/startingwithjesusAcknowledgments:Bible Readings this Week: Abigail & AndrewPodcast Producer: Katie ChitwoodSound Engineer: Dillon AustinMy Bible First, https://bit.ly/SeedPodLesson  for use of their Bible Lesson curriculum.AudioVerse, https://www.audioverse.org/  for partnering with us and supporting our ministry.Lindsey Mills, for writing and performing our SeedPod Kids Theme Song & Background Music. To learn more about her music or to get her CD, email her: lindsey@startingwithjesus.com

Taurus, the Tarot Tower card, Thor, Tours, and the Tyrrhenian Sea all share one ancient root. In Inner Whirled Episode 3, Chance Garton and Dylan Saccoccio trace the bull-Lord-Tower symbol back to a hidden Etruscan and Phoenician empire that left its fingerprints across Western language, mythology, and the tarot.This episode covers Etruscan and Celtic origins, the goddess Tanit and the tarot's High Priestess card, hornism and the protective meaning of bull horns, Apollo Granus and Kronos, Phoenician and Punic philology, Cornish and Welsh etymology, and astrotheology connecting the Pleiades, the dove, and the constellation Taurus.Remote Biofield Tuning sessions with Chance are available via Zoom. Learn more and book at https://www.innerversepodcast.com/biofield-tuningWatch On Youtube: https://youtu.be/zWNUhyEA7r4Full archives, extended episodes, and member community at https://www.innerversepodcast.com/plusWatch the extended episode of this podcasthttps://www.innerversepodcast.com/plus/inner-whirled-3Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/innerverse/posts/160842117Substack: https://innerversepodcast.substack.com/p/inner-whirled-3Youtube: https://youtu.be/0_TNfREenOMSUPPORT INNERVERSE WITH AFFILIATESKyle Denton's Potent Plant Medicines – Tippecanoe Herbs (use coupon code 'innerverse'): https://www.tippecanoeherbs.comThe World's Best Tuning Fork: https://biofieldtuningstore.com/collections/the-sonic-slider-collection?ref=innerverseFlower Elixirs by LotusWei: https://www.lotuswei.com/innerversehttps://www.innerversepodcast.com/episodes/inner-whirled-3-tarot-tower-taurus Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes we have jobs to do that really are not fun to do. It may be the dishes, taking out the trash, cleaning up your room, or if you live in my family the dreaded chore is picking up the dog poop! The quickest way to pick up the dog poop is to put a grocery bag on your hand and just scoop it up. When we have a job to do, how do we do it? Happily? Cheerfully? Or do we whine and complain? Nehemiah had a very difficult task ahead of him. It seemed impossible, yet with God's help and determination, Nehemiah got it done! Year B Quarter 2 Week 25All Bible verses are from the NKJVHymn: Bringing in the SheavesWrite to Ms. Katie: seedpod@startingwithjesus.comKatie's Korner: https://startingwithjesus.com/katies-korner/Find the Lessons Here: Kindergarten https://bit.ly/SeedPodKLessonsPrimary https://bit.ly/SeedPodPLessonsConnect with Us:Website: https://startingwithjesus.comStarting With Jesus - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StartingWithJesusSeedPod - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCvU2FBPEL5-Zi2QW0STVLg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingwithjesusFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/startingwithjesusAcknowledgments:Bible Readings this Week: Abigail & AndrewPodcast Producer: Katie ChitwoodSound Engineer: Dillon AustinMy Bible First, https://bit.ly/SeedPodLesson  for use of their Bible Lesson curriculum.AudioVerse, https://www.audioverse.org/  for partnering with us and supporting our ministry.Lindsey Mills, for writing and performing our SeedPod Kids Theme Song & Background Music. To learn more about her music or to get her CD, email her: lindsey@startingwithjesus.com

Recorded live at The Conduit in London in September 2024, Baratunde and Elizabeth Stewart sit down with their friend and longtime collaborator Jon Alexander, author of CITIZENS and co-host of the podcast How To Save Democracy, for a conversation about citizen as a verb: the radical, hopeful idea that democracy isn't something we have, it's something we do. They get into the story we inherited about independence, the older and truer story about interdependence, the four pillars of citizening, and why a moment when so much feels like it's collapsing is exactly the moment to start building. The timing is no accident. On Saturday, June 13, 2026 Jon takes the TED Democracy stage in Philadelphia at the birthplace of American independence, during America's 250th, to make the case for interdependence. A British man crossing the Atlantic to tell us the move is getting back together. Keep practicing democracy. The verb, not the noun. CHAPTERS 00:00:00 "We're gonna need some builders" (cold open)00:02:11 Welcome to How To Save Democracy00:02:45 How this London night came together00:03:40 Citizen as a verb, and the shift from head to heart00:05:40 Latent love: citizen, not consumer00:07:25 Story as the most powerful technology we have00:09:45 Consumer democracy and the only restaurant in town00:10:59 Why the vote still matters00:12:06 Head, heart, and gut00:16:24 Co-authors of this world: nature, each other, machines00:20:29 The four pillars, one at a time00:21:00 Pillar 1 - Invest in relationships (including with yourself)00:29:45 Pillar 2 - Understand power (and your attention)00:33:35 Pillar 3 - Commit to the collective (Bahrain and Broadband Bruce)00:44:10 Pillar 4 - Show up and participate00:44:25 Questions from the room00:46:42 Belonging, authoritarianism, and the case for builders00:49:38 Burnout, rupture, and repair00:52:35 Doomsday Preppers: two ways to survive00:54:10 How might we live together, period00:56:35 Citizens, not just consumers LINKS How To Save Democracy with Omezzine Khelifa & Jon Alexander: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-save-democracy/id1823945285 American Indigenous Democracy: A Call for Interdependence — the book from Haudenosaunee elders and wisdom keepers: https://americanindigenousdemocracy.com Jon Alexander / CITIZENS: https://jonalexander.netSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every Friday around 8:15​-8:20 a.m. on KFAN 100.3 the Power Trip Morning show plays the Initials Game presented by Builders & Remodelers!The game involves 12 items people, place, things, phrases or anything as long as they share the same initials. All 12 items share the same initials. The contestants do not know the initials until they are revealed shortly before the game starts. Each item has 6 clues. As soon as the contestants know who or what the host is describing, they yell out their name. Their name is their buzzer. If the contestant gets it right, they get a point. If they get it wrong they are out for just that item. The item does have to be pronounced correctly. It is best out of 12 with tiebreakers if needed. Tiebreaker items have 3 clues.#InitialsGame #ThePowerTrip #KFAN1003FOLLOW The Power Trip on Social Media:► Like the show on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PowerTripKFAN​​► Follow the show on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/PowerTripKFAN​​► Follow the show on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PowerTripKFAN​​► Follow Cory Cove on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CoryCove​​► Follow Chris Hawkey on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Chris_Hawkey​​► Follow Meatsauce on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Meatsauce1​► Follow Mark Parrish on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MarkDParrish► Follow Marney Gellner on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MarneyGellner► Follow Zach Halverson on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ZachHalverson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most business owners can drive change. Very few can bring their team along for the ride. And that gap between the vision in your head and the buy-in from your people is where great businesses stall out. In this episode, BOP Coaches Shawn "Dickie" Stinson and Brandon "Donny" Gray sit down with Roberto Gutierrez and Rogers Jackson, co-founders of Jackson Builders, a Nashville-based construction company doing 70 to 80 homes a year. Ten years in. Still growing. And still keeping their culture intact while everything around them changes. This is not theory. This is what it actually looks like to lead change inside a real business. ✅ Why explaining the "why" is the single most powerful tool for getting team buy-in ✅ How Jackson Builders turned 1,000 punch list items into a process overhaul that saved time and money ✅ The shift from cost-plus to fixed-price contracts and what it did for their margins ✅ How they built custom AI tools with zero coding background to track leads, project health, and marketing ✅ Why growing your sales pipeline is not just a revenue move, it is a leverage move ✅ The culture principle that keeps subcontractors, clients, and employees all moving in the same direction Change is not the enemy of culture. Poor communication is. The builders who scale without losing their people are not lucky. They are intentional. Is your business running you, or are you running it?

Every generation has them.People who aren't actually responsible for outcomes but seem determined to supervise everyone else's lives.This week's Wacky Wednesday explores the growing influence of America's self-appointed hall monitors.From media personalities attempting to manage public life, to institutions losing touch with common sense, to cultural figures abandoning the responsibilities they claim to champion, Chad Law examines the difference between authority and responsibility.The central question:Who put you in charge?And the larger lesson:America doesn't need more hall monitors.America needs more builders.TopicsUFC Freedom 250 controversyStephen A. Smith and TrumpNotre Dame H-1B hiring debateFetterman and political hypocrisyAmerica 250 celebrationsCulture and stewardshipBuilders vs. monitors

Professional Builders Secrets brings you an exclusive episode featuring Maura Thomas, one of the world's top 10 time management experts, TEDx speaker, and author of six books, including Attention Management and Everyone Wants to Work Here. Maura brings a fascinating and practical perspective on why time management is an outdated framework, and why protecting your attention is the real key to productivity, leadership and business growth.This episode is sponsored by Apparatus Contractor Services, click the link below to learn more:hubs.ly/Q02mNSsG0INSIDE EPISODE 242 YOU WILL DISCOVER Why time management is the wrong framework and what to focus on insteadHow the attention economy is systematically stealing your focus for profitWhy a culture of urgency and speed is quietly killing creativity and innovationHow distraction is costing businesses hundreds of thousands every yearThe three foundational challenges to attention and how to take back controlHow to design your communication systems so work actually gets doneAnd much, much more.ABOUT MAURA THOMASMaura Thomas is a world-renowned attention management expert, TEDx speaker and author of six books including Attention Management and Everyone Wants to Work Here. Named one of the top 10 time management professionals in the world, Maura helps individuals and organisations reclaim their focus, reduce distraction and build cultures where meaningful work actually gets done.Connect with Maura: linkedin.com/in/mauranevelthomas-productivity-trainer/TIMELINE 4:16 Why time management is an outdated framework and attention is the real currency6:01 How an entire industry has been built to extract your attention for profit11:21 Why competing on speed is a race to the bottom and what to do instead15:45 How social media platforms are engineered to hack your brain and keep you hooked31:13 The three foundational challenges to attention and how to reclaim control40:24 Why every building company needs a communication SLA and how to create oneLINKS, RESOURCES & MOREAPB Website: associationofprofessionalbuilders.comAPB Rewards: associationofprofessionalbuilders.com/rewards/APB on Instagram: instagram.com/apbbuilders/APB on Facebook: facebook.com/associationofprofessionalbuildersAPB on YouTube: youtube.com/c/associationofprofessionalbuilders

Send us Fan MailIs your rapid business growth actually ruining your company?Today, Max talks about the importance of consolidating your business so you can continue to grow sustainably.Remember, you want your business to be built by design, not by default!Watch today's episode on the whiteboard --> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL76rc3DrCOMb7VM9icAOQmLodNCSZTfKf--------------

While much of the housing conversation in 2026 has focused on slower sales, elevated mortgage rates and affordability challenges, industry leaders say a bigger issue is emerging behind the scenes: a future housing supply shortage.  Tim Arnold of D.R. Horton, Cara Lavender of John Burns Research and Consulting and Jim Jacobi of Parkland Communities, join host Carol Morgan on Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio for a mid-year market update on looming lot shortages, zoning challenges, affordability concerns and the factors shaping housing supply across metro Atlanta.  The Biggest Housing Story Nobody Is Talking About  “In my opinion, the biggest secret in housing today is the lack of new zonings that are occurring,” said Jacobi.  He explained that numerous municipalities have either implemented zoning moratoriums or significantly slowed approvals, creating a development pipeline problem that could emerge over the next several years. Although today’s market remains slower than the pandemic-era housing boom, builders continue selling homes and working through existing lot inventories. The challenge is that many communities are not approving enough future projects to replace what is currently being built.  “People probably do not recognize what is happening out there with the lot supply market,” said Arnold. “There is going to be a struggle for folks to get lot supply.”  Labor and Building Capacity Could Become the Next Challenge  With in-migration at historically low levels and major infrastructure projects such as data centers competing for skilled trades, Lavender said labor constraints could quickly become a concern if housing demand accelerates.  “If a demand faucet turns on, do we have the lots available?” she said. “But in that same breath, do we have the labor and the building products capacity available to support an uptick in production?”  Slower production volumes have helped ease labor pressures. However, the industry may not be prepared to rapidly increase construction activity if market conditions improve.  Spring Selling Season Falls Short of Expectations  While future supply concerns remain top of mind, today’s housing market continues to face near-term challenges. Lavender described the spring selling season as “underwhelming.” Uncertain demand and hesitant consumers continue to weigh on market performance. Builders are maintaining sales through pricing strategies and incentives, but those efforts are coming at the expense of profit margins.  Senate Bill 447 Could Improve Georgia’s Permitting Process  Senate Bill 447 could provide a welcome boost for Georgia’s housing industry by improving transparency and accountability in the permitting process. The legislation increases visibility into permit reviews, requires written explanations for permit denials and establishes timelines for local governments to respond to applications. It could also help reduce delays that often add significant costs to housing projects.  “It’ll speed up the building and land development permits,” said Arnold.  Build-to-Rent Gains Recognition as an Asset Class  Federal housing legislation could significantly affect the build-to-rent sector. Proposed revisions to the Road to Housing Act would provide greater certainty for investors and developers while reinforcing build-to-rent’s role in the broader housing market. One of the most notable aspects of the legislation is its recognition of build-to-rent as a distinct asset class, a change that could strengthen investor confidence and support additional capital investment. Greater certainty and increased investment could help expand housing supply by encouraging additional build-to-rent development in high-demand markets.  Gwinnett County Offers a Warning Sign  From January through April 2025, unincorporated Gwinnett County issued approximately 2,800 new home permits. During that same period, local officials approved zoning for only about 1,400 future housing units.  “So they only zoned about half as many lots as what has been built in the same time period,” said Jacobi.  This imbalance raises questions about where future housing inventory will come from if current approval trends continue. Ongoing zoning moratoriums, elevated land costs and community opposition to new development could further constrain housing supply and place additional pressure on affordability.  Tune in next week for Part 2 of this market update, where the panel takes a deeper look at affordability, infrastructure challenges and what housing leaders expect over the next several years.  About Parkland Communities  Parkland Communities, Inc., the parent company of build-to-rent home builder, Parkland Residential, is a privately owned, multifaceted real estate development and investment firm specializing in residential properties. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Parkland Communities Inc. uses the latest market data, technology and established relationships to strategically secure new development opportunities in Atlanta's most desirable locations. The company's hands-on philosophy has made it a proven leader in the industry with a trusted reputation among elected officials, municipal staff, neighborhood associations, bankers and home builders. For more information on Parkland Communities, visit www.ParklandCo.com.  About D.R. Horton  As one of metro Atlanta’s leading home builders, D.R. Horton offers new homes across a variety of price points, product types and locations throughout the region. The company builds communities designed to meet the needs of first-time homebuyers, move-up purchasers and those seeking low-maintenance living, with a focus on quality construction, thoughtful design and attainable homeownership opportunities. Backed by the resources of America’s largest home builder, D.R. Horton continues to play a significant role in expanding housing options across Georgia’s growing markets. Learn more about D.R. Horton at www.DRHorton.com.  About John Burns Research and Consulting  John Burns Research and Consulting provides data-driven insights across every housing sector, including new home construction, resale, single-family rental and build-to-rent. It helps companies make informed decisions and mitigate risk in order to identify opportunities in a complex market. From M&A projects to consumer surveys, the firm covers every aspect of the housing industry. Learn more about John Burns Research and Consulting at www.JBREC.com.    Podcast Thanks       Thank you to Denim Marketing for sponsoring Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Known as a trendsetter, Denim Marketing has been blogging since 2006 and podcasting since 2011. Contact them when you need quality, original content for social media, public relations, blogging, email marketing and promotions. A comfortable fit for companies of all shapes and sizes, Denim Marketing understands marketing strategies are not one-size-fits-all. The agency works with your company to create a perfectly tailored marketing strategy that will suit your needs and niche. Try Denim Marketing on for size by calling 770-383-3360 or by visiting www.DenimMarketing.com.        About Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio       Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio, presented by Denim Marketing, highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or fill out the Atlanta Real Estate Forum contact form. Subscribe to the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast on iTunes, and if you like this week's show, be sure to rate it. Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio was recently honored on FeedSpot's Top 100 Atlanta Podcasts, ranking 16th overall and number one out of all ranked real estate podcasts.  The post Mid-Year Market Update: The Market Shifts Nobody Sees Coming appeared first on Atlanta Real Estate Forum.

Anne Beiler want to support her husband’s business by selling some homemade goods at the local food market. I guess it worked. Dave Young: Welcome to The Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not-so-secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major brands. Stephen Semple is a marketing consultant, story collector, and storyteller. I’m Stephen’s sidekick and business partner, Dave Young. Before we get into today’s episode, a word from our sponsor, which is, well, it’s us, but we’re highlighting ads we’ve written and produced for our clients so here’s one of those. [Seaside Plumbing Ad] Dave Young: Welcome to The Empire Builders Podcast. Dave Young here with Stephen Semple and he whispered the topic in my ear and I don’t really have a clue. Auntie Anne’s- Stephen Semple: Pennsylvania Really? Dave Young: Yeah, I know. Stephen Semple: Pretzels. Dave Young: Remember, I don’t get around much. Auntie Anne’s pretzels. Yeah. And so I have an Auntie Anne. Stephen Semple: Oh, There you go. Dave Young: She’s my oldest living relative right now, and I like pretzels. So take it away. Stephen Semple: Anti-Anne’s is pretty big. They have like 2000 locations, 40 states, 26 countries. They do like 800 million in sales. It’s a bit of a deal. And it’s very homespun in terms of the branding, the showmanship, even the products. And some people consider the founder, Anne Beiler, to be kind of like the first lady of the American food court. Although I don’t know whether that’s really accurate, because we’ve had some other women entrepreneurs who are pretty early on in it. Dave Young: But this is primarily like mall food, food court kind of fare. Stephen Semple: Yes. Yes. Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: And in 1992 and in 1994, she was named Inc. Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year. Dave Young: All right. Stephen Semple: So pretty big deal. And the interesting thing is she was a stay-at-home mom with Amish roots from rural Pennsylvania. Dave Young: Oh, really? Okay. Stephen Semple: Yeah. And what she wanted to do was support her husband’s counseling service. And so, she borrowed $6,000, and she took an empty stall at a local food market, and she was selling drinks and pizzas and these soft pretzels. And really these soft pretzels came from, it was a regional taste that came basically from Pennsylvania’s German heritage. The big soft pretzel is kind of a German, is a German thing. Dave Young: Sure Stephen Semple: because it goes great with beer. Dave Young: Yeah. I concur. Stephen Semple: Yeah. And these soft pretzels, basically you can date them back to the sixth or seventh century in Central Europe, but they remain mostly regional until kind of like the late ’80s, here in North America. Here’s the thing. That was really great about the pretzels that she was selling. She can make them for about seven cents, in terms of the ingredients, and she was selling them for 55 cents. Dave Young: Nice. Stephen Semple: Right. But standing out and figuring out how to display them and whatnot really became the challenge. And she sought to upgrade them, and what she wanted to do was do something beyond kind of that German heritage. And she started doing things like adding sugar and baking powder and more butter. And ultimately she found this way to make them these really buttery, fluffy, decadent, slightly salty, slightly sweet pretzel. So it suddenly evolved away from that German heritage. When she got that recipe right, sales surged. She had a weekend where she sold like $2,000 out of this little stall at a farmer’s market of just the pretzels. Dave Young: That’s amazing. Stephen Semple: Yeah. So then she decided, okay, I’m going to lean into the pretzels. Let’s just do the pretzels. Let’s get rid of everything else, do the pretzels. But what I want to do is kind of create this warm, familiar identity. Dave, you often talk about naming things, right? And that’s when she decided, I’m going to call it Auntie Anne’s, because you know what everybody has? Dave Young: An Auntie Anne. Stephen Semple: An Auntie Anne. Dave Young: Yeah, we do. Stephen Semple: Yeah. It also echoed how her 30 nieces and nephews addressed her. They all addressed her as Auntie Anne. Dave Young: I love that. Yeah. Stephen Semple: Yeah. So initially she was just doing things in farmer’s markets and then she decided to move into a mall. She thought, okay. She moved into the mall. This was suggested to her by a church friend and it was met with skepticism. She actually had a really hard time getting into a mall. Mall manager really doubted that this single item pretzel stand could cover the rent, and he dismissed the concept. He said, “No way.” But she was pretty determined. She proposed an upfront short term agreement, where she would basically do a three-month lease. “I’ll pay the money upfront. You can kick me out at the end of three months.” So it’s November 1989 and Auntie Anne’s opened some Park City Center in Lancaster. And basically,, they showcase live pretzel twisting and there’s the aroma. So people are seeing people twist the pretzels and they have this really great way that they displayed them and whatnot. Dave Young: Kind of flip them up in the air and let them land, and you do the little knot thing. Stephen Semple: And it was a hit within two years, like so much of a hit, within two years there were a hundred Auntie Anne locations and malls across America. Dave Young: No, that’s fantastic. Stephen Semple: Now here’s the part that I loved. This on skeptical mall manager, his name’s Monte Zanko, eventually became a franchisee. Dave Young: I don’t think this will work. Now I’m interested. Yeah. Stephen Semple: That was probably my favorite part of the whole story. But what I found that was cool about this is, she’s got her farmer’s market thing and she’s selling all sorts of stuff. And what she noticed was, the thing that really made money and sold really well was the pretzels. And then went back and said, “Okay, how do I improve on the pretzels?” Kept working on improving on pretzels and then they really sold like crazy. And if you think about it, this was around the same time that Cinnabon was coming out. So this idea of being able to survive in a mall with a single product was a pretty innovative idea. Dave Young: That’s really cool because that’s not easy. Mall stores, man, unless you have something that’s proven, and you’re going to have to prove it somewhere, she did it there. Stephen Semple: She did it there. And also there’s the whole, showing it being made like it’s that- Dave Young: You’re making an experience, right? It’s not like somebody just reaches under the counter and pulls out a pretzel. Stephen Semple: And again- Dave Young: There’s a show going on. Stephen Semple: Yes. And today that’s a little bit more common, because we’ve got restaurants where there’s seating in the kitchen and things along that line. But in the late ’80s, that wasn’t. And it’s interesting. I attend a course called the Strategic Coach. It’s a quarterly coaching program. It’s created by Dan Sullivan. And one of the things Dan talks about is businesses have a front stage and they have a backstage. So the front stage is the customer experience. What’s the customer see? The backstage, all the support things. And he’s often talking about one of the clever things you can do is, how do you bring elements of your backstage into your front stage so it becomes part of the customer experience. Dave Young: Stay tuned. We’re going to wrap up this story, and tell you how to apply this lesson to your business right after this. [Using Stories To Sell] Dave Young: Let’s pick up our story where we left off and trust me you haven’t missed a thing. Stephen Semple: So the front stage is the customer experience. What’s the customer seeing backstage to all the support things? And he’s often talking about one of the clever things you can do is, how do you bring elements of your backstage into your front stage so it becomes part of the customer experience. Now when you do it, you’ve got to add the showmanship. If you’re a pizza place, the person’s got to throw the dough in the air, even if that’s not really the way you do it anymore. If it’s food being chopped, like I love watching these YouTube videos today of these Japanese bartenders who are doing the stuff with the knife and things like that [inaudible 00:10:23]. Dave Young: Oh, yeah. You could have Benihanas or something. Yeah. Stephen Semple: Oh, it’s incredible to watch. So she was, from what I can tell from research, she was like one of the very first because Benihana was just coming on this scene. She was one of the first to embrace this idea of let’s show people how this is being done, which then draws a crowd and also makes people more interested in the product. Dave Young: Well, here’s the thing. It gives us a little story to tell. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Dave Young: Right? I watched them do… You’re going to go tell people that you watched them make these pretzels. Stephen Semple: Oh, next time we’re in the mall, Dave, let’s go by and check it out, right? Dave Young: I’m thinking to myself, okay, you said this is going to be kind of a short episode, but I think we can go someplace with this. Okay? Stephen Semple: Yep. Dave Young: What’s the best pretzel you ever had? Tell me about the best pretzel you ever had. Stephen Semple: Christmas, 1999, Germany. Dave Young: Okay. See, so here’s the thing. That’s the perfect answer. Stephen Semple: Literally at a Christmas thing in Germany, drinking. Dave Young: Here’s why that’s the perfect answer. It’s because there’s a context to it, that it wasn’t at a mall. Stephen Semple: No. Dave Young: Right. It wasn’t one of those. But you can go to the mall and get a pretzel, and relive that Christmas. Stephen Semple: Yes. Dave Young: In your mind, you can go, oh, this tastes almost like the one… It’s not quite as good. It’s almost like one. Stephen Semple: Actually not 1999, 2001. Sorry. But, yeah. Dave Young: I equate that to, in the Whiskey Vault at the Whiskey Marketing School at Wizard Academy, you and I wrote songs. And some of you like to talk about all the tastes and weird tasting notes and smelling notes that you get in the whiskey. And for me, it’s always about the story. This is the whiskey that my dad drank, or this is the whiskey that Steve and I shared in Florence, except he’s not taking me to Florence. But I’m saying we could have that memory, but it comes back to the context around the product, or the drink, or the pretzel. And if you can do something that makes somebody remember it. And if you can’t, then you give them the little story, the front of the room, the front stage, the main stage. Is that what did you call it? Stephen Semple: Well, it’s front stage and backstage. You don’t think about it. Dave Young: The front stage and backstage. Stephen Semple: And where this came from, Dan is Dan had a theater background, right? Dave Young: Oh yeah. Stephen Semple: As a producer, you’re sort of familiar with front stage, backstage, but it’s this whole idea of sometimes consciously, consciously bring that backstage into the front stage. And look, we can do it easier than ever before, because I talked to a lot of my clients about social media postings. You’re repairing the roof to the RV, show it being torn apart and rebuilt, and what you’re doing. That’s bringing your backstage into your front stage and people find that stuff interesting. Dave Young: May I share another one? Stephen Semple: Sure. Dave Young: This is something we’re actually doing at Wizard Academy. Stephen Semple: Because these are great ideas for people to think about. Dan believes every business has this opportunity to do this. It’s one of the things that they teach. So anyway, please, please. Yes. Dave Young: So when’s the first time you went to Wizard Academy? Your very first trip. Stephen Semple: I can’t remember the year. It’s funny. I always forget what… I’m terrible at remembering years, but I remember the first time stepping on campus. Absolutely. Dave Young: Yeah. And so we have that in our records. Stephen Semple: Yes. Dave Young: All right. And can you name all the times in between? Stephen Semple: No. Dave Young: And, we have that in our records. Stephen Semple: Yes. Dave Young: Our front stage experience that brings the backstage in, and this is something we just started doing. In fact, I haven’t even worked out really the… It could be time-consuming with the middle to large group is we’ve actually created Wizard Academy Passports. And you get to stamp your passport with all the times you’ve been for each different class, and then we’ll date them and sign them in front of you like you’re at, not the TSA, but the customs office or something. And we make a little ceremony out of it, and celebrate all the times you’ve been. And if it’s your first time, you get your passport, and you get to stamp it and now you take it with you and you’re looking forward to the next one. Stephen Semple: Well, and the thing that’s interesting about that is it makes it also a tactile experience. Dave Young: Oh, absolutely. Yeah. I’ve got a little Kodak printer. So we take a picture of you. It doesn’t have to be a serious picture like a regular passport. Stephen Semple: So one of the things that they don’t do this any longer at the Strategic Coach, what they used to do. So again, talking about tactile experiences and things along that lines, is they had a visioning exercise that they would do and what they would actually do in that moment that they would start the visioning exercise, they would start popping popcorn. Because the whole exercise, like you’re supposed to envision being in a movie theater, watching a movie of your life and things along that lines. Well, nothing brings somebody back to a movie theater than- Dave Young: The smell. Stephen Semple: The smell of Popping popcorn. Dave Young: Yeah, exactly. Stephen Semple: Right? But again, it was like… Now that’s not backstage/ front stage. That’s more like sent recalls and things along that lines. But I just want to add this. This is probably the most important message from all of this. Way too many businesses think what they should do is extend the number of products that they sell. It’s actually easier to become famous for one thing. It’s harder to become famous for many things. And the number of businesses out there, like big businesses, that have tried to extend their brand and have it fail is incredible. So this narrow focus, while initially everybody thought, “That’s crazy,” actually was their success because she could become famous for one thing, the best pretzels. Dave Young: Right. Yeah. I love it. I love it. I’m glad Auntie Anne has seen such wild success. Is it a franchise or is it- Stephen Semple: It is a franchise. Dave Young: Okay. Stephen Semple: Yep. It’s a franchise. And as I said, they’ve now got like 2000 of them. Dave Young: So you, too, can be Auntie Anne. Stephen Semple: That’s true. You can. You can. Dave Young: Okay. All right. Well, thanks for the Auntie Anne pretzel story. I’m getting kind of hungry sitting here. Stephen Semple: Yeah. There you go. Dave Young: We’ll see you next time. Stephen Semple: All right. And pretzels go great with beer. They go great with beer. Dave Young: Sure. Sure they do. Why wouldn’t we? It’s almost 8:30 in the morning. Stephen Semple: There you are. Dave Young: That sounds like a great breakfast. Stephen Semple: Breakfast of champions. Dave Young: Pretzels and beer. Thanks, Stephen. Stephen Semple: Great. Thanks, David. Dave Young: Thanks for listening to the podcast. Please share us. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app, and leave us a big fat, juicy five star rating and review at Apple Podcasts. And if you’d like to schedule your own 90-minute Empire Building session, you can do it at empirebuildingprogram.com.

PJ discusses President Katie Taylor, locating builders, farmers, delivery workers in an emergency when there's no Eircode, talks to Luke who is doing 4Peaks4Cancer to honor his granddad and Corks 96FM Radiothon her Barry Looney. And more... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jacob Pozharny, portfolio manager for the Bridgeway Global Opportunities Fund  a market-neutral fund that looks at global macro factors — says that every infrastructure boom in history has led to massive capital expenditures, to the point of over-capacity, then demand destruction and a cycle that leaves users better off but hurts the companies that get caught in the mix. He cites railroads, telecommunications dot-com companies and more as examples and he says that "boring industries " will be the users of AI and the long-term winners, which will benefit small-cap and emerging-market names.  Dryden Pence, chief investment officer at Pence Capital Management, says in the Market Call that he looks for "chokepoints of new technologies," places where consumption is creating demand imbalances that working to the long-term benefit of many of the market's biggest names Matt Zajechowski discusses research published by Lemon Law Experts, which looked at over a million National Highway Traffic Safety Administration consumer complaints filed in the last decade and found six of the 10 worst-rated vehicles overall have been discontinued, but remain widely available on used lots. He says higher car prices are forcing more lower-income consumers to consider cars that the public dislikes. 

Most people assume award-winning creative work is a high-wire act: brilliant, risky, and impossible to repeat. Karen Pearce of Rethink makes the opposite case. Fresh off Ad Age's 2026 Agency of the Year and ADWEEK's 2025 Independent Agency of the Year, and as the most-awarded independent agency in the world last year, Rethink keeps producing famous, business-moving work on purpose.Recorded as a Cannes Lions lead-up, this conversation gets into the machinery behind the run. Karen explains why independence lets Rethink protect creative standards instead of chasing scale, why the client's real job is finding sparks rather than poking holes, and how the CRAFTS framework gives a whole agency a shared language for what good looks like. Karen walks us through the Heinz philosophy that every ad is a product ad, the go-then-grow approach that turns big swings into low-risk reps, and why, going into Cannes, she expects a reclaiming of human craft in an AI-flooded market.The through-line: bold creative shouldn't feel scary. Build the right system and the right partnership, and the work that wins awards is the same work that drives the business.Timestamps00:00 Find the sparks, not the holes02:08 What's behind the run: independence and the receipts05:48 Why great creative shouldn't feel scary09:12 Builders vs hole-pokers: the client's real job14:27 Famous brands outperform business metrics19:17 AI, human craft, and the IKEA sleep talkers22:42 CRAFTS: a shared language for great work30:57 Heinz: every ad is a product ad36:24 Go then grow: getting your reps in44:17 Idea first: when media becomes the creativeReferencesRethink: rethinkideas.comKaren Pearce: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/karengpearce/Rethink's Book: The Business of Creativity Referenced campaigns: IKEA “U Up” and IKEA organizer / Skittles out-of-home; Heinz “Looks Familiar” and the keystone ketchup pouch; Destination Canada; Coinbase craft-led film; Epitaph “garbage media” dumpster billboardsAnthropic “Keep Thinking” campaign for Claude, by Mother Awards context: Ad Age 2026 Agency of the Year

Some of the best builder questions are the ones that do not always get asked out loud. This episode has questions that come straight from the MC Community and gets into pricing tiers, labor rates, first admin hires, dead leads, subcontractor agreements, and the systems that help make a construction business easier to run. Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community:

We'd love to hear from you. What are your thoughts and questions?Bob Fraser, CFO and Chief Macro Strategist of Aspen Funds, a private fund sponsor with a 12 year track record, distributing over $85M to investors, and over $700M in AUM across private credit, commercial real estate, distressed debt, and energy, shares insights on how the ultra wealthy build and protect wealth through strategic structuring, private investments, and risk management, emphasizing the limitations of public markets and the advantages of private alternatives.Main Points: Volatility drag and its impact on long-term compoundingLimitations of diversification in public marketsAdvantages of private alternatives for risk reductionHow billionaires think differently about volatility and riskOperator due diligence and risk mitigation in private marketsThe democratization of private market investing post-2012Practical steps for high-income professionals to access private investmentsConnect with Bob Fraser:bob@aspenfunds.ushttps://www.linkedin.com/in/bobfraser10/https://www.instagram.com/ritteronrealestate/https://www.youtube.com/@investlikeabillionairepodcast

A young builder from Mangawhai, north of Auckland, won the New Zealand Certified Builders Apprentice Challenge. Caidan Brien spoke to John Campbell.

Send us Fan MailA customer walks onto your site dreaming about an ADU or tiny home, then leaves because the process feels unclear, risky, or impossible to price. We want to fix that gap. From Metropolis, Illinois, we're joined by Till Buch, co-founder of Tiny Easy in Auckland, New Zealand, to talk about what happens when sheds, tiny homes, park models, and modular homes start competing for the same buyer attention and the same backyard.We dig into how a 3D configurator changes the sales conversation. Till breaks down why tiny home shoppers need a guided experience instead of unlimited design freedom: pre-designed models that stay buildable, options that don't overwhelm, and a step-by-step flow that mirrors a real consultative sales process. We also cover the practical outputs builders need to move a deal forward: realistic renders, walkthroughs, proposal documents, PDF plans, and material takeoffs that make it easier to hand off the concept to drafting, engineering, and local code requirements.Then we zoom out to the tiny home movement itself. Till explains the three big demand drivers he sees across markets: first-time buyers priced out of traditional housing, older homeowners downsizing, and short-term rental operators chasing higher ROI with micro-resort style stays. We close with what's trending in the US right now, especially park models and ADUs, and how shed businesses can add a second product line without losing focus on the core.If you get value from these industry deep dives, subscribe to the Shed Geek Podcast, share this with a builder friend, and leave a review so more shed and portable building pros can find the show.For more information or to know more about the Shed Geek Podcast visit us at our website.Would you like to receive our weekly newsletter?  Sign up on our website: shedgeek.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube at the handle @shedgeekpodcast.To be a guest on the Shed Geek Podcast visit our website and fill out the "Contact Us" form.To suggest show topics or ask questions you want answered email us at info@shedgeek.com.This episodes Sponsors:Studio Sponsor: Shed Geek MarketingCardinal LeasingIFABIdentigrow

In this episode, we break down the five rich rules that shape long-term success. You'll learn how your money mindset impacts your financial future, why wealthy people make different money decisions, and how small habits can create powerful results over time. We also discuss how successful entrepreneurs use business strategy and wealth planning to build assets instead of relying only on income. If you've ever felt like you're working hard but not getting ahead, this episode will challenge the way you think about money. Learn the mindset shifts that help business owners create lasting wealth and keep more of what they earn. ➡️ Overpaying your CPA and the IRS? Learn how to stop it in this free training: https://go.phillipsbusinessgroup.com/registration

Many property owners never expect to deal with squatters or deed fraud. However, when these situations occur, they can result in costly legal disputes, damaged property and significant financial losses.  George McCleary, president of McCleary Realty & Development, joins Host Carol Morgan on Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio to discuss how squatters exploit vacant properties, why deed fraud is becoming a growing concern and what property owners can do to protect their investments.   How a Viral Video Sparked a National Conversation  McCleary first gained widespread attention through his viral social media video, “I Stole a House,” which highlighted how people can exploit legal gray areas to occupy vacant properties.  While the video was intended as satire, it resonated with property owners across the country and generated millions of views. It also prompted countless conversations about a problem many people assume could never happen to them.  “It's rare enough. It's sort of like rare, like a heart attack,” said McCleary. “It's probably not going to happen to you today, but if it does, you have to take it very seriously.”  Why Squatters Can Be Difficult to Remove  Many people assume law enforcement can immediately remove someone who unlawfully occupies a property. In reality, squatters often take deliberate steps to make themselves appear to be legitimate tenants. Experienced squatters frequently move belongings into a home, establish residency and present forged lease agreements when confronted. These tactics can create uncertainty for law enforcement officers responding to the scene.  “These professional squatters, they are experts at blurring these lines,” he said.  Once questions arise about tenancy, property owners may be forced into lengthy legal proceedings. The process can involve attorney fees, court costs and months of lost rental income before a property is recovered. Even after regaining possession, owners may face additional expenses to repair damage and replace stolen appliances, fixtures or building materials.  Why Deed Fraud May Be an Even Bigger Threat  Following the success of his viral video, McCleary began hearing from property owners across the country who had experienced another type of real estate crime: deed fraud.  In these cases, criminals forge ownership documents and file them with local governments, creating the appearance that a property has changed hands. Once the fraudulent deed is recorded, scammers may attempt to sell the property or borrow against its equity. What makes deed fraud particularly dangerous is that owners often do not discover the issue until significant financial damage has already occurred.  “You can't prevent somebody from falsifying a deed and filing it with the county,” he said. “The thing that you can prevent is the theft of your equity.”  The faster fraudulent activity is detected, the easier it becomes to stop a sale, prevent unauthorized loans and begin restoring ownership records.  Who Is Most Vulnerable?  While any property owner can become a victim, investors, aging homeowners and owners of vacant properties are among the most common targets.  Investors often own multiple properties and rely on managers to oversee day-to-day operations, making it easier for fraudulent activity to go unnoticed. Older homeowners frequently have substantial equity, which can make them attractive targets for scammers. Builders, agents and sellers should also pay close attention to vacant homes. Unoccupied properties can provide opportunities for squatters to establish residency before anyone realizes a problem exists.  Prevention Starts With Early Detection  While no solution can eliminate risk, property owners can significantly reduce their exposure through proactive monitoring. For vacant properties, McCleary recommends installing alarm systems that provide immediate notifications when someone enters a home unexpectedly. Quick action can often prevent a squatter from establishing residency and turning a trespassing incident into a legal dispute.  Routine property inspections, title monitoring services and regular oversight can also help property owners identify potential problems before they become costly legal battles.  The Financial Stakes Are Higher Than Many Realize  Both squatting and deed fraud can carry substantial financial consequences. Property owners may face lost rental income, legal expenses, property damage and, in some cases, the loss of significant home equity.  “The financial stakes of each of these squatting or title fraud cases eclipses the six-figure mark over $100,000 regularly,” he said.  As awareness of these issues grows, some states have begun strengthening laws related to squatting and property fraud. However, prevention, monitoring and education remain the most effective tools available to property owners.  About McCleary Realty & Development  McCleary Realty & Development is a Portland-based real estate investment, development and brokerage firm led by President George McCleary. In addition to helping clients navigate real estate investments and development opportunities, the company provides educational resources and monitoring solutions focused on preventing squatting, deed fraud and fraudulent liens. Through programs such as Squatter Defender and Title Fraud Defender, McCleary helps homeowners, investors and real estate professionals protect their properties and preserve their equity. Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio listeners can receive 20% off either program with the code AREF26. To learn more, visit https://www.McClearyRealty.com/.   Podcast Thanks       Thank you to Denim Marketing for sponsoring Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Known as a trendsetter, Denim Marketing has been blogging since 2006 and podcasting since 2011. Contact them when you need quality, original content for social media, public relations, blogging, email marketing and promotions. A comfortable fit for companies of all shapes and sizes, Denim Marketing understands marketing strategies are not one-size-fits-all. The agency works with your company to create a perfectly tailored marketing strategy that will suit your needs and niche. Try Denim Marketing on for size by calling 770-383-3360 or by visiting www.DenimMarketing.com.        About Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio       Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio, presented by Denim Marketing, highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or fill out the Atlanta Real Estate Forum contact form. Subscribe to the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast on iTunes, and if you like this week's show, be sure to rate it. Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio was recently honored on FeedSpot's Top 100 Atlanta Podcasts, ranking 16th overall and number one out of all ranked real estate podcasts.  The post Squatters and Deed Fraud: Protecting Your Property From Costly Real Estate Scams appeared first on Atlanta Real Estate Forum.

Rich and Greg Komen decided they wanted a empire and then went a built it. Not the normal path, but… Cinnabon! Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major brands. Stephen Semple is a marketing consultant, story collector, and storyteller. I’m Stephen’s sidekick and business partner, Dave Young. Before we get into today’s episode, a word from our sponsor, which is, well, it’s us, but we’re highlighting ads we’ve written and produced for our clients. So here’s one of those. [Maven Roofing Ad] Dave Young: Hey, welcome back to the Empire Builders Podcast. Dave Young here alongside Stephen Semple and today we’re going to unpack the story of Cinnabon. Stephen Semple: Yes. Dave Young: Now Stephen told me the topic for today. He said, “Now I know you know about this one.” And then he said Cinnabon. And I’m like, “You know, actually I don’t.” Stephen Semple: Really? Dave Young: I’m really more … You know what I’m really more interested in is why you- Stephen Semple: Have you never gone to a shopping mall? Dave Young: … why you think I would know Cinnabon? Just one look at me and you go, “That guy’s seen some Cinnabon.” Stephen Semple: Well, they only have like 1,800 locations. Dave Young: Okay. Here’s the deal. Here’s the deal. Remember I spent the first 50 years of my life in a town that didn’t have a mall. Stephen Semple: I know, but you’ve grown up since then, Dave. Dave Young: I know. Stephen Semple: They’re still around. It’s not like … Dave Young: They’re around, but we would steer our children away from the Cinnabon when we went to a mall. It was like, “No, we’re not just making you all sticky with frosting.” So the times I’ve had any kind of Cinnabon product, and they’re in what, Wendy’s or places now. Maybe it’s not Wendy’s. Is it Wendy’s? Stephen Semple: I’m not sure. Dave Young: They’re somewhere, you can buy Cinnabon stuff. Maybe it’s Taco Bell. I don’t know. Again, remember, I’m not as familiar with Cinnabon as you thought I was. Dive right in, Stephen. Stephen Semple: You’re getting kind of defensive here, Dave. Dave Young: Edumicate us on the Cinnabons. Stephen Semple: Well, they are now like 1800 locations worldwide, 50 countries. They’re now part of go to foods, huge margins in this type of business. And what’s really interesting, all built around one product. And they sell over two million buns a day, just huge. But this is a very different story than pretty much all of the other stories we’ve done because most of the stories we’ve done have started with a problem that the entrepreneur faced. They solved that problem and turned it into a business. Many of them did not start with, “I’m going to do this thing and make it a business.” It’s like, “I’m going to do this thing. Oh, I should turn it into a business.” Dave Young: “Oh, hey, look, people seem to like this.” Yeah. Stephen Semple: Right. It was started by Rich Komen and his son, Greg. And Rich was an entrepreneur who had been involved basically in the food industry, developing franchises, things along that lines. And he got into the food business after graduating because he saw concessions in the malls and said, “These are crappy.” Dave Young: Right. Yeah. Stephen Semple: Because this was back in the early 80s when malls were just … And the food court in the mall was just sort of getting going. And he saw- Dave Young: Like a pretzel or a corn dog. Stephen Semple: He saw the growth potential and so his idea was to develop a food offering, but he was a retail strategist, not a baker. And he set out to create a product that he wanted to be so irresistible it could sell itself in this super competitive environment, the shopping mall, right? Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: So it was built all from the perspective of the consumer, not the kitchen. And what he wanted to do is have an idea that right from the start he could take national. So it’s 1985 and Rich and Greg Komen, who are [inaudible 00:04:53] father and son team wanted to just basically build this national company and he saw this growth potential in the food court space. He saw that exploding and he had been approaching actually a lot of malls to get a spot in the mall and he finally got one who was willing to give him a chance. Now he needed a concept. This guy kind of went about it in a weird way. I’ll get the mall space and then I’ll find the concept. Dave Young: I’ll find something to sell people. People seem to like these cinnamon rolls. Well, all right, yeah. Stephen Semple: So he’s literally on a business trip to Kansas City and he stumbles across this single kiosk selling this sweetbread that’s in a spiral with a glaze and cinnamon called T.J. Cinnamons. Dave Young: T.J. Cinnamons. Okay. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Which is owned by Rice and his wife, Joyce. Rice is a cameraman. Joyce is a school teacher. Rich wants to buy the franchising rights and turn it into a national chain. Dave Young: Wow. Stephen Semple: And he pitches them on the idea of moving fast and building big. He’s so confident that he’s going to get the rights he commits to that lease in the food stall of the shopping mall. They get a little overwhelmed. Dave Young: No kidding. Stephen Semple: And tell Rich, “We need to kind of think about this,” and they actually decide no. Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: Now Rich has got a little bit of a dilemma. He’s opening in six months and he’s got no name, no recipe. He’s got nothing. Dave Young: Well, look- Stephen Semple: He’s got nothing. Dave Young: Here’s what I know. Ask any grandma in America, find 20 of them and just pick the one that’s got the best recipe. Stephen Semple: Well, what he does is he enlists Jerilyn Brusseau who’s known for exceptional baked goods. Because remember, he is from the industry. And so he and his son go about trying to develop a better bun that’s richer, tastier, sweeter than T.J. Cinnamons. It’s like they want to beat T.J. Cinnamons, but trial after trial after trial after trial, they come up short. Tons of recipes, rejects all of them because here’s the other problem is the baking time is taking 30 minutes and what they know is … This is back in the day when customers would tolerate 14 minutes. We’re not going to tolerate that today. So they tried to accelerate the baking, crank the oven temperature, widen the trays. Everything was unworkable. Now here’s the advantage that we have with the fact we’ve got somebody from outside of the baking industry because here’s what Rich discovers is that if it cooks for 14 minutes, the internal temperature gets to 165 degrees, which is considered safe. But by industry standards, it’s not fully cooked, but it’s fluffy, it’s soft, it’s a bit chewy. Dave Young: It’s gooey. Stephen Semple: It’s gooey. And he’s like, “I think this is better.” Dave Young: Yeah, absolutely. Nobody wants a fully baked cinnamon roll. Stephen Semple: Right. But here’s where the problem- Dave Young: Take a bunch of the Pillsbury, pop the thing open and you put them in a pie pan and the ones in the center are the ones everybody’s grabbing, not the baked up dry ones around the edges. Stephen Semple: Right. But here’s the problem. Because it doesn’t do the full baking, the cinnamon flavor was lacking. So they did all sorts of experiments with all sorts of different cinnamons till they came across Sumatra cinnamon. Dave Young: Sumatra cinnamon. Okay. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Because it’ll create that cinnamon flavor without the excessive heat. Other cinnamons needed the heat. Dave Young: Okay. Stephen Semple: So now they got a recipe and they need a name. So they go with bon, which is French for good. Dave Young: It’s good. Yes. Stephen Semple: And cinnamon. Cinnabon. Dave Young: Yeah. I love it. Stephen Semple: And add world-famous because why not? Dave Young: Oh, so it was world-famous from the beginning? Stephen Semple: It was world-famous from the beginning. Dave Young: Stay tuned. We’re going to wrap up this story and tell you how to apply this lesson to your business right after this. [Using Stories To Sell] Dave Young: Let’s pick up our story where we left off and trust me you haven’t missed a thing. Stephen Semple: So now they got a recipe and they need a name. So they go with bon, which is French for good. Dave Young: It’s good. Yes. Stephen Semple: And cinnamon. Cinnabon. Dave Young: Yeah, I love it. Stephen Semple: And add world-famous because why not? Dave Young: Oh, so it was world-famous from the beginning? Stephen Semple: It was world-famous from the beginning. Dave Young: Sure. Cinnamon and good. Everybody loves those. Everybody knows cinnamon and good. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Dave Young: Okay. Stephen Semple: So December 4th, 1985, the first Cinnabon opens in the Seattle SeaTac Mall and it’s an event. They put on a show. Watch the ingredients being mixed, rolled. There’s this cream cheese frosting and it does great. $500 sales in the first day and the second day was even better. Now, Rich learns that T.J. Cinnamon, who rejected him, have decided to franchise and go into malls. Dave Young: Okay. Yeah, sure they did. Stephen Semple: Sure they did. And look, no mall’s going to take both. So he needs to do something that stand out because he’s got to be the better choice. So they decide, he and his son decide they need to use smell. Because anytime the ovens opened or whatnot, they notice the smell and a crowd would gather. So they were like, “Okay, how do we create smell?” Well, they can’t turn off the ventilation. That’s against code. So the first thing it did was they installed systems with lowest possible ventilation allowed. But even then the smell is coming in waves. So they came up with this idea. Why don’t we just bake sugar and cinnamon? Dave Young: Yeah, bake that all the time. Stephen Semple: Bake that all the time. And that’s what they decided to do. So they started baking sugar and cinnamon. When you walk past a Cinnabon, there’s this wafting, delicious, incredible, fresh baked smell coming out of the store that competes with everyone. Like you know it’s there. You haven’t turned the corner in the mall yet and you know it’s there. Dave Young: When you’re walking through a mall with four little children, you smell it and then you’re like, “Hey, let’s walk on the other side to …” Stephen Semple: As far as I know, they are really the first business that I’ve been able to come across that has used scent as part of their marketing tactic. And they basically bottled one of the most delicious scents possible; sugar and cinnamon. Dave Young: I love it. Stephen Semple: By 1998, there’s 500 locations. They’re doing $300 million in sales and they sell for $65 million to the American Retail Group. And Greg, the son, gets to keep eight locations of his choice because he wants to keep running stuff. And then they went on to being the success that they are today. But the thing that I love was there was an advantage to them not being from the baking industry because that whole thing of by a baker, it’s not fully cooked. To them it was like, “Well, it’s done in the speed we need it done. And in fact, it tastes better.” Dave Young: There’s a lot of baked goods that kind of felt like … My oldest daughter in particular made really good toll-house chocolate chip cookies and never baked them fully because they were harder to get off the pan and once they cooled down, they solidified a bit, but they were delicious. They were just soft. And so smarter than professional bakers. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Sometimes you need that outside perspective that makes you think about things differently. But then from a marketing perspective, the other part that I loved is from a marketing perspective, you’re in a mall and back in those days, malls had tons of traffic, good malls still do and they still thought about, how do I attract people to my product? And it was the scent. Dave Young: We tell business owners all the time that good location and good signage is permanent advertising, right? Stephen Semple: Right. And they upped it by adding the smell. Dave Young: Well, the smell is the advertisement. Stephen Semple: Like good location, good signage. And this [inaudible 00:14:04] smell. Dave Young: Yeah, I’m saying that the smell is another sign. Stephen Semple: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Dave Young: It’s a sign you don’t have to have your eyes open to see. Stephen Semple: They could have ignored it going, “Yeah, well, when we open the oven…” I loved his observation of, “When we open the oven all of a sudden it attracted people. How do we create this smell all the time?” And I just love the fact that … And I never knew this. I never realized what they just do is bake cinnamon and sugar all day long. I had no idea. Dave Young: I got to try that [inaudible 00:14:35]. Stephen Semple: Just throw a bunch of that in the bottom of the oven and let’s go. I thought it was brilliant. Dave Young: What’s the recipe for that? How long do you leave it in? Is it going to burn? I don’t know how that works, but I love it. Stephen Semple: Oh, in terms of the cinnamon and sugar? I have no idea. I have no idea. Dave Young: Yeah. It’s amazing. So I just made myself a note that I’m going to mention this story the next time I teach Portals in September. Stephen Semple: Oh, there you go. Dave Young: So Portals and the 12 Languages of the Mind. The 12 languages of mind includes smell. It’s an actual language. And this is a great … It’s hard to come up with an example of using smell in marketing. Stephen Semple: Well, especially where these guys are so purposeful about it. They literally went down the path of, “How do we make this happen?” It wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t a byproduct. It was, “Okay, how do we actually make this so it’s happening all the time and that smell is always there?” Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: You’re right. It is hard to come up with an example. So that’s awesome that you’ll be able to use that for Portals. Dave Young: Yeah, that’ll be fun. It’s in September. If you want to take the Portals class, look at wizardacademy.org. Stephen Semple: It’s an awesome class. I took it and it’s a fabulous class that really gets you thinking about things differently. Dave Young: It’s fun. Stephen Semple: Yeah, it is a fun class. Real, really fun class. Dave Young: All right. Well, thank you for the Cinnabon story. This is sort of a short episode. Anything else you want to ramble about? Stephen Semple: I just want to say folks go over to wizardacademy.org and click on classes and absolutely try to take Dave’s Portal class. It’s a phenomenal class and you’ll get a chance to meet Dave in person. Dave Young: And it’s fun. It’s a weird woo-woo class. I love it. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Dave Young: I love teaching it. I love the material. Always have. Stephen Semple: All right. Awesome. Dave Young: I can’t wait to meet the … Look, let’s have the whole podcast audience show up. That would be fun. Stephen Semple: There you go. Dave Young: Everybody is welcome. Stephen Semple: Everyone, come on down. Hey, before you guys go, I just have one thing I just would like to just add. It’s a little bit of a thought to challenge you in your business. We’ve talked a lot in this episode on Cinnabon about smell and using smell in marketing and it’d be really easy to fall into this trap. Look, what I do is advertising consulting and it’ll be really easy to go, “Oh, I can’t use that idea because my business is advertising consulting.” So here’s what I want you to do. Let’s change our thought. I’m going to challenge all of us a little bit, including myself. Here’s what the question I want you to ask. Given that I’m in advertising consulting, how could I use smell to market my business? Ask yourself that question, just insert your business. Given that I am X business, how could I use smell in the marketing of my business? Just ask yourself that question, let it sit in the mind. Let’s see what happens in the next little while. And hey, you get some really cool [inaudible 00:17:33] insight, share them with me. I’m going to let you go now. Thanks. Dave Young: Thanks for listening to the podcast. Please share us, subscribe on your favorite podcast app and leave us a big, fat, juicy five star rating and review at Apple Podcasts. And if you’d like to schedule your own 90-minute empire building session, you can do it at empirebuildingprogram.com.

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In this mind-expanding convergence interview of Just Tap In Podcast, Emilio Ortiz brings together Debbie Solaris and Eluña for a deep exploration into humanity's origins, Akashic Records, soul origins, starseeds, DNA activation, galactic history, Lemuria, Lyra, the Anunnaki, consciousness evolution, and the future of human awakening. From the origins of Earth as a “living library” to discussions around multidimensional soul memory, parallel lifetimes, trauma clearing, and the role of the heart in accessing higher intelligence, this conversation weaves together some of the most expansive esoteric frameworks discussed on the show.✦ Join Emilio's Private Community – The Deep Dive Membership | https://iamemilioortiz.com/the-deep-dive/The conversation then moves into real-time Akashic reading and exploration, where Debbie Solaris and Eluña open the records to explore questions around first contact, reactivated stargates, future technologies, timeline probabilities, the next generation of starseeds, and humanity's evolutionary crossroads. At its heart, this is a conversation about remembrance, sovereignty, imagination, embodiment, and what it means to consciously participate in the next chapter of human consciousness. Whether you resonate with galactic lineages, spiritual awakening, Akashic wisdom, or the deeper mystery of why we are here now, this episode offers a powerful invitation to look within.___________________PODCAST CHAPTERS00:00 – Debbie Solaris x Eluña Intro2:05 - Humanity's True Origins Beyond the History Books3:38 - Andromeda, The Birth of the Milky Way & The First Stargate5:54 - Lyra, Founder Races & The Rise of Human Consciousness11:20 - Eluña's Childhood Memories of Galactic Wars14:00 - Why So Many Souls Are Remembering Past Lives 18:18 - Earth's Seeding: Elohim, Mantis Beings & The Anunnaki Story21:37 - The Living Library: ET Genetic Experiments on Humanity24:00 - Were Humans Genetically Downgraded? 28:19 - DNA Reactivation, Heart Coherence & Human Evolution31:28 - Soul Origins: Why Knowing Your Galactic Lineage Changes Everything37:40 - Why the Heart Holds Ancient Soul Memory42:12 - Dolores Cannon's Waves of Volunteers 49:30 - The New Humanity: System Busters & Builders 57:25 - Debbie Opens the Akashic Records LIVE59:17 - Lemurian Crystal Technology & Reality Creation1:01:59 - First Contact? What the Next 6–12 Months May Bring1:05:00 - What Accessing the Akashic Records Actually Feels Like1:07:52 - Time Travel, Future Incarnations & Timeline Repair Missions1:11:30 - Free Will vs Future Timelines1:16:05 - Eluña Opens the Akashic Records LIVE1:16:36 - The Role of the New Children & Third-Wave Starseeds1:19:45 - Is Technology Blocking Children's Imagination & Sovereignty?1:21:09 - Stargate Reactivation, Ley Lines & Global Conflict1:24:15 - Where Did Indigenous Humans Actually Come From?1:28:02 - The Most Important Message Humanity Needs Right Now___________________Guest: Eluña, Akashic Records Channeler ✦ Website | https://elunanoelle.com/Guest: Debbie Solaris, Akashic Records Reader✦ Website | https://www.debbiesolaris.com/✦ Training & Webinars | https://www.debbiesolaris.com/trainingsHost: Emilio Ortiz✦ IG | https://www.instagram.com/iamemilioortiz/✦ Subscribe to Channel | https://www.youtube.com/EmilioOrtiz✦ Join the Deep Dive Membership | https://iamemilioortiz.com/the-deep-dive/___________________© 2026 Emilio Ortiz. All rights reserved. Content from Just Tap In Podcast is protected under copyright law.Legal Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by guests on Just Tap In are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Emilio Ortiz or the Just Tap In Podcast. All content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice.

Hoje o papo é sobre inteligência artificial, tecnologia e humanidade. Neste episódio, Paulo Silveira lê e comenta trechos da encíclica Magnifica Humanitas, do Papa Leão XIV, publicada com reflexões sobre IA, poder digital e os desafios éticos da tecnologia.  Links:  Carta encíclica ‘Magnifica Humanitas' na íntegra, em português Carta encíclica ‘Rerum Novarum' do Papa Leão XIII, em português Discurso do Papa Leão XIV na apresentação da encíclica ‘Magnifica Humanitas' Comentários de Chris Olah, cofundador da Anthropic, sobre a encíclica Vídeo de Leandro Karnal conversando com o Claude Hartmut Rosa: Aceleração: A transformação das estruturas temporais na modernidade Post do Paulo: Byung-Chul Han, Hiperestímulos e Autoprogramação Inscreva-se na Hipsters.Builders, a newsletter da comunidade builder. Toda semana, a principal newsletter de quem constrói software no Brasil traz notícias, citações e movimentos da comunidade Builder do X, do Hipsters e do IA Sob Controle, além dos melhores links e eventos. Direto no seu e-mail. Vá para o Vale do Silício com Paulo Silveira, Marcell Almeida, Fabrício Carraro e Marcus Mendes na “Imersão IA Sob Controle e Alura no Vale do Silício“! Vagas limitadas, corra para reservar a sua. TechGuide.sh, um mapeamento das principais tecnologias demandadas pelo mercado para diferentes carreiras, com nossas sugestões e opiniões. #7DaysOfCode: Coloque em prática os seus conhecimentos de programação em desafios diários e gratuitos. Acesse https://7daysofcode.io/ Produção e conteúdo: Alura Cursos de Tecnologia – https://www.alura.com.br Edição e sonorização: Rede Gigahertz de Podcasts

What jobs will AI replace, and which ones will become more valuable?Matthew Prince, co-founder and CEO of Cloudflare, recently wrote an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal about how he chose which employees to replace with AI. His argument: AI is not coming equally for every role. It's coming first for the people inside organizations who measure, report, analyze, audit, manage, and process information.In this solo episode of The TechEd Podcast, Matt Kirchner responds to Prince's article and examines what it reveals about the future of work. Drawing on Peter Drucker's framework of builders, sellers, and measurers, Matt breaks down why some jobs are likely to be heavily disrupted while others may become even more valuable.The uncomfortable truth: AI may reduce the need for many traditional middle management, finance, operations, and measurement-heavy roles. But it also increases the value of people who create products, build relationships, solve customer problems, lead change, and turn technology into business value.From sales and engineering to marketing, STEM education, data science, and applied AI, this episode explores where human talent still matters most, and what businesses, educators, and professionals need to do now to prepare for the next phase of workforce disruption.5 Big Takeaways from this Episode:1. Businesses need to start their AI journey now. AI is already changing how companies operate, compete, hire, and structure their teams. Organizations that have not assigned someone to understand how AI will disrupt their business, market, or institution are already behind.2. Measurers and mid-level managers will be disrupted the most. Roles centered on reporting, processing, auditing, analyzing, tracking, and managing information are increasingly vulnerable to AI. The opportunity is not to ignore that disruption, but to become the person who knows how to use AI to do that work better, faster, and more strategically.3. Personal relationships become more important in the AI age, not less. AI can automate parts of sales, marketing, and customer engagement, but it cannot earn trust the way people do. Sellers who understand customer needs, build relationships, solve problems, and use data intelligently will remain critical to business growth.4. Creativity and leadership still rule the day. AI gives more people access to the same tools, but it does not replace the ability to see opportunity, connect ideas, build a brand, lead change, or execute a vision. In marketing, business leadership, product strategy, and innovation, creative and decisive people will continue to create value.5. The future belongs to builders. Engineers, skilled tradespeople, manufacturing talent, STEM professionals, automation specialists, and applied AI practitioners are positioned to become even more important. If AI makes builders more productive, companies will need more of them, not fewer, especially in fields tied to physical AI, robotics, smart manufacturing, autonomous systems, drones, and the edge-to-cloud continuumResources in this Episode:Read Matthew Prince's op-ed in the Wall Street Journal: "How I Choose Which Cloudflare Employees to Replace With AI"Episode page: https://techedpodcast.com/cloudflare/We want to hear from you! Send us a text.Instagram - Facebook - YouTube - TikTok - Twitter - LinkedIn

Reinforcements 3 is here! Joe is eager to talk new knights and Eric Miller reveals how his work contributed to this new wave.Checkout our merch: https://storehorsemenapparel.com/collections/mythic-enablersSend us an email and ask us a question: mythicenablerspodcast@gmail.comCome join us and hangout in our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mythicenablerspodcastAnd follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mythicenablerspod/RSS Feed link: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/mythic-enablers-podcastCabal Above All! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S1E2: What buyers and builders should know about Prior Auth Interoperability On this episode host Shahid Shah features a detailed discussion about CMS's new drug prior authorization interoperability proposed rule, focusing on the opportunities and challenges it presents for builders, buyers, and investors in healthcare technology. Who is about to build the wrong thing chasing the right problem? Comment period ends on 6/15/26. To stream our Station live 24/7 visit www.HealthcareNOWRadio.com or ask your Smart Device to “….Play Healthcare NOW Radio”. Find all of our network podcasts on your favorite podcast platforms and be sure to subscribe and like us. Learn more at www.healthcarenowradio.com/listen

Every Friday around 8:15​-8:20 a.m. on KFAN 100.3 the Power Trip Morning show plays the Initials Game presented by Builders & Remodelers!The game involves 12 items people, place, things, phrases or anything as long as they share the same initials. All 12 items share the same initials. The contestants do not know the initials until they are revealed shortly before the game starts. Each item has 6 clues. As soon as the contestants know who or what the host is describing, they yell out their name. Their name is their buzzer. If the contestant gets it right, they get a point. If they get it wrong they are out for just that item. The item does have to be pronounced correctly. It is best out of 12 with tiebreakers if needed. Tiebreaker items have 3 clues.#InitialsGame #ThePowerTrip #KFAN1003FOLLOW The Power Trip on Social Media:► Like the show on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PowerTripKFAN​​► Follow the show on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/PowerTripKFAN​​► Follow the show on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PowerTripKFAN​​► Follow Cory Cove on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CoryCove​​► Follow Chris Hawkey on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Chris_Hawkey​​► Follow Meatsauce on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Meatsauce1​► Follow Mark Parrish on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MarkDParrish► Follow Marney Gellner on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MarneyGellner► Follow Zach Halverson on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ZachHalverson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why did Ronald Reagan win 49 states?And why do modern political movements struggle to build lasting majorities?In this episode, Chad Law examines the forgotten coalition strategy behind some of the biggest political victories in American history and explains why movements that prioritize purity over persuasion often destroy themselves.From Reagan Democrats to modern Republicans, this is a deep dive into political strategy, coalition building, and the future of conservatism.For exclusive content and full episodes:https://rumble.com/c/CommonsenseChadLawChapters00:00 Why Conservatives Keep Losing06:42 America In 198020:55 Reagan's Coalition Strategy39:20 Reagan Democrats57:45 Builders vs Obstructionists1:16:15 Modern Examples1:36:40 The Purity Economy1:54:50 How Political Movements Die2:14:35 Rebuilding The Coalition2:29:10 Final Thoughts#Politics #Conservatism #RonaldReagan #RepublicanParty #PoliticalCommentary

The Pope's encyclical on AI has a direct message for builders: every design choice reflects a vision of humanity. He's calling on developers to "disarm" AI — to resist the race for dominance and ask whether we're actually building a future worth having.On the latest FAFO Friday, Dan and Kwaku dig into the encyclical, plus two big moves to restrict AI in schools: the American Federation of Teachers calling for drastic cuts to screens and AI chatbots, and UC Berkeley Law School banning nearly all AI use. Also: Wharton's Ethan Mollick on "cognitive surrender" — and why the goal isn't to avoid AI, but to be intentional about what you hand over and what you keep for yourself.---Future Around & Find Out newsletter and more: https://www.futurearound.comMusic by Jonathan Zalben

Most contractors stay stuck swinging a hammer for 90 hours a week because they never make the jump from operator to owner. Trant, a third-generation carpenter based in Nottingham, New Hampshire, almost did. Then his wife told him they were having a kid, and everything changed.In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, host Adam McChesney sits down with Trant to break down exactly how he went from solo contractor to building a custom deck and outdoor living company on track to hit $20M in annual revenue, and why niching down to decks (instead of being a master of all trades) was the single biggest unlock.What we cover:– Why niching down to decks streamlined his estimating, SOPs, and office operations– The mindset shift from contractor to business owner — and the audiobooks and mentors that drove it– How becoming a dad forced him to build a company that could run without him on every job site– The marketing stack that built the brand: vehicle wraps, Google Ads, Google Business Profile, and targeted neighborhood mailers– Why hiring a virtual assistant was one of the highest-ROI moves he made– His 5-year plan: $20M in revenue and a dedicated outdoor living design center– How to delegate the tasks outside your expertise so you can focus on growth

Nevada is putting real capital behind founders, manufacturers, builders, and companies ready to scale.In this episode of American Dream Factory, Nick Smoot sits down with Kyle Ferguson, head of Nevada's Battle Born Growth Escalator venture program, to unpack how Nevada is deploying nearly $40 million into high-potential companies through venture capital, debt programs, and state-backed financing tools.Kyle is a sixth-generation Nevadan with a background in hedge funds, private equity, fund operations, and entrepreneurship. Early in his career, he helped evaluate and allocate capital into some of the most successful hedge funds in the world, including Renaissance, D.E. Shaw, and Paul Tudor Jones. That experience shaped how he now thinks about risk, discipline, patience, and backing great operators.Battle Born is not a grant program. It is investment capital for companies that want to grow in Nevada, hire in Nevada, build in Nevada, or relocate meaningful operations to the state.Through the SSBCI program, Nevada was allocated up to $112 million from the U.S. Treasury, released in tranches as the state hits deployment milestones. After deploying roughly $40 million over its first 10 to 11 years, Battle Born is now moving faster, with another nearly $40 million expected to go into the market over a much shorter window.Kyle breaks down the three major ways Battle Born can support companies:Venture capital: equity investments typically ranging from $250,000 to $2 million, with an average check around $750,000.Collateral support: state support for up to 80 percent of collateral on qualifying bank loans.Loan participation: Battle Born can participate alongside Nevada banks to lower the blended cost of capital for companies seeking debt.Nick and Kyle also discuss why Nevada is becoming one of the most compelling states in America for founders. The state has favorable tax policy, room for manufacturing, major industrial momentum, a growing AI and data center economy, and a strong builder culture rooted in mining, logistics, energy, construction, and hard work.The conversation covers major opportunity areas including advanced manufacturing, energy, batteries, robotics, drone systems, defense technology, industrial AI, aerospace, precision manufacturing, and companies looking to leave higher-cost states.This episode also introduces the partnership between Battle Born and Build Cities through the Build Nevada network. Founders can now explore challenge areas, submit projects, connect with other builders, and use UDAYOS, Build's AI engine, to discover capital, collaborators, workforce resources, and state-aligned opportunities.The message is simple: if you are building a serious company and Nevada could be part of your future, do not sit on the sidelines. Get into the Build Nevada network, submit your project, ask questions, and start the conversation.Nevada is not just talking about the American Dream. It is writing checks to help build it.Start here: Go to BuildCities.com, search Build Nevada, and explore the Battle Born challenge opportunities.For questions, introductions, or help figuring out where your company fits, email nick@buildcities.com .

This episode explores how remodelers and builders can strategically adopt AI in their businesses. It covers structuring AI integration, choosing tools, security considerations, and fostering innovation to stay competitive.

Joseph Wilson was loosing the battle to Kodak when he discovered the xerography machine. Then he made it sellable. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major brands. Stephen Simple is a marketing consultant, story collector and storyteller. I’m Stephen’s sidekick and business partner, Dave Young. Before we get into today’s episode, a word from our sponsor, which is, well, it’s us, but we’re highlighting ads we’ve written and produced for our clients. So here’s one of those. [Handyside Ad] Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast. I’m Dave Young and that’s Stephen Semple. Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast. I’m Dave Young and there’s Steve Semple. Welcome. Oh wait, I got stuck making copies of copies. See what I did there? Stephen Semple: You’re so clever. Dave Young: You know what I did there, right? Yeah. Stephen Semple: I saw it, yeah. Dave Young: Today we’re talking about Xerox. Stephen Semple: Talking about copies of copies. Dave Young: Copies of copies of copies. Stephen Semple: Oh, and back in the day there were a lot of copies. A lot of copies. Dave Young: Oh man. I have copier stories. Yeah. Stephen Semple: I bet. I think those of us of our genre- Dave Young: Honestly, so Xerox, and we’re going to learn the story of the Xerox corporation and we’re going to… I don’t know their whole story, but I can tell you this, the photocopier or before there was something else before that. There was carbon paper. Stephen Semple: Yes, yes. Dave Young: But nobody owned a printing press. Stephen Semple: Correct, yeah. Dave Young: And so I would make the case that a photocopier was the first social media meme sharing engine. Stephen Semple: Oh, because we could photocopy our butts and share it the office. Dave Young: No, no, no, no, not your butt. I mean, I don’t know what you do in Canada. Here, I remember as a kid going to coffee, but my dad, small town, small town America, and he went to coffee twice a day with his buddies, 10 o’clock and three o’clock. They’d go down to the local cafe and they’d sit around a table and have coffee, eight or 10 of them. And somebody would always have a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a joke. Stephen Semple: Right. Dave Young: A cartoon, a usually off color story and they’d pass it around and then somebody would take it and make another copy of it and share it somewhere else. But you couldn’t do that if you didn’t have a copier. Stephen Semple: Well, that’s true. Dave Young: So thank you, Xerox. Stephen Semple: For making our lives richer. Dave Young: And now we can just electronically copy stuff and shoot it off as a text and a meme. Stephen Semple: One of the things you’re going to love about this story is it involves a fire extinguisher. So I’ve got your attention. Dave Young: Oh, I am all in. Stephen Semple: You’re all in. And Xerox is still pretty big. They do 7 billion in sales, but back in the early ’70s, Xerox was a monster. It’s estimated that over 10 billion copies a year were being done. Dave Young: 10 billion. Stephen Semple: That’s a lot of copies of copies of copies- Dave Young: Yeah. Once people had it, they were like, “I’m a printer.” Stephen Semple: Of copies. Yeah. Dave Young: I’m a publisher now. Stephen Semple: Yeah. In 1973, they did 3 billion in sales, which would equate to about 20 billion today. And they were close to 90% of the copier market with profit margins close to 20%. That’s just huge. It was one of the most valuable companies in the world. Dave Young: Until there started to be some competitors, Xerox became the generic word for a photocopy. Stephen Semple: Correct. Dave Young: “Give me a Xerox of this.” Stephen Semple: Yeah. So our story starts back with Joseph Wilson in Rochester, New York, which as we also know, is the home of Kodak. And Joseph was the new president of a company called Haloid, which was a Rochester based company doing photographic paper that was founded in 1906. And frankly, they were getting killed by Kodak, which at that point was 90% of the industry. And so Joseph’s trying to make headway in the photography paper business and basically is just like get nowhere. No matter what he does, he just cannot seem to create traction. Dave Young: One of his problems, Stephen? Stephen Semple: Yeah. Dave Young: Haloid. Stephen Semple: Yeah, maybe. Dave Young: That’s not a good name. Stephen Semple: Yeah, maybe. But what he decides to do is look for new opportunities. He’s actively searching through the National Patent Archive. So meanwhile, we got to think about this. It’s the mid ’40s. World War II has recently ended and the GI Bill is out there and it’s really fueling the growth of service-based industries. Banking, insurance is exploding. White collar is becoming now the thing to do. The American office is now basically the new engine of the US economy, but it’s still pretty primitive and labor-intensive. You think about going back to your whole thing, how did you copy and share information? Things were typically retyped or it was typed with a carbon paper, which meant you had one copy or a single document. Dave Young: Yeah, like a mimeograph sort of a thing maybe. Stephen Semple: Yeah, yeah. Single document could take an hour. And secretaries were manually retyping documents using carbon paper which created smudges or like as you said, the mimeograph machines, which were clunky Dave Young: Or send it, I mean, if you need more of that, you send it off to a printer. You send it off to somebody that can load it up on a printing press. Stephen Semple: Yeah. And for the people who don’t remember mimeograph machines, because I barely remember them, they stank. Dave Young: They smelled wonderful. Stephen Semple: Oh God, they were foul. They were this like, oh my God. Dave Young: The teacher would come in with a stack of stuff and hand it out and everybody would smell it. You just put it up your face and inhale. Stephen Semple: It was instead of glute. Dave Young: Weird, weird purple-y ink. I don’t even know how it worked, but yeah. Stephen Semple: So anyway, so Joseph is searching through patent archives and he comes across this invention by Chester Carlson, who’s a physicist who has got really bad arthritis and was looking for a better way to make copies. And Carlson had created, I got to read this, created an electrophotographic apparatus for dry writing. A process he turned xerography. Dave Young: Xerography, yes. Stephen Semple: There we go. Dave Young: And Haloid finally has a better name. Stephen Semple: Exactly. But the prototype was clumsy. It was large. It had been rejected by lots of people, but it caught Wilson’s eye. He could see the potential to revolutionize the office. And so it’s 1946 and he makes this big gamble. He purchases the patent for $10,000. Dave Young: Wow, okay. Stephen Semple: At that time, Haloid’s annual revenues is just a little over 100 grand. Dave Young: All right, man. Stephen Semple: So that’s a big bet. Dave Young: Huge. Stephen Semple: And the challenge was he had to turn this clumsy prototype into a viable commercial product. And there were a lot of challenges including the high heat from the fuser. It’s basically a toaster oven inside of a unit that bakes toner onto paper. Dave Young: Yeah. It puts a hydrostatic image of whatever’s on the paper on a blank piece of paper and little tiny particles of toner stick to that image and then you bake them in. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Dave Young: The little tiny microplastic things. Stephen Semple: And yes, it can catch fire. More on this later. Dave Young: Yeah. That’s why when you’re done making a bunch of copies, it all comes out warm. Stephen Semple: Yeah, exactly. So to raise money, Wilson sold some personal stock. He downsized a factory, did a bunch of things, raised about $12 million, which would be equivalent to about 140 million today and put it into development. So in 1954, after nine years of development, he has the first copier. It weighs 650 pounds. Dave Young: Sure. Stephen Semple: And it’s called the Xerox 914 because it used 9×14 paper. Dave Young: 9×14, that’s a choice. Stephen Semple: Right. Dave Young: Okay. Stephen Semple: So in addition to the $12 million that they invested, they’ve also got millions of dollars in debt. Dave Young: I’m stuck on the 9×14, Stephen. I’m thinking it’s the size of an accounting ledger, something like that. Stephen Semple: I didn’t look into why that size or… Because again, a lot of times what becomes standards change. Dave Young: Yeah. But see, that’s why you do what you do on this podcast and I do what I do. I’d have gotten stuck researching this into the 9×14 and followed that off into the woods and it would be a whole different podcast. Stephen Semple: It would be. It would be probably better. Dave Young: Oh, I don’t know about that. Anyway, I interrupted you again. Stephen Semple: So they’ve invested all this money. They’re millions in debt. They finally got a prototype and they basically say, “Okay, here’s what we got to do. We got to find a production partner to make this happen because we’re not going to produce this thing.” Dave Young: 600 pounds, yeah. Stephen Semple: Because that’s not what we do. So Wilson approaches IBM who basically at that point is a rising tech leader. Dave Young: Sure. Stephen Semple: And a lot of people don’t realize how old IBM is. I’ve got a picture of an old IBM cheese cutting machine. Dave Young: Yes, yeah. Stephen Semple: They were around forever. But anyway- Dave Young: I did a college internship at IBM. Stephen Semple: Oh, did you really? Wow. Dave Young: Where they made copiers. Yeah, I got copiers. Stephen Semple: Oh yeah. Oh, this comes back. Dave Young: Yeah, yeah. Stephen Semple: So IBM’s being run by Thomas Watson Jr. and he rejects the idea because basically it’s going to be about a $10,000 price tag and it’s going to fill a room all just for copying. He thinks this is a really, really bad idea. So Wilson doubles down, mortgages everything to make it themselves and they’re still facing these huge challenges. They meet a guy who works with equipment manufacturer AMF who’s developed this brand new sales strategy that he’s using for selling bowling alley equipment. Dave Young: Oh, is this the lease purchase? Stephen Semple: Yes, sir. Yes. So this is this brand new idea. What they decide to do is to lease the Xerox 914 for $95 a year and it would include 2,000 copies plus a nickel for each additional copy. Dave Young: Okay. So they’re selling copies, not machines. Yes, yes, yes. Stephen Semple: Right. Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: Here’s where it gets funny. It’s September 1959. The Xerox 914 makes its public debut in Manhattan. And during the demonstration, the machine bursts in the flames. Dave Young: Perfect. I’ll take three. Stephen Semple: Well, here’s the funny thing is it becomes this spectacle. It attracts onlookers and in fact the event is a resounding success. Dave Young: Yes, because the smart people will go, “Oh, they’ll fix that.” Stephen Semple: Right. Dave Young: Look, the copies came out, but they’ll fix the fire thing. Stephen Semple: Here’s what they did. Instead of re-engineering the device, remember, this is the late ’50s. The world’s a different place. Instead of re-engineering device, Wilson’s team ingeniously packages it with a fire extinguisher that they rebrand as the scorch eliminator. Dave Young: Hell yeah. Stephen Semple: Honest to God, I cannot make this up. The scorch eliminator. Oh, instead of re-engineering it, we’ll just give everybody a free fire extinguisher. Dave Young: That’s fantastic. I love that. So you could fill the paper tray with dough and pizza would come out the other end. These guys are geniuses. Stephen Semple: It’s a year later. It’s the 1960s and the machine is now available nationwide and it’s like a resounding earth-shattering success. Dave Young: Stay tuned. We’re going to wrap up this story and tell you how to apply this lesson to your business right after this. [Using Stories To Sell] Dave Young: Let’s pick up our story where we left off and trust me, you haven’t missed a thing. Stephen Semple: It’s a year later. It’s the 1960s and the machine is now available nationwide and it’s like, a resounding earth-shattering success. Production basically started at 50 per month and quickly went to 100 a day. At the end of the first year, they leased 200,000 [inaudible 00:14:32]. Dave Young: Well, this whole story, this is proof of what a good idea it was. Stephen Semple: Oh, absolutely. Dave Young: People don’t care if it catches fire as long as I get some copies out of it. Stephen Semple: Yeah. And the copier room becomes a new social hub. It becomes the way we share jokes. Dave Young: You want to make sure it has some overhead sprinklers. Stephen Semple: Well, you’ve got the scorch eliminator. You’re good. The company gets officially renamed Xerox Corporation and really it launches the information revolution. The stock quadruples, revenue soared at 250 million. Now, remember IBM? Dave Young: Oh yeah, they come around. Stephen Semple: The guys who rejected the idea. So the number of copies being made annually in the United States surges from 20 million to over 9 billion with Xerox basically dominating. And IBM, remember, took a pass, but they decided to enter the business in the early 1970s. They create their own copier. Now- Dave Young: They figured out that they were the biggest customer of Xerox. Stephen Semple: Yeah, essentially. Yeah. Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: Now, Joseph had a choice at this point. He knew they were leveraging his technology, but he also knew that it would be hard for him to win on legal grounds alone. So what he decided that he needed to do was to out innovate them. Dave Young: Okay. Stephen Semple: And so what Joseph Wilson envisioned was an office of the future because he saw computers coming. Remember, this guy was a visionary. He saw computers coming. Dave Young: Oh, yeah. I love this guy. Stephen Semple: But the problem, computers were large, difficult to use, but he was like, “I saw what happened with the photocopier, it went from being massive to small. Computers, same thing’s going to happen.” Dave Young: Yeah, yeah. Stephen Semple: So he decided to invest the equivalent of $20 million to establish PARC, the Palo Alto Research Center. Now, he hired a top computer scientist from ARPA, Robert Taylor, and gave him a clear mandate, “Pull together the brightest folks and create the next technological revolution.” The goal was for it to be this visionary think tank to leapfrog everybody. Here’s what they created. Gary Bernier and I did another podcast on this, which talked about this failure of Xerox. And there’s something I didn’t realize until doing this research, which kind of filled in a blank. So I actually recommend people go back and listen to that podcast. But here’s what they created, networking, the mouse, and the graphical user interface. If Xerox had developed that today, Xerox would be the giant of the industry. Could you imagine? Dave Young: Did they also figure out printing to like laser printing? Stephen Semple: I’m not sure whether it was laser printing- Dave Young: I’m sure who- Stephen Semple: But they did invent the whole idea of what you see is what you get, like that whole idea that the screen… But I’m not sure whether it was laser or not. Dave Young: Basically, when I was at IBM, that’s what they were making, were photocopiers that were also laser printers. You could go photocopy something by standing at the machine or you could send a document to it and have it printed. Stephen Semple: And so here’s the interesting thing because I’d always wondered why did these things not get to market? And here’s what actually happened. Before these things were finally created in terms of prototype level, Wilson died and the executives who were basically under him took over and they didn’t have the vision and they saw the paperless office as cannibalizing their business. Kind of like Kodak. Remember Kodak developed all the stuff for digital cameras and went, “Oh, well, we can’t do this because it’s going to cannibalize our business.” Dave Young: Yeah. WYSIWYG, mouse. That’s not the business. Stephen Semple: Right. Well, and remember we did an episode a little while ago where we were talking about the iPhone and the brilliance of Steve Jobs. He was willing to cannibalize their own business to make that happen. When you’re unwilling to cannibalize your own business, you got a problem. This is the same thing that killed Kodak. It’s the thing Jobs overcame to create the iPhone. So speaking about Jobs, the idea for the Mac came from a visit at PARC. In 1979, Jobs negotiated a tour of PARC in exchange for allowing Xerox to invest in Apple’s pre-IPO stock. And basically Jobs saw all this stuff, saw the mouse, saw the graphical user interface and went, “Holy crap, this is the future. This is the future.” So again, when Gary and I did this episode talking about Xerox and the failure of Xerox and the success of, har, Palo Alto, I never realized the timing of the death of the founder. Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: And it explains so much in terms of the execs not getting the idea. He would’ve. Joseph would’ve. Dave Young: Oh, I think so. Yeah, for sure. Stephen Semple: He would’ve been all over it. And Xerox would be a different company today. Dave Young: Yeah. Pretty amazing. Stephen Semple: But the things that I really loved on this is, again, Joseph was looking, he saw this world trend. He was in the photo paper business and he saw this whole idea of a copier, but also greater than that, it wasn’t just the idea of the copier. He saw what was the importance of the office and what was going on in office space. And the other part that I loved, and then proactively went looking for innovative ideas. And the part that I really love the most is they didn’t let the fire stop them. Dave Young: I do. Yeah, that’s so great. I don’t know. Yeah, some people say that’s a negative, but here’s a fire extinguisher. Stephen Semple: Right. Now granted, it was the late 50s, early 60s, different era. Dave Young: Here’s the thing, Stephen, offices can be kind of boring. And if you can introduce the prospect that there’s going to be a fire down in the copy room every now and then, there’s something to talk about while you’re standing around the water cooler. So when I worked for- Stephen Semple: It’s a whole different thing of lighting a fire under people’s ass. Dave Young: Oh yeah, yeah. I keep an emergency bag of marshmallows in my desk drawer in the hope that the copier catches fire. I did my college internship at IBM. It was a paid internship. So I can legitimately say I worked for IBM back in the day. It was back in the day when they actually manufactured stuff. IBM made machines. Now they just… I don’t even know what they do. They consult? Do they- Stephen Semple: There’s still a lot of IBM technology in the backgrounds, like with servers and things along… How much they manufacture versus just license, that I don’t know. Dave Young: So they’re a software and consulting company and felt all of that. But in 1984 they were still manufacturing, I worked for their Boulder, Colorado plant and it was 5,000 people working there. Stephen Semple: Amazing. Dave Young: And they made floppy drives and printers and printer/copiers. So you could buy a photocopier/printer the size of a large deep freeze and they’d install it. And I think they probably same thing, probably same business model. You’d pay by the copy, you’d rent the machine. One of the coolest things was that they had a laboratory at that facility. And in the laboratory, they had a copier lab where they had Xerox and Canon and all the other competitors, they had machines installed. They would call Xerox and say, “Hey, we need a machine, bring it here, install it in the lab and we want the usual maintenance agreement. So you got to send a Xerox guy to come maintain this thing.” And they would run that machine all day long making test patterns. They would print test patterns all day long and then evaluate them, put them under the microscope, see where that machine was performing and how it performed against theirs. I mean, it was kind of a cool lab. Who does that? Stephen Semple: So the other thing I just want to add on Xerox before we finish off, because I forgot to mention this as one of the lessons and this is actually probably the most important lesson. And that is, they looked at the guy selling bowling alley equipment and did the leasing. That was brand new, but they did an interesting twist to it that I think can be overlooked in terms of the real power of what they did. Because sure, leasing made it easier to purchase, but there’s two additional things that they did that made it easy to purchase 2,000 copies included. Which meant immediately if you’re going, “I’m leasing this for 100 dollars a year, 2,000 copies. Oh, that means my copy is so many cents a copy.” Dave Young: And if I never make another copy, yeah. Stephen Semple: Right away I’m saving money. So it allows for the financial justification becomes really easy. But here’s the other thing that becomes wild is, when I put the machine in, I’m not saying to people, “Hey, be careful how much you use this.” My goal is I want 2,000 copies to happen. Once I create the habit of people creating copies, it’s now embedded in the business. Dave Young: And then you have bean counters that tell you… Yeah. Stephen Semple: Well, could you imagine how different it would be is if it was less money, $50.05 a copy, you’d be telling everybody, “Now be careful how often you copy.” Dave Young: Yeah, but even then they were. Stephen Semple: Right, no, but the point is it allowed the habit. It allowed the habit to happen. It was just because you wanted to use up the 2,000, 2,000 copies. So anyway, I just think there was brilliant, especially for brand new technology, a brilliance in terms of how they structured that lease. Dave Young: They found an interesting business model to copy- Stephen Semple: They did. Dave Young: In a completely unrelated field. Stephen Semple: They did. Dave Young: And that’s the benefit of getting outside of your category to look for innovation. Stephen Semple: And then put a twist on it that eliminated friction of using that equipment because the first 2,000 copies were free. Anyway, I just thought it was brilliant. I just wanted to point that out. Dave Young: Yeah. I love, what was his name again, Wells? Stephen Semple: Joseph Wilson. Dave Young: Wilson. Well, I know there’s a W in there. Joseph Wilson. Stephen Semple: Yeah, Joseph Wilson. Yeah. Dave Young: All right. It was a good he didn’t name it Wilsonography. But I love it. I love the Xerox story. Thank you, Stephen. Stephen Semple: All right. Awesome. Thanks, David. Dave Young: Thanks for listening to the podcast. Please share us, subscribe on your favorite podcast app and leave us a big, fat, juicy five star rating and review at Apple Podcasts. And if you’d like to schedule your own 90 minute empire building session, you can do it at empirebuildingprogram.com.

The housing market is diverging by region, not collapsing, with localized slowdowns and continued strength in states seeing strong migration. Katie Hubbard highlights regional dynamics, while Suzanne Miller notes demand is shaped more by economic uncertainty than mortgage rates. Builders are adapting with smaller homes and incentives, as the outlook depends on policy and the Fed.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

Send us Fan MailIn a market where a lot of builders are pulling back, Jennifer Cooper is making the case for why that's exactly the wrong move. Jennifer is the founder and CEO of Evolution Marketing and Evolution Design Studios - a fractional marketing consultancy with seasoned teams across the country serving home builders of every size. In this episode, she and Anya Chrisanthon of Anewgo get into the real conversations happening in builder boardrooms right now.The budget conversation nobody wants to have If your growth goals are going up but your marketing budget is staying flat, you're setting yourself up to miss your numbers. Jennifer explains why spend has to match growth - and what it signals when leadership doesn't value what marketing can actually do.AI adoption in the field right now Jennifer isn't scared of AI - she's brought it to the table as a strategic partner. She breaks down what smart teams are actually doing with AI, why she keeps an "invisible chair" for it in every strategy conversation, and how builders can use it to work faster without losing their brand voice.AEO, authority, and the PR comeback AI is looking for authoritative content and third-party validation. Jennifer shares how one of her builders built a PR strategy that AI is now actively sourcing - and why blogs, content, and earned media are more important than ever in the AIO era.The CRM conversation we're still having in 2026 Having a CRM isn't enough. Jennifer explains why most builders have it but aren't using it right - and how to think about your full tech stack from OSC tools to self-touring to visualization.Shoppable model homes: the business case Evolution Design Studios brings a full shoppable model program to builders of any size. Builders save an average of $10,000 or more per model, get a revenue-generating online storefront, and create a stickier digital experience - without handling a single purchase order. Jennifer breaks down exactly how it works and who it's right for.The secret to staying ahead Wake up every day and ask why. Jennifer's advice for marketing leaders navigating one of the most challenging - and most opportunity-rich - moments in the industry.Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn or at evolutionmarketingco.com.About Anewgo Anewgo is an all-in-one new home sales and marketing platform. We equip builders with AI-ready homebuilder websites, interactive design tools, floorplans, sitemaps, AI Sales Assistants, and data analytics to create personalized buyer journeys. Learn more at anewgo.com or find every episode at anewgo.com/podcast.Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anewgo-of-new-home-sales/id1602564768

In this episode of the Elevate Podcast, Andrew Eagles, CEO of the New Zealand Green Building Council, joins the conversation to unpack how healthier, more energy-efficient homes can create major financial advantages for both developers and homeowners. From lower-interest development finance to green mortgage offers, Andrew explains how Homestar certification is helping builders access funding benefits while delivering warmer, drier, and more comfortable homes. Andrew shares practical insights into the Homestar process, common misconceptions around cost, and why many developments can achieve certification with only minor design changes. He also discusses the future of building standards in New Zealand, the growing influence of global green finance, and why energy performance ratings are likely to become a key part of every home sale. Packed with real-world examples, this episode is essential listening for builders, developers, and anyone interested in the future of residential construction in Aotearoa New Zealand.Useful links:The New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) Homestar™Free Homestar Design GuideInfometrics researchWhere else you can find usWebsite: https://www.masterbuilder.org.nz/Elevate Platform: http://elevate.masterbuilder.org.nzInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/masterbuildernz/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/registeredmasterbuildersYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmh_9vl0pFf0zSB6N7RrVeg

Register here to attend the live virtual event "Why Investors Are Targeting Oklahoma Real Estate in 2026" on Thursday, May 27th at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. Keith explains how rent payments are starting to factor into credit scores, boosting accountability for tenants and strengthening landlords' position.  He introduces the "GRE Duck" to show how a plain long-term rental can quietly build wealth through several profit centers beyond visible cash flow. Keith also shares why he expects a new era of heightened inflation and how owning real assets with long-term fixed-rate debt can help investors stay ahead of it. Finally, Keith is joined by a GRE Investment Coach, Naresh Vissa, to highlight Oklahoma as an under-the-radar, business-friendly market that many investors see as a promising "next place" for cash-flowing rentals. Episode Page: GetRichEducation.com/607 For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com GRE Free Investment Coaching: GREinvestmentcoach.com Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE  or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Invest with Freedom Family Investments.  For predictable 10-12% quarterly returns, visit FreedomFamilyInvestments.com/GRE or text  FAMILY to 66866  Unlock truly passive real estate income—visit flockhomes.com/GRE today to see if your properties qualify for a 721 exchange with Flock Homes. To get in the best physical, mental, and professional shape of your life, go to DanielThomasHind.com and apply for Daniel's intensive 1-on-1 coaching for burnt-out entrepreneurs and executives. Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search "how to leave an Apple Podcasts review"  For advertising inquiries, visit: GetRichEducation.com/ad Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free— GREletter.com  Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Complete episode transcript:   Keith Weinhold  0:01   Welcome to GRE. I'm your host, Keith Weinhold. The American consumer is in real trouble today, and persistent inflation is poised to make it worse. How should real estate investors adjust their strategy? Learn the difference between delinquency, default, and foreclosure. Why making an early mortgage payoff is almost always ill-advised, then we explore an investment market that's poised for potential today on Get Rich Education.    Keith Weinhold  0:32   You know, Mid South Homebuyers, that top Memphis turnkey provider, I learned that a secret weapon behind their explosive growth is more than just you buying their properties. It's an executive coach for nine years now. Their CEO, Terry Kerr, and his COO, Pat Nix, have worked privately with a coach who I've now learned from too, and he doesn't market himself online anywhere. After 12 years behind the scenes, that coach is now making himself available exclusively for GRE listeners. His name is Daniel Thomas Hind. If you're a hard-charging business owner or investor who wants to get in the best shape of your life, physically, mentally, and professionally, you can fill out an application for a free consult. This is private one on one coaching for those willing to go to uncommon lengths to achieve uncommon results. Thanks to Daniel, we've all become better leaders, better operators, and better men. It started by showing up for ourselves. Now it's your turn. Go to danielthomashind.com H I N D, that's danielthomamashind.com and sign up before spots fill.   Keith Weinhold  1:45   Flock Homes helps multifamily owners exit the operator grind, whether it's your sixplex or a 50 unit apartment through a 721 exchange. This defers your capital gains tax. It's a strategy long used by institutions. Now you can swap tenants and toilets for passive income and zero management. Request your initial valuations. See if your property qualifies at Flock homes.com/gre that's F L O C K homes.com/gre   Corey Coates  2:18   You're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world. This is Get Rich Education.   Keith Weinhold  2:34   Welcome to GRE from Arcadia, California to Arcade New York, and across 188 nations worldwide. I'm Keith Weinhold. You're listening to Get Rich Education. Around here, we don't look at a house and see four walls, we see five profit centers quietly doing jumping jacks behind the drywall. At the same time, most people seem to think cash flow is something that you catch in a stream. Hey, well, Who's in trouble out there amidst persistent and rising inflation? Well, you know the answer, it's just another reflection of the K-shaped economy and the hollowing out of the middle class. Now we can look at how many Americans are missing their mortgage payments. The mortgage delinquency rate is historically between one and 2% That just means that's the proportion of borrowers that get seriously behind on their mortgage payments. That's the normal range over the long run. Today's figure is pretty low at 1.1% so on the low end of that historic one to 2% range. So homeowners are in good shape, but credit card and automobile loan delinquencies are now deeply concerning, and a lot of times these people can be your rent paying tenant for credit card delinquency. Back in 2022 the rate was 8% Now 13% of credit card users are seriously behind on their payments. How about automobile delinquency? Back in 2022 it was 3.6% Now it's 5.6% and then there's student loans. The proportion of seriously delinquent student loans is 10.3% That's the highest since 2020 So the average borrower entering student loan default is now fully 40 years old. Before the pandemic, it was just 36 and a half. Now, there's surprisingly few hard statistics on the exact average age at which Americans fully pay off student loans, but the best available evidence from a platform. Called the Education Data Initiative, it suggests that the typical borrower who successfully repays on a standard timeline finishes somewhere in their early to mid 40s, and a substantial share of borrowers still carry student debt into their 50s and even 60s, so the US student loan crisis is intensifying. How about your tenant in that rent payment? About one in eight renters are behind on their rent payments per the CFPB. Almost every tenant catches up. Some live a paycheck to paycheck timing game. The payment that renters are most likely to miss is for credit cards, and, like I just put the numbers to, they are more than twice as likely to miss a credit card payment than they are an automobile payment. To most tenants, losing the car would mean losing the job, so they'll make the car payment before the credit card payment, and eviction is catastrophic, so they don't want to face that. They'll make that rent payment before a credit card payment too. Alarmingly, half of American credit card users carry balances from month to month, fully half the average interest they're paying is 21 to 22% I mean, sheesh, if Luboo is in a collection of wildly overpriced Stanley tumblers that all look big enough, waste of money. Now, some debtors can tap home equity to pay their consumer debt, but a lot of them aren't homeowners, all right. So, what does this all mean for residential income property owners? Well, since 1980 rent increases have compounded at 3.9% annually, that's the number, so almost 4% rent growth since about the time that Ronald Reagan became president, but rent growth is currently lagging behind this, and I expect that rent hikes will continue to be pretty paltry for the next couple years. Inflation is stressing tenants' consumer purchases too much for them to deal with steep rent hikes. The median household income of a US renter is $55,000 Overall, it's $84,000 All right, so to be clear, that 84k household income is not for homeowners, it's 84k overall for every American household. The 55k number is just for renters. What all this means is that this coming higher wave of inflation from the Iran war, where you're now poised to potentially see the highest rate of inflation of your entire life occur in the next couple years is that when you're looking at adding rental property on your pro forma, you can see how the numbers would be with those historic 3.9% rent increases each year, but it's wiser to run your numbers with no rent increase at all, because higher inflation on all these consumer products means it's less likely that they can handle a rent hike   Keith Weinhold  8:25   In the mortgage world. What's the difference between delinquency, default, and foreclosure, anyway? Because some people use a couple of those terms interchangeably, but there is a difference. The timeline is that once you're 30 days late, that is delinquency, and this condition occurs the moment that a single payment is missed. And at this early stage, your bank still hopes that this is temporary, because the bank actually doesn't want to take back your property. They're not in the business to do that. They want you to be able to keep making your payments in general, because if a borrower keeps missing payments and a bank has to take possession of the property, well, then that bank has to pay legal fees and court costs, and even property taxes if they end up taking back the property. Yeah, the bank pays all of that if they have to take it all right, so that's 30 days. What about when a borrower gets to 90 days late on payments, where we're trending closer to the bank having to take back the property? Well, 90 days, that's the point at which we're in mortgage default. When a homeowner's 90 days late on payments, the lender kind of says to themselves that bank is saying, hey, this is serious, and they file what's called a notice of default with both the homeowner and the courts at the 120 day mark. This is pre foreclosure, right? So, after about four months or more of missed pay. Payments and state timelines vary. Texas is famously Formula One fast, really lender friendly, then, but timelines can drag on for one to three years in a bunch of northeastern states, Florida, Illinois and Ohio, so they're more borrower protective, and during Covid, this was overridden, and even fast states became slow. Beyond 120 days of non-payment, this is foreclosure, the legal seizure process. This is when the home sells that auction to the highest bidder. That's sort of like Sotheby's for distressed drywall, but if no bidder raises their paddle, well, then the property returns to the bank and becomes R E O. You've probably heard this term before, that stands for real estate owned, R E O. It also kind of means bank owned, and bank owned is the phrase that kind of makes more sense. That's what REO is, all right. Yes, this is when the bank becomes the home's reluctant landlord, and if the occupant has not left, the bank can formally file for eviction. Banks don't like being in this position, and they might sell the home cheaply. Why would they do that? Because, again, banks are not in the business of owning property, and they don't want to pay those holding costs, besides paying legal fees and court costs, and the banks now having to pay property tax because they do temporarily own that foreclosed upon property. Now they're also usually paying for maintenance, repairs, and insurance, a non-paying borrower like this can typically cost a lender 1000s per month. So this is the difference between delinquency, default, and foreclosure. But, like I said, we are at a time when mortgage delinquency rates are historically low. Instead, it's consumer debtors that are more likely to default today on things like their credit cards and their automobile loans. The takeaway for real estate investors here is that in today's inflationary times, renters are increasingly cost-burdened, rent increases are historically slow. That's sort of the bad news. And then the upside, the good news is it also means that tenants must delay home ownership and keep on renting from you, because as they struggle to pay these rising expenses, it's also harder and harder for them to form a down payment and go buy their own place, that's the real lesson with the parts of the economy where you see default trends today.    Keith Weinhold  12:52   Now, if you're an income property owner, like I am, you probably have mortgages with a bunch of different banks, lenders like I do. You've probably noticed more than once that various banks and mortgage servicers, a lot of times, they feature these early payoff tools, enticing you to pay your mortgage off ahead of time, before it goes its full 30 year term, or whatever your full loan duration is. I mean, a lot of banks love it when you try to pay off your own early. It's often good for them and bad for you. And there are a few reasons that banks do this. They reduce their default risk if a bank convinces you, the borrower, to aggressively pay down your principal. It also builds equity faster, and you become less likely to walk away, so it's safer for the bank during downturns. Say there's a borrower with a 300k property and a 50k loan balance, meaning it's mostly paid off. Oh, that's far less risky to the bank than one with a 300k property and a 200k loan balance, meaning that you have less equity in it. So banks value stability. Another reason that some banks want to roll out the red carpet to try to get you to pay off your mortgage early is because banks recycle capital. They don't simply hold every mortgage for 30 years. A lot of loans are sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, or they're bundled into mortgage-backed securities, or they're serviced for fees. So your originating bank, when they first made that loan with you, oh, they've already earned their origination fees and servicing income and cross-selling opportunities, so getting principal back from you sooner allows them to reissue new loans sooner, and see rising interest rate environments like we've been in lately that changes the incentives for banks too, because if current mortgage rates are higher than your old rate a. Wow, then banks really love getting your old low rate loan paid off. Just say, for example, you have a 3% mortgage that you got five years ago, and new mortgages today are 7% Oh, if you pay off or refinance the old loan, oh well, now the bank can redeploy that money into higher yielding loans. Now they can lend it out at today's 7% that is really valuable to them. So encouraging your payoff, that is often just some consumer service positioning and marketing. You'll see messaging like, hey, make extra payments, or hey, you can own your home faster if you make extra principal pay downs, that's sort of marketing psychology. Because emotionally, a lot of consumers, they're not thinking big, they still emotionally love debt freedom, because a lot of them don't even consider true financial freedom is something that's in the realm of possibility for them, so banks provide tools because customers oftentimes want them and like them. Regulators actually like this position too. It's positioned as responsible lending optics, and financially healthy borrowers are deemed to be safer customers, but a bank sure does not want delinquency or foreclosure from a wealth building perspective. Productive low-cost debt benefits you, the borrower, enormously.    Keith Weinhold  16:34   And on previous episodes, I've talked extensively about how making extra principal pay downs on your mortgage is a bad idea, and that's whether it's rental property or your own home, and you know, I'll bring a new example to this for you. It might feel good to pay off your mortgage faster. Your bank probably likes that, as I just explained, but feeling good doesn't build your wealth. Let's just take a 400k mortgage at a 6% mortgage rate. We'll keep it simple. With a 30 year loan, your payment is about 2400 monthly, so you'll pay 864k over the life of the loan. Well, instead, with a 15 year loan, your payment's 3376 and you'll pay just 608k over the life of the loan. So, by paying extra principal with the 15 year, you save about 255k in interest over the life of the loan, and that's it. Most people stop right there, and they think, oh well, then the 15 year paying down principal faster than that has got to be the smarter way, look, I can point to this on paper and show you, no, but with that extra about $1,000 per month of mortgage payment that you made by going with the 15 year, if instead you would have just invested that at an 8% return, you would have about 1.1 million more dollars in your pocket. Some people say they sleep better because their house is paid off, but I would rather sleep knowing that my money is growing faster than my debt is costing me. I only used 8% as a return, too. If your dollars were instead invested in a different vehicle, say in buy and hold income property. We know that it can be multiples higher than 8% and all the while, if we keep our own money and avoid making an early pay down, our cash is also going to remain more liquid than if we sunk it into the house, because houses make terrible banks. It is indeed rather myopic to make extra principal payments on a mortgage loan in most cases. In fact, somewhat related to this, coming up on a future show, I'm going to tell you about the biggest financial expense you will ever have in your life, it is not taxes, it's not housing, it's not interest charges, it's not inflation, it's not paying for children, and it's not health care. Most people have never heard of it. The biggest financial expense that you'll ever have in your life. I'll talk about that coming up in a future episode.    Keith Weinhold  19:23   Is today's American housing market a buyer's market or a seller's market? In fact, it's somewhat of a discussion that you can have. There's not a clear cut answer, because more so than usual, it depends on which region of the nation you're looking at. As we know, six months of available supply is a balanced market nationally. There's only 4.4 months of existing housing supply, but almost twice that much new housing supply. National median home values are only up about 1.1% year over year. And what's the future of the investment market? Good, I'm going to discuss this and more with a guest later today. I would like to seriously thank you for your listenership. GRE is a platform largely built on long form trust, podcast listeners, newsletters, coaching calls, and referrals, releasing a show 52 weeks a year for between 11 and 12 years now, and the show is delivered every week from me, a real human flesh and blood host with a pulse and sometimes a cowlick in my hair, really human stuff going on here. I say this because robot podcast hosts are becoming more common, though I still wouldn't say that robot hosts are widespread. Amazon's Alexa Plus now produces AI-generated podcasts featuring chats between two robot co-hosts, but here on GRE it's always been human delivered with no plans to change that promise, and speaking of human connection, I learned that a number of successful guests that you've heard here on the show, they've gotten counsel from a rather special executive coach that's really developed some of these people that you've heard on the show. This coach has helped people show up as the best version of themselves and build them into better leaders, better operators, and better men and women, just like you, I know there's a gap between who you are and who you could be. When someone points out that gap to you, that can be a motivator alone, and when you learn the steps to close that gap, you really start to fulfill your potential. It often takes a trained eye from the outside to get you on the right trajectory and build the sort of person that compounds and builds you closer to your optimal self and people of enormous success have a coach or mentor behind them. Steve Jobs did, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Taylor Swift does the accountability piece alone is often enough to elevate your performance. I just learned about this coach this year. This man has been the behind the scenes key to success for a number of not just real estate related pros and GRE guests, but other people too. And interestingly, he hasn't marketed himself online anywhere. Well, I got curious, I learned more about him and kind of tracked him down, and he and I had a great lunch in California together not long ago, and I have since learned from him after 12 years behind the scenes. Well, it was quite a successful lunch, because that coach is now making himself available exclusively for GRE listeners. His name is Daniel Thomas Hind, the number of people with life-changing testimonials from working with him is pretty remarkable. So, if you're a hard-charging business owner or investor, and you want to get in the best shape of your life, physically, mentally, or professionally, you can fill out an application for a free consult. It's private one on one coaching, if you're willing to go to uncommon lengths to achieve pretty uncommon results. Thanks to Daniel, we've all become better leaders, better operators, better men. It started by showing up for ourselves. If it sounds interesting to you, now it can be your turn. You might at least look into it, since it is close personal one on one coaching. He can only help a limited number of people. So, complete an application before spots fill. You can go to Daniel Thomas hind.com H I N D is how you spell his last name, that's Daniel Thomas hind.com More next, I'm Keith Weinhold. This is Get Rich Education.    Keith Weinhold  24:05   What if you got your mortgage loans the same place I get mine? You sure can at Ridge Lending Group, NMLS 42056 They provided GRE listeners with more loans than anyone, because Ridge specializes in investment property. They'll help you build a long-term plan for growing your real estate empire with leverage. Start your prequal, and even chat directly with President Chaley Ridge. While it's on your mind, start at Ridge Lending group.com That's Ridge lendinggroup.com    Keith Weinhold  24:36   Let me ask you something: if you've worked hard to build wealth, is your money positioned to actually support your goals. A lot of accredited investors leave capital sitting in cash because it feels safe, but inflation and missed income opportunities can quietly erode its value. Freedom Family Investments offers Freedom Notes for investors seeking structured income backed by real estate. It's a straight. Forward approach built on real assets, not speculation. In full disclosure, I'm an investor myself. What I like is that their team walks you through how it all works, so you can decide if it aligns with your portfolio and income goals. Every investment carries risk, and nothing is guaranteed, but with a track record of consistent on-time investor payouts, they built real credibility. Go to freedomfamilyinvestments.com to book a clarity call, or text family 266866 that's Family 266866    Keith Weinhold  25:38   This is Peak Prosperity's Chris Martinson, listen to Get Rich Education with Keith Weinhold and Don't Quit Your Daydream.   Keith Weinhold  25:52   For an in-house chat, I'd like to welcome back our head investment coach here at GRE. He has his MBA, but perhaps more importantly, he's an active real estate investor himself, and he spends his days helping GRE listeners cut through the noise and actually make smart real estate investing decisions, and this means helping you figure things out, like what market fits your goals, whether cash flow appreciation or even showing a tax law should be your priority, and how to think about financing and what properties, the exact properties pass the smell test, and maybe most importantly, helping investors like you avoid expensive mistakes. And yes, the coaching is free to GRE listeners at GRE Investment coach.com And basically, if the real estate world feels like Costco on a Saturday afternoon, he helps you find the free samples, find the exit, and get the good deals without getting run over by a shopping cart. It's time for you to share with the audience. Naresh Vissa.   Naresh Vissa  26:53   Thanks a lot, Keith, for having me back on the show. Always a pleasure to connect with our loyal GRE listeners and followers,   Keith Weinhold  27:01   a lot of loyal listeners, some that have listened to all 600 plus episodes, starting from back in 2014 and Naresh we continue to see income property builders provide incentives that we haven't seen in years. Tell us about it.   Naresh Vissa  27:19   We're at a key point in this real estate cycle, Keith, regarding incentives, because we had GRE, and I think investors will tell you this, not just through GRE, but maybe in their hometowns and their local markets, that they're seeing incentives that they've never seen before, and a major reason for this is understanding why these incentives are there in the first place. If we go back five years to 2021 we didn't really see any incentives in 2021 outside of maybe like one year of free property management, which isn't the most enticing incentive out there, but today we are seeing more incentives than we've seen, at least in my career as a real estate investor, which is not very long, it's only about 10 years, but in my career as a real estate investor, in my career as a real estate investment coach, and a major reason for that is because providers, we call them providers, we can call them local market builders, or specialists, or flippers, wholesalers - we'll just call them sellers - they want to offload inventory, they want to sell their homes as quickly as possible. And why is that? Because we're not in a 2021 environment anymore, where a property gets listed and within three hours the first offer comes in, and within 24 hours multiple offers are in, and within two days of property is sold. We're not in that environment anymore. There are a variety of factors about why we're not in that environment. Part of it is economy related, part of it we talked at length about Doge, and the government contracts that have been cut. I mean, we're talking about hundreds of billions of dollars that are worth of dollars that are no longer pumping into the US economy, and the many jobs associated with that. We're also talking about the artificial intelligence, so the tech industries for the last few years, have not necessarily downsized, but changed their job functions, or removed, just eliminated job functions entirely, and this has affected markets, not the entire United States, but it's certainly affected some markets that we operate in, Florida, certainly in Texas, you can look at Austin, Texas, for example, and see the impact that the artificial intelligence and AI has had in the sector there. There are just all sorts of reasons, and so this is why builders, they're not building as much. So there were five years ago what are called spec homes. And pre construction homes, pre construction homes are homes that are to be developed and they get buyers ahead of time and they don't build until they get a buyer and then they build and they complete the property. Pre construction homes are not being done anymore as compared to custom home. A custom home is when you have a buyer and the building has started, the buyer has paid a good portion of the building, and the property is complete. But in pre-construction, they haven't even broken ground, they haven't even gotten permits, and a lot of investors have been scared away from that, saying, Why get a home like that when I can just buy a spec home or a custom home. A spec home is a home where the builder just builds a property and they hope that a buyer is going to come after it's built, and the problem with that, as we're seeing today, this is why builders are trying to offload their inventory. It's because so many of these spec homes were built because these builders thought, oh, 2021 2022 those are such amazing years, but now in 2026 they built these homes, and there aren't buyers throughout the building process, they weren't able to get buyers, and there still aren't buyers available, so what do the builders want to do, they want to offer really, really enticing incentives, because it's very highly likely they took out some type of construction loan, and they took out some other type of loan, and they've got all this debt on the property. Builders are not landlords, builders build, they want to build something and sell it off. They do not want to hold on to it and let something just sit there, that builders make money by selling their property, so all these different reasons are why we're seeing incentives like we've never seen before. And to give you an example, instead of one year of property management, we're seeing two years of property management. Yeah, instead of closing cost credits, we're seeing builders and sellers in general actually pay money to buyers, so they close on a property. Let's say they, instead of a closing cost credit, you close on a property, they'll literally just wire you or overnight you a check for x amount of dollars, and this is not like $1,000 $2,000 We've had some investors get up to $50,000 mailed to them after closing on a property, so I think this is a really, really good time for investors to find deals. You brought up Costco earlier, I'm like the Costco finder, it's a really, really good time to find deals, because through networks like GRE we have access globally, not just mainland 48 states, not just United States, not just globally, whether it's teak timber parcels in South America or in Central America, or it's duplexes, quads, single family homes in mainland United States, we have access to these deals, to these incentives, whereas your average person, they're just reading some headline saying, oh, real estate is a bad investment right now, and home values are supposed to crash, and there's so many homes available for sale, and there's going to be this big crash, and and inflation is very high, which means interest rates are really high. That's like the general consensus, but that's what the mainstream news media is telling, and that's what's creating a consensus.   Keith Weinhold  33:29   That's what clicks and fear. Yes,   Naresh Vissa  33:31   that's where I say that there are GRE is here to find those diamonds in a rough to find those incentives to find those good deals to find those markets, just like even in the stock market, the stock market can be at all-time highs, but you can still find those diamonds in the rough that are good, high-quality companies. Maybe they're undervalued. There's always going to be some type of diamond in the rough. I don't think we've ever gone through a period in our lifetimes where it was like, oh, everything is going so well, and there's nothing to invest in. There's nothing we should just do nothing with our money. I don't think there's ever been a point. There's always in any asset class in any industry. So that's why I say right now I'm seeing incentives. That's how I began this conversation. I'm seeing incentives that I've never seen before, and I'm excited to share them with all of our GRE followers.   Keith Weinhold  34:24   Yes, there's never perfection in a market like a panacea, where everything is tuned in just right, and it's really not a buyer's market nationally, in a sense. Now it sort of feels that way, because in 2021 to 2022 we had such a frenzy and such a run up in such a seller's market that things have come somewhat back more into balance. We still have substantially less than six months of supply on a national basis, but yes, to your point, some people are really cashing in on. These incentives, and that's created a pickup in activity recently that you've seen with investors.   Naresh Vissa  35:07   I have absolutely seen a pickup in activity, and there could be.. I don't want to speak in absolutes.. there could be a variety of reasons for this. Number one is the stock market has consistently reached all-time highs for the past few weeks or so, and many people, they liquidated some of their portfolio, they liquidated some of those stocks, and said, all right, it's time to get into real estate. Another reason is, yes, you do see these headlines that are doom and gloom, next big crash, and there are some markets in Florida, for example, in Texas, for example, in the DMV area, DC metro area, Maryland, Virginia, and even in some parts of California, you do see a stagnation in home values, maybe even a decline in home values in some of these areas, but I bring them up because some areas where investors own are still thriving and doing really well, and many of those investors who we work with at GRE, they opted to 1031 and say, you know what, I had this property, it appreciated by 60% since I bought it, 60% 50% whatever it might be, and I want to cash out. Well, I don't want to necessarily cash out, but I want to sell in 1031 into an undervalued market, or a market where the homes have declined, or maybe it's an up and coming market. For those who don't know, 1031 is special tax favored strategy from the tax code that allows real estate investors to sell a property and to essentially replace it with a like kind property, and there's tax break, you don't have to pay a capital gains tax or anything on it. There's nothing like that with stocks. So, if you sell a stock, for example, you can't get a more expensive stock with that capital gain and avoid paying the capital gains tax. Unfortunately, you can't do that for stocks, but for real estate, you can. So, we've had several investors do that, where they, 1031 they said this market, it's taken off, maybe it could go down, who knows, but I'm selling at the peak, and I want to buy somewhere else, so that's what we help people do, that's what I help people do, I help them find those deals, those incentives, those markets that could be up and coming, or maybe that declined, and that's why still it makes a lot of sense to be on the lookout for those deals.   Keith Weinhold  37:47   Now, one such place is potentially the Oklahoma market. Last week here on the show, I had your co-host for an upcoming event with me, Richard, whom is an Oklahoma City provider, and we were sort of a phrase that I use, Naresh, is that next place, that next place, Oklahoma City, where the prices haven't run up, it's business friendly, and you do have these affordable prices, and you have landlord-friendly laws, potentially that next place where your dollar goes further, and as the Oklahoma City Thunder go deep in the playoffs, you know the nice thing about Oklahoma is that you can still buy real estate there without needing an NBA contract to afford it. In fact, we were spotlighting their $145,000 new build detached single family rental. Now it is tiny, and it comes with both LVP flooring and granite. I mean, it's something that sort of sounds like science fiction in Metro New York City and coastal California. I don't know if paying 145k would even give you permission to look at a house, but that's one opportunity that we've been talking about here. Niresh,   Naresh Vissa  39:03   let me talk a bit about Oklahoma, because this is a market that we haven't covered much. In fact, we, I would say, have never covered it in writing. It's not heavily featured throughout GRE's history. Yeah, it's not prominently featured on our website. This is a newer market, and I brought up the term up and coming, so I brought up the 1031 people are 1031 into up and coming markets. Oklahoma is an up and coming market. It's a very landlord friendly state, it's a very tax friendly state. The property taxes are significantly lower in Oklahoma, for example, compared to a Texas or a Florida, which are two very popular in real estate investment states. Investors go after Oklahoma is not quite as high, their home insurance isn't anywhere as high as a Florida, for example, but the best part. It is because of all these different factors. Oklahoma has a lot of industry, and we'll go into it this Thursday on our webinar. Go to GRE webinars.com to register, but Oklahoma, the tourism is getting up and running. The energy industry still has a very important part to play in this world's energy consumption, Oklahoma, it's got huge academic areas. You have Oklahoma University, you have Oklahoma State, you have a plethora of Tulsa has a very strong university there. You have medical schools there. Oklahoma is an underrated state. People don't think about Oklahoma when they think about what are the greatest states in America, or what state that I want to move to, but Oklahoma, I think, is that next up-and-coming state, because there's actually more stuff now. I brought up tourism, you brought up the Oklahoma City Thunder, they never had really any professional sports teams, what, 20 years ago,   Keith Weinhold  41:02   right?   Naresh Vissa  41:03   And the Thunder now are the best NBA teams. They have been the best, and I'm rooting for them. So this is all good. That's the Oklahoma City area, where the Thunder play, but, like I said, I brought up other markets, like Tulsa, where we have inventory, and there are a few others that we're going to cover, but mostly the best properties that we're going to cover on Thursday are in the Oklahoma City area, places within 45 minutes, 50 minutes from Oklahoma City. So, as you're watching the webinar and following the Oklahoma City Thunder, that should only kind of enhance as the team does better and as Oklahoma gets more publicity, and is on TV more, and you see all those nice stills on TV, and those shots, and ESPNs covering the city, that's all very good for real estate, and for publicity, and this is like an intangible reason to invest in Oklahoma that actually makes a very big difference. So, overall, Oklahoma is what I would call, like I said earlier, up and coming, the home values, because it's up and coming. You can't get $145,000 new construction property anywhere in the United States right now. When I say anywhere, there's a little bit of hyperbole there. If you look to some boondock towns and cities, yeah, you'll find them, but are they really good renters markets? Are they good appreciating markets? Well, in fact, the most of the state of Oklahoma is now, and definitely that Oklahoma City area is. So, I'm excited about this online special event we're having this Thursday, because, like I said, this is a new market, just like the team, I mean, so many fans are just new to Oklahoma, you know, like Oklahoma, like what's in Oklahoma. Well, attend our special event this Thursday, GRE webinars.com and we're going to get down to the nitty gritty of it. I think this is out of all the up and coming markets I've covered over the last 10 years, I think this is the best one, because the problems I had with some of these up and coming markets, like Memphis, for example, crime.. it's why are they up and coming? Why are the home value solo? Well, you know, crime was a major issue. There's no comparison between an Oklahoma City or a Tulsa and Memphis, for example, or a Baltimore. There's no comparison when it comes to esthetics, when it comes to newness, niceness, crime, homicides, no comparison. So, to me, this is a no-brainer. And I think investors should be really excited about this.   Keith Weinhold  43:32   There is anticipation for Thursday's live event, which you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home. You'll learn about real estate investing, you'll get to chat with Naresh and the co-host, Richard, that provides there. Ask any questions that you want to have answered in real time. The event name is why investors are targeting Oklahoma real estate this year. It is this Thursday night, the 20-eighth, 8pm Eastern, 5pm Pacific. Sign up is open@grewebinars.com It's free. Naresh, we all look forward to seeing you Thursday night. It was great having you here.   Naresh Vissa  44:06   Thanks a lot, Keith. Looking forward to seeing everybody.   Keith Weinhold  44:15   Yes, the Oklahoma City Thunder are the reigning NBA champions, and they've gone deep into playoffs again this season, but what you'll find more interesting about Oklahoma City's real estate investment market is that it's business friendly, still affordable population growth, job growth. There are still good deals. You don't need to have a venture capital exit just to put some rental property in your portfolio, and while those $145,000 properties are small detached cottages with LVP and granite, there are other single family rental and duplex styles, all new build, everything here is new construction, the. Like a nice looking 565k duplex in Edmond, Oklahoma. I'm looking at a photo of it right now. Edmund abuts right up against Oklahoma City. Between 2010 and 2020 it had whopping population growth of 16% That is not random. People vote with their moving trucks. Learn more about Oklahoma's growth in energy, aerospace, aviation, logistics, and tech, along with Oklahoma City's downtown revitalization. This creates the rent-paying tenants with stable incomes that we need at the event, the provider is even offering two years of free property management, and they handle all the tenant placement for you. Save your spot for Thursday now@grewebinars.com Our team will see you then. Next week, we'll have Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki back here on the show with us. We'll see you Thursday. I'm your host, Keith Weinhold. Don't quit your daydream.   Unknown Speaker  46:08   Nothing on this show should be considered specific personal or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial, or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. The host is operating on behalf of Get Rich Education LLC exclusively.   Keith Weinhold  46:36   The preceding program was brought to you by Your Home for Wealth building get richeducation.com  

The Church's Expanding Global Identity & $25M UNICEF Donation The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has donated $25 million to UNICEF's Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), a global initiative aimed at preventing and treating childhood malnutrition. • Doubled Impact: Thanks to a matching challenge announced in 2025, the Church’s donation will generate an additional $25 million, bringing the total financial impact to $50 million. • Target & Scope: The contribution is part of an ongoing partnership with UNICEF that began in 2013. The funds will support nutritional programs for mothers and young children—specifically targeting areas like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Sierra Leone—with the broader goal of helping the fund reach 320 million women and children annually by 2030. The First Presidency Tours the New Humanitarian Center Ahead of Dedication This facility is part of the Church's effort to follow the second great commandment: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” On Friday, May 22, 2026, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints toured the Church's new Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake City, ahead of its upcoming dedication. Purpose: Built to support the commandment to “love thy neighbour,” the center serves a dual purpose: providing job training, language courses, and employment counseling to help individuals overcome employment barriers, while also preparing and distributing global humanitarian supplies. Public Open House: Runs from June 1 through July 23, 2026 (Monday–Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.). Visitors can participate in hands-on service, such as assembling kits or sorting clothes. Attendance: Visitors are encouraged to schedule a time via the Temple Square app or by calling 801-240-5954, though walk-ins are welcome. Harvard Global Flourishing Study Compares Latter-day Saints Internationally The recently released Harvard Global Human Flourishing Study, which surveyed over 200,000 people across 22 countries, reveals that religious service attendance is globally linked to higher levels of overall well-being—and Latter-day Saints are no exception. When analyzing the U.S. data, the study found that Latter-day Saints scored highly on the overall “flourishing index” (which measures happiness, health, meaning, character, relationships, and financial stability), while those with no religious affiliation scored the lowest. • Highest Church Attendance: Latter-day Saints reported the highest rate of weekly religious service attendance at 65%, outperforming Evangelicals (59%) and Pentecostals (53%). • Mental Health and Happiness: The group demonstrated remarkably low levels of depression (8.5%) compared to atheists and agnostics (19%). Additionally, 30% of Latter-day Saints reported being “highly happy,” which is roughly double the rate of those distant from faith. • Family and Spiritual Support: Latter-day Saints reported the highest rates of feeling loved by their mother (94%) and father (90%) while growing up. Furthermore, 89% reported finding immense strength and comfort from their religion. • The Challenge of Community Criticism: On the flip side, 11% of Latter-day Saints reported feeling that their religious community was critical of them. While this number is statistically identical to other high-expectation faiths (like Baptists and Evangelicals), the article notes it highlights an ongoing need for the culture to shift from judgment to Christlike love, a priority recently emphasized by Church leadership. Diplomatic Relations: Elder Bednar Meets With the President of Chile Elder David A. Bednar, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, held an official meeting with Chilean President José Antonio Kast at the La Moneda Presidential Palace on Monday, May 18, 2026. • Core Topics: The discussion centered on strengthening families, supporting youth, protecting religious freedom, and fostering cooperation between governments and faith communities. • Church Initiatives: Elder Bednar highlighted several Church programs designed to help the rising generation develop faith, purpose, and practical skills. These included the For the Strength of Youth program, various youth service and leadership experiences, and the BYU–Pathway Worldwide educational program. Women Leaders Discuss Discipleship and Service at Annual Luncheon On Monday, May 11, 2026, roughly 200 current and former women leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered for their annual emeritus luncheon at the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City. The meeting brought together past and present general presidencies and advisory councils from the Primary, Young Women, and Relief Society organizations to discuss discipleship, service, and organizational updates. • Young Women Age-Group Names: Leaders discussed the spiritual meaning behind the newly introduced Young Women age-group names. Former Young Women General President Elaine S. Dalton praised the change, noting that the titles—Builders of Faith (ages 12–13), Messengers of Hope (ages 14–15), and Gatherers of Light (ages 16–17)—give young women a strong identity rooted directly in Jesus Christ. • Enduring Sisterhood: Attendees, including 93-year-old Joy Sansom (who served on the Young Women general board from 1961 to 1972), celebrated the lifelong bonds, shared memories, and enduring sense of community fostered by their years of joint church service.  Bishops and Youth: One-on-One Ministering Supports Better Relationships During a recent Instagram Live broadcast, the Young Men General Presidency addressed the common question of whether ward-level Young Men presidencies—discontinued in 2020—will ever return. Led by General President Timothy L. Farnes and his counselors, Brother David J. Wunderli and Brother Sean R. Dixon, the presidency clarified that the change is permanent and explained the spiritual and structural reasons behind keeping the responsibility on local bishoprics. Church Communications Releases Inside Look Video of Provo MTC With the rise in full-time missionary applications and the creation of more missions worldwide, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has produced a video offering prospective missionaries and their families an inside look at how missionaries are trained. The 21-minute video, titled “What It's Really Like at the Missionary Training Center,” was released on YouTube on May 17. short, fun, and heartfelt interviews with missionaries. Volunteers and Performers Needed for Salt Lake Temple Celebration SALT LAKE CITY— Temple Square volunteer applications are opening ahead of the highly anticipated Salt Lake Temple Celebration and the LDS Church Visitors' Center opening, where the SLC Temple open house reservation date will be announced. Temple Square is seeking “exceptional volunteers who want to help guests feel welcomed, supported, and inspired throughout the celebration.” • When to Apply: Volunteer applications will be available starting in June 2026. When the application window opens, Temple Square will share the link and additional details for the application process.. • Eligibility & Shifts: Volunteer roles are open to anyone 16 years old and older from all backgrounds and experience levels, with some assignments requiring specific skills. Some roles are able to accommodate accessibility needs. Volunteers are asked to serve for a minimum of eight weeks. Most roles require standing for many hours. Shifts will last between three and four hours. A variety of shifts are available for people to choose from, but specific roles and requirements will be announced in June. • Performers Needed: In addition to general assignments, Temple Square is in need of specialized performers for the celebration. Some experiences will include opportunities for young musicians, vocalists, or cultural performers. Details will be shared as plans develop. The post Salt Lake Temple Performers Needed! AoN 1044 appeared first on The Cultural Hall Podcast.

This episode rounds up the latest Cardano and Midnight developments in one pass, from Indigo V3 and Cardano Critical Integrations V2 through to the first public steps for Vola Network, the latest NFT marketplace shift after JPG Store's shutdown, and a growing stack of Midnight ecosystem releases. Peter also breaks down why infrastructure, governance, and partner chain tooling matter right now even when they are less visible than headline-grabbing announcements.The second half of the update shifts from ecosystem news to practical builder momentum. Peter shares why the Singapore push around Cardano Summit and TOKEN2049 matters, then walks through several projects he has been building himself, including the Learn Cardano DRep site, a new on-chain activity leaderboard, a bounty platform aimed at bringing fresh liquidity into the ecosystem, and the annual Push-Up Challenge fundraiser for mental health.Key Takeaways:- Indigo V3 expands Cardano DeFi with a new reward model, broader synthetic asset support, and stronger oracle infrastructure through Pyth.- Cardano Critical Integrations V2 focuses on maintaining major integrations and adding Fireblocks support that could matter for institutional and enterprise participation.- Vola Network's public testnet is an early example of how Cardano partner chains can serve specific business and infrastructure use cases.- The closure of JPG Store marks a transition point for Cardano NFTs and pushes users to understand migration paths and new marketplace options.- Midnight is moving from concept to product layer, with MeowDrop, Moonlight, Midnight City, privacy education, and new market experiments all appearing together.- Peter argues that Cardano Summit and TOKEN2049 are ecosystem-level opportunities because they create visibility with enterprise, regulatory, and infrastructure decision makers.- New builder tools such as the DRep portal, leaderboard, and bounty platform are designed to turn governance, on-chain activity, and contributor work into more visible participation.Links & References:- x.com: https://link.learncardano.io/XUNLQX- x.com: https://link.learncardano.io/Tp3KCS- x.com: https://link.learncardano.io/CZyf7G- Intersect Hydra Voting: https://link.learncardano.io/Cn2nX9- x.com: https://link.learncardano.io/5Jb2gu- x.com: https://link.learncardano.io/AIZAji- x.com: https://link.learncardano.io/Rnalwg- ANOlaunch — Launch Your Cardano Token Website | Pepeano: https://link.learncardano.io/QMI2e2- x.com: https://link.learncardano.io/LqOXXT- Vola Explorer: https://link.learncardano.io/wniToA- Vola Wallet — Download: https://link.learncardano.io/TbNXZI- x.com: https://link.learncardano.io/eMYzks- JPG Store says goodbye: https://link.learncardano.io/4sndu9- x.com: https://link.learncardano.io/M9fSYi- x.com: https://link.learncardano.io/jUMxS2- x.com: https://link.learncardano.io/umzlvx- https://link.learncardano.io/kUAmIL- x.com: https://link.learncardano.io/Ng3jsO- How Private Are You? | Midnight Privacy Quiz: https://link.learncardano.io/H3O0ye- x.com: https://link.learncardano.io/s0HD1l- x.com: https://link.learncardano.io/05qZPI- Ascend Market | Leveraged Event Perpetuals: https://link.learncardano.io/rzsx0D- x.com: https://link.learncardano.io/ZNnQY5- x.com: https://link.learncardano.io/EAesoJ- Cardano's Big Singapore Push: Why Summit + TOKEN2049 Could Shape the Next Cycle - YouTube: https://link.learncardano.io/t3YPs3- https://link.learncardano.io/Cahuqi- https://link.learncardano.io/GrfcOI- https://link.learncardano.io/Mx5NHZ- Peter Bui · Cardano DRep — Informed Voting, Public Rationales: https://link.learncardano.io/vG2x1z- Leaderboard | Learn Cardano Leaderboard: https://link.learncardano.io/wmcvrG- Cardano Bounties — Earn Stablecoins Building the Ecosystem: https://link.learncardano.io/S4Roix- x.com: https://link.learncardano.io/BpxyaE- The Push-Up Challenge - Cardano Community: https://link.learncardano.io/IGzXFOWebsite: https://link.learncardano.io/bQ68RcX/Twitter: https://link.learncardano.io/3a1QtvDisclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only. Nothing constitutes financial advice.DISCLAIMER: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not financial, investment, or legal advice. I am not affiliated with, nor compensated by, the project discussed—no tokens, payments, or incentives received. I do not hold a stake in the project, including private or future allocations. All views are my own, based on public information. Always do your own research and consult a licensed advisor before investing. Crypto investments carry high risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. I am not responsible for any decisions you make based on this content.

Orange County officials said today they found a crack in the Garden Grove chemical tank that may be relieving pressure. A Long Beach construction program is helping women of color gain a foothold in the trade. We visit the La Brea Tar Pits before the site closes for a major 2-year revamp. Plus, more. Support The L.A. Report by donating at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.comSupport the show: https://laist.com

Every Friday around 8:15​-8:20 a.m. on KFAN 100.3 the Power Trip Morning show plays the Initials Game presented by Builders & Remodelers!The game involves 12 items people, place, things, phrases or anything as long as they share the same initials. All 12 items share the same initials. The contestants do not know the initials until they are revealed shortly before the game starts. Each item has 6 clues. As soon as the contestants know who or what the host is describing, they yell out their name. Their name is their buzzer. If the contestant gets it right, they get a point. If they get it wrong they are out for just that item. The item does have to be pronounced correctly. It is best out of 12 with tiebreakers if needed. Tiebreaker items have 3 clues.#InitialsGame #ThePowerTrip #KFAN1003FOLLOW The Power Trip on Social Media:► Like the show on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PowerTripKFAN​​► Follow the show on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/PowerTripKFAN​​► Follow the show on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PowerTripKFAN​​► Follow Cory Cove on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CoryCove​​► Follow Chris Hawkey on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Chris_Hawkey​​► Follow Meatsauce on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Meatsauce1​► Follow Mark Parrish on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MarkDParrish► Follow Marney Gellner on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MarneyGellner► Follow Zach Halverson on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ZachHalverson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this solo episode of Million Dollar Flip Flops, Rodric breaks down what he believes is the single biggest killer of business growth — and it's not the economy, interest rates, or competition.It's comfort.Not the early struggle. Not obvious failure.It's that quiet, sneaky place where:Revenue looks good on paperLife feels “manageable”Survival isn't on the line anymore…and growth stops being necessary, so it quietly becomes optional.Rodric shares:Why most builders don't stall because they fail — they stall because they succeed just enoughHow comfort kills ambition in the same way it killed empires (yes, including Rome)Why your why has to evolve from survival → stability → lifestyle → something biggerWhy “optional growth” will always lose to comfortHow all business problems are ultimately human problemsWhy he still coaches even after selling his last company (and how it ties directly to SASLA & impact)You'll also hear stories about the Roman Empire, Henry Ford, and the subtle way comfort erodes standards, responsibility, discipline — and eventually, your edge.This episode is a gut check for any builder or entrepreneur who's doing 2, 3, even 10 million a year… and feels like life looks good on paper, but something inside knows they're coasting.

Quitting a stable paycheck to build something of your own is the hardest decision most future business owners ever make. In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, host Adam McChesney sits down with Michael Schieffer, a former commercial loan officer who spent 10 years inside the banking world before walking away in April 2023 to build three businesses of his own.Today Michael runs a real estate flipping operation (16+ flips and counting), an Exit Factor franchise that helps business owners increase valuation and step out of the operator seat, and a Two Maids cleaning franchise in St. Charles that he runs as an owner, not an operator. That distinction is the entire point of this conversation.What we cover:– Why "golden handcuffs" keep so many high earners stuck in jobs they've outgrown– What 10 years of writing commercial loans taught Michael about why businesses fail– The owner vs. operator framework — and how to structure a business so it doesn't depend on you– How Michael completed 16+ real estate flips while still holding down a W2– Why "time freedom" became the real driver behind leaving banking– The 80/20 content rule for building authority without becoming a full-time creator– How to position your business for a higher exit valuation 5+ years before you sellIf you've been sitting at a desk wondering if it's time to make the jump, or you're already running a business and trying to step out of the day-to-day, this episode lays out the mindset and the mechanics.

AI is not just for writing nicer emails or cranking out generic captions. This episode gets into how builders can use AI, construction software, agents, and connected tools to clean up admin, qualify leads, track money, improve communication, and make the business side less of a mess. Morgan: https://construction2style.com Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community: