Podcasts about businesses

A growing team does not always mean a growing business.Sometimes it just means you are paying people to perform tasks that software could handle faster, cheaper, and with fewer mistakes.That is where automation becomes one of the most powerful forms of leverage available to an entrepreneur.In this episode of The Level Up Podcast, Paul Alex breaks down why repetitive operational work should be handled by systems whenever possible and how automation can help businesses protect margins while scaling faster.The goal is not to eliminate people.It is to make sure your people are spending their time where human judgment actually matters.In this episode, you'll learn:• Why repetitive manual work quietly destroys profit margins• How to identify tasks inside your business that should be automated• Why tools like Zapier and Make can replace unnecessary administrative work• How automation creates infrastructure that can scale without constantly increasing payrollThe truth is simple:Your team should be focused on empathy, strategy, creativity, and decision-making.Software should handle the repetitive work.Map the process.Find the repeated actions.Automate what does not require human judgment.Then use your people where they can create the most value.The more efficiently your business operates behind the scenes, the easier it becomes to scale without letting expenses grow just as quickly as revenue.Your Network is your NETWORTH!Make sure to add me on all SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS:Instagram: https://jo.my/paulalex2024Facebook: https://jo.my/fbpaulalex2024YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGhDAD1JyGGzSQUPD9lc9HQLinkedIn: https://jo.my/inpaulalex2024Looking for a secondary source of income or want to become an entrepreneur? Check out one of my companies below to see if we can help you:www.CashSwipe.comFREE Copy of my book “Blue to Digital Gold - The New American Dream”www.officialPaulAlex.com

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Holly Cotton. Evolution from nurse and cancer survivor to author, wellness advocate, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate. Through her personal story, she shares lessons about resilience, purpose, entrepreneurship, emotional wellness, and the importance of choosing peace over revenge. The discussion also highlights her latest book, The Hard Choice: When the High Road Feels Like Losing, Revenge or Peace. Purpose of the Interview The interview was designed to: Introduce and discuss Holly Cotton's new book, The Hard Choice. Share her journey as a cancer survivor and how it reshaped her life and career. Encourage listeners to discover their purpose and pursue meaningful work. Provide practical advice on personal branding, entrepreneurship, and self-publishing. Explore the emotional and psychological benefits of choosing peace over revenge when faced with conflict. Key Takeaways 1. Adversity Can Lead to Purpose Holly's cancer diagnosis at age 36 became a turning point in her life. Facing her own mortality forced her to reflect on her legacy, priorities, and impact on others. That experience ultimately led her to writing, speaking, and advocacy work. Lesson: Difficult experiences can become catalysts for personal growth and purpose. 2. Many People Are Already Living Their Purpose Holly believes people often spend years searching for purpose without realizing they are already operating within it. Lesson: Purpose is often found in the work, talents, and passions that consistently show up throughout your life. 3. Think Beyond Employment Although she was a highly respected nurse, Holly realized her mission extended beyond working as an employee. She built a personal brand around wellness, education, mental health, and empowerment. Lesson: Transforming expertise into a business and brand can create greater impact and opportunities. 4. Failure Is Feedback Holly does not view setbacks as failures. Instead, she sees them as opportunities to learn, adjust, and try a different approach. Lesson: Successful people adapt rather than quit when things don't go as planned. 5. Protect Your Positive Mindset As someone who works with and motivates people daily, Holly believes positivity is intentional and necessary. She starts each day with a positive outlook because she knows challenges and negativity will inevitably arise. Lesson: Mental wellness requires consistent effort and self-awareness. 6. Businesses and Books Must Solve Problems One of Holly's strongest business principles is that people are interested in solutions, not simply someone else's story. Lesson: Whether writing a book or building a business, focus on addressing a real need or challenge for your audience. 7. Peace Is Often the Harder Choice The central theme of The Hard Choice is that taking the high road can feel like losing because it does not provide immediate satisfaction. People often seek revenge, public validation, or instant emotional relief. Holly argues that choosing peace ultimately leads to better outcomes, even though it can be difficult in the moment. Lesson: Long-term peace is often worth more than short-term emotional satisfaction. 8. Emotional Triggers Should Not Drive Decisions Holly encourages people to pause before reacting when they feel hurt, angry, or betrayed. Most emotionally charged decisions are made in moments of pain and are later regretted. Lesson: Emotional regulation is a critical life skill. Memorable Quotes On Purpose "Sometimes people, when they're trying to find a purpose, they don't realize that they're living in the purpose." On Her Mission "My purpose is to not just go and give shots and give medication. My purpose is to sort of address the holistic aspect of taking care of people." On Cancer's Impact "After I make it past this, it'll never be me again." On Failure "I have zero failures in my life." On Building a Brand "Once you start being intentional and you see it as a business model, everything falls into place." On Writing Books "Nobody cares about your life story. What problem are you solving?" On Relatability "We all have things in life that almost killed us, but we're here today to tell the story." On Choosing Peace "The hard choice is choosing to take the high road." On Triggers "A trigger means that I cared about something, and now something is making me remember how I felt." On Emotional Control "Pause. See what you feel like in 24 hours." Executive Summary Holly Cotton's conversation with Rushion McDonald is ultimately about transformation. After surviving cancer, she redefined her purpose and built a platform centered on wellness, empowerment, mental health, and personal growth. Her message is that success comes from living intentionally, building meaningful relationships, creating value for others, and maintaining emotional discipline. Through The Hard Choice, she challenges readers to choose peace over revenge, even when taking the high road feels difficult or unfair. The interview offers practical insights for entrepreneurs, authors, professionals, and anyone navigating personal or professional challenges. #BEST #STRAW #SHMS Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcastSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Tiffany Bussey Director of the Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (MIEC) at Morehouse College. The conversation focuses on entrepreneurship, wealth creation, supplier diversity, workforce development, and emerging opportunities in sustainability-related industries. Dr. Bussey explains how Morehouse helps Black and Brown businesses scale through access to capital, contracts, strategic relationships, and business development programs. The discussion also highlights partnerships with organizations such as Goodwill, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo that help create pathways to employment, business growth, and economic mobility. Purpose of the Interview The interview was designed to: Educate entrepreneurs about resources available through the Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center. Challenge stereotypes about Black-owned businesses and workforce readiness. Highlight business opportunities in sustainability, renewable energy, EV infrastructure, green construction, and agriculture. Demonstrate the importance of access to contracts and relationships, not just capital. Encourage business ownership as a pathway to wealth creation and closing the racial wealth gap. Key Takeaways 1. Entrepreneurship Can Help Close the Wealth Gap Dr. Bussey emphasizes that entrepreneurship and small business development are powerful tools for creating wealth and addressing racial income inequality. 2. Access to Opportunities Is as Important as Access to Capital While funding is often discussed as the largest obstacle for minority entrepreneurs, access to contracts, customers, and decision-makers is equally important for growth. 3. Morehouse Has a Proven Record of Impact Over the past 20 years, the Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center has: Supported more than 400 businesses. Helped create over 850 jobs. Facilitated more than $34 million in new capital access. Helped businesses generate more than $82 million in new revenue. 4. Sustainability Is a Major Economic Opportunity Dr. Bussey encourages entrepreneurs to explore high-growth sectors such as: Renewable energy Electric vehicle infrastructure Green building and construction Sustainable agriculture Environmental technology and services She describes sustainability as one of the most significant emerging economic sectors globally. 5. Workforce Development Matters Businesses often struggle not only with financing but also with finding qualified workers. Partnerships with organizations like Goodwill help create a trained workforce pipeline to meet employer demand. 6. Goodwill Offers Career Training One of the most surprising insights from the interview is that Goodwill provides workforce training, certifications, and in some cases stipends for participants seeking new job skills and career pathways. 7. Entrepreneurship Is Not Easy Dr. Bussey cautions listeners against romanticizing entrepreneurship. While ownership can be rewarding, running a business requires long hours, resilience, and a willingness to embrace risk and failure. 8. The Three Cs of Business Growth The foundation of Morehouse's Small Business Executive Program is: Capital Connections Contracts Dr. Bussey argues that sustainable growth requires all three. 9. Relationships Drive Revenue Business success depends on building genuine relationships and understanding customer needs. Companies win contracts when they present solutions to customer problems rather than simply selling products or services. 10. Minority Entrepreneurs Should Pursue Future-Focused Industries Rather than focusing only on traditional business models, entrepreneurs should position themselves in growing industries where demand and opportunities are expanding rapidly. Notable Quotes On Economic Empowerment "We believe that entrepreneurship and small businesses are one of the pathways in closing the racial income inequality gap in this country." On Business Growth "At the end of the day, it's revenue that drives and scales businesses." On Opportunity "What we don't talk about quite as much is access to opportunities." On Program Design "This is not just technical assistance for technical assistance sake. This is not about butts in seats." On Sustainability "We know that global warming is a thing and it does exist, and that there is a huge industry that is being developed." On Entrepreneurship "Entrepreneurship is in our DNA." On Failure "We have to accept that failure is part of the process." On Ownership "Ownership is what we need." On the Three Cs "Capital, connections and contracts." On Selling "People don't buy products and services. They buy solutions." On Customer Value "If you approach a customer and say, this is how I can help you solve your problem, more than likely you will get that business." Bottom Line Dr. Tiffany Bussey's message is clear: business success requires more than funding. It requires access, relationships, contracts, workforce talent, and the willingness to pursue emerging opportunities. Through the work of the Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, she is helping entrepreneurs build scalable businesses, create jobs, and generate wealth within underserved communities. The interview serves as both a roadmap and a call to action for aspiring business owners to pursue ownership, innovation, and long-term economic growth. #STRAW #SHMS #BEST Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcast Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Holly Cotton. Evolution from nurse and cancer survivor to author, wellness advocate, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate. Through her personal story, she shares lessons about resilience, purpose, entrepreneurship, emotional wellness, and the importance of choosing peace over revenge. The discussion also highlights her latest book, The Hard Choice: When the High Road Feels Like Losing, Revenge or Peace. Purpose of the Interview The interview was designed to: Introduce and discuss Holly Cotton's new book, The Hard Choice. Share her journey as a cancer survivor and how it reshaped her life and career. Encourage listeners to discover their purpose and pursue meaningful work. Provide practical advice on personal branding, entrepreneurship, and self-publishing. Explore the emotional and psychological benefits of choosing peace over revenge when faced with conflict. Key Takeaways 1. Adversity Can Lead to Purpose Holly's cancer diagnosis at age 36 became a turning point in her life. Facing her own mortality forced her to reflect on her legacy, priorities, and impact on others. That experience ultimately led her to writing, speaking, and advocacy work. Lesson: Difficult experiences can become catalysts for personal growth and purpose. 2. Many People Are Already Living Their Purpose Holly believes people often spend years searching for purpose without realizing they are already operating within it. Lesson: Purpose is often found in the work, talents, and passions that consistently show up throughout your life. 3. Think Beyond Employment Although she was a highly respected nurse, Holly realized her mission extended beyond working as an employee. She built a personal brand around wellness, education, mental health, and empowerment. Lesson: Transforming expertise into a business and brand can create greater impact and opportunities. 4. Failure Is Feedback Holly does not view setbacks as failures. Instead, she sees them as opportunities to learn, adjust, and try a different approach. Lesson: Successful people adapt rather than quit when things don't go as planned. 5. Protect Your Positive Mindset As someone who works with and motivates people daily, Holly believes positivity is intentional and necessary. She starts each day with a positive outlook because she knows challenges and negativity will inevitably arise. Lesson: Mental wellness requires consistent effort and self-awareness. 6. Businesses and Books Must Solve Problems One of Holly's strongest business principles is that people are interested in solutions, not simply someone else's story. Lesson: Whether writing a book or building a business, focus on addressing a real need or challenge for your audience. 7. Peace Is Often the Harder Choice The central theme of The Hard Choice is that taking the high road can feel like losing because it does not provide immediate satisfaction. People often seek revenge, public validation, or instant emotional relief. Holly argues that choosing peace ultimately leads to better outcomes, even though it can be difficult in the moment. Lesson: Long-term peace is often worth more than short-term emotional satisfaction. 8. Emotional Triggers Should Not Drive Decisions Holly encourages people to pause before reacting when they feel hurt, angry, or betrayed. Most emotionally charged decisions are made in moments of pain and are later regretted. Lesson: Emotional regulation is a critical life skill. Memorable Quotes On Purpose "Sometimes people, when they're trying to find a purpose, they don't realize that they're living in the purpose." On Her Mission "My purpose is to not just go and give shots and give medication. My purpose is to sort of address the holistic aspect of taking care of people." On Cancer's Impact "After I make it past this, it'll never be me again." On Failure "I have zero failures in my life." On Building a Brand "Once you start being intentional and you see it as a business model, everything falls into place." On Writing Books "Nobody cares about your life story. What problem are you solving?" On Relatability "We all have things in life that almost killed us, but we're here today to tell the story." On Choosing Peace "The hard choice is choosing to take the high road." On Triggers "A trigger means that I cared about something, and now something is making me remember how I felt." On Emotional Control "Pause. See what you feel like in 24 hours." Executive Summary Holly Cotton's conversation with Rushion McDonald is ultimately about transformation. After surviving cancer, she redefined her purpose and built a platform centered on wellness, empowerment, mental health, and personal growth. Her message is that success comes from living intentionally, building meaningful relationships, creating value for others, and maintaining emotional discipline. Through The Hard Choice, she challenges readers to choose peace over revenge, even when taking the high road feels difficult or unfair. The interview offers practical insights for entrepreneurs, authors, professionals, and anyone navigating personal or professional challenges. #BEST #STRAW #SHMS Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Tiffany Bussey Director of the Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (MIEC) at Morehouse College. The conversation focuses on entrepreneurship, wealth creation, supplier diversity, workforce development, and emerging opportunities in sustainability-related industries. Dr. Bussey explains how Morehouse helps Black and Brown businesses scale through access to capital, contracts, strategic relationships, and business development programs. The discussion also highlights partnerships with organizations such as Goodwill, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo that help create pathways to employment, business growth, and economic mobility. Purpose of the Interview The interview was designed to: Educate entrepreneurs about resources available through the Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center. Challenge stereotypes about Black-owned businesses and workforce readiness. Highlight business opportunities in sustainability, renewable energy, EV infrastructure, green construction, and agriculture. Demonstrate the importance of access to contracts and relationships, not just capital. Encourage business ownership as a pathway to wealth creation and closing the racial wealth gap. Key Takeaways 1. Entrepreneurship Can Help Close the Wealth Gap Dr. Bussey emphasizes that entrepreneurship and small business development are powerful tools for creating wealth and addressing racial income inequality. 2. Access to Opportunities Is as Important as Access to Capital While funding is often discussed as the largest obstacle for minority entrepreneurs, access to contracts, customers, and decision-makers is equally important for growth. 3. Morehouse Has a Proven Record of Impact Over the past 20 years, the Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center has: Supported more than 400 businesses. Helped create over 850 jobs. Facilitated more than $34 million in new capital access. Helped businesses generate more than $82 million in new revenue. 4. Sustainability Is a Major Economic Opportunity Dr. Bussey encourages entrepreneurs to explore high-growth sectors such as: Renewable energy Electric vehicle infrastructure Green building and construction Sustainable agriculture Environmental technology and services She describes sustainability as one of the most significant emerging economic sectors globally. 5. Workforce Development Matters Businesses often struggle not only with financing but also with finding qualified workers. Partnerships with organizations like Goodwill help create a trained workforce pipeline to meet employer demand. 6. Goodwill Offers Career Training One of the most surprising insights from the interview is that Goodwill provides workforce training, certifications, and in some cases stipends for participants seeking new job skills and career pathways. 7. Entrepreneurship Is Not Easy Dr. Bussey cautions listeners against romanticizing entrepreneurship. While ownership can be rewarding, running a business requires long hours, resilience, and a willingness to embrace risk and failure. 8. The Three Cs of Business Growth The foundation of Morehouse's Small Business Executive Program is: Capital Connections Contracts Dr. Bussey argues that sustainable growth requires all three. 9. Relationships Drive Revenue Business success depends on building genuine relationships and understanding customer needs. Companies win contracts when they present solutions to customer problems rather than simply selling products or services. 10. Minority Entrepreneurs Should Pursue Future-Focused Industries Rather than focusing only on traditional business models, entrepreneurs should position themselves in growing industries where demand and opportunities are expanding rapidly. Notable Quotes On Economic Empowerment "We believe that entrepreneurship and small businesses are one of the pathways in closing the racial income inequality gap in this country." On Business Growth "At the end of the day, it's revenue that drives and scales businesses." On Opportunity "What we don't talk about quite as much is access to opportunities." On Program Design "This is not just technical assistance for technical assistance sake. This is not about butts in seats." On Sustainability "We know that global warming is a thing and it does exist, and that there is a huge industry that is being developed." On Entrepreneurship "Entrepreneurship is in our DNA." On Failure "We have to accept that failure is part of the process." On Ownership "Ownership is what we need." On the Three Cs "Capital, connections and contracts." On Selling "People don't buy products and services. They buy solutions." On Customer Value "If you approach a customer and say, this is how I can help you solve your problem, more than likely you will get that business." Bottom Line Dr. Tiffany Bussey's message is clear: business success requires more than funding. It requires access, relationships, contracts, workforce talent, and the willingness to pursue emerging opportunities. Through the work of the Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, she is helping entrepreneurs build scalable businesses, create jobs, and generate wealth within underserved communities. The interview serves as both a roadmap and a call to action for aspiring business owners to pursue ownership, innovation, and long-term economic growth. #STRAW #SHMS #BEST Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when a successful automotive executive leaves the car business and jumps into body sculpting AND nails? In this episode of the Franchise Fit Podcast, Lance Graulich sits down with Uli DiMartino, franchisee of The TOX and incoming franchisee of The Shade, to talk about his move from automotive retail into the rapidly growing beauty, wellness, and aesthetics space.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Holly Cotton. Evolution from nurse and cancer survivor to author, wellness advocate, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate. Through her personal story, she shares lessons about resilience, purpose, entrepreneurship, emotional wellness, and the importance of choosing peace over revenge. The discussion also highlights her latest book, The Hard Choice: When the High Road Feels Like Losing, Revenge or Peace. Purpose of the Interview The interview was designed to: Introduce and discuss Holly Cotton's new book, The Hard Choice. Share her journey as a cancer survivor and how it reshaped her life and career. Encourage listeners to discover their purpose and pursue meaningful work. Provide practical advice on personal branding, entrepreneurship, and self-publishing. Explore the emotional and psychological benefits of choosing peace over revenge when faced with conflict. Key Takeaways 1. Adversity Can Lead to Purpose Holly's cancer diagnosis at age 36 became a turning point in her life. Facing her own mortality forced her to reflect on her legacy, priorities, and impact on others. That experience ultimately led her to writing, speaking, and advocacy work. Lesson: Difficult experiences can become catalysts for personal growth and purpose. 2. Many People Are Already Living Their Purpose Holly believes people often spend years searching for purpose without realizing they are already operating within it. Lesson: Purpose is often found in the work, talents, and passions that consistently show up throughout your life. 3. Think Beyond Employment Although she was a highly respected nurse, Holly realized her mission extended beyond working as an employee. She built a personal brand around wellness, education, mental health, and empowerment. Lesson: Transforming expertise into a business and brand can create greater impact and opportunities. 4. Failure Is Feedback Holly does not view setbacks as failures. Instead, she sees them as opportunities to learn, adjust, and try a different approach. Lesson: Successful people adapt rather than quit when things don't go as planned. 5. Protect Your Positive Mindset As someone who works with and motivates people daily, Holly believes positivity is intentional and necessary. She starts each day with a positive outlook because she knows challenges and negativity will inevitably arise. Lesson: Mental wellness requires consistent effort and self-awareness. 6. Businesses and Books Must Solve Problems One of Holly's strongest business principles is that people are interested in solutions, not simply someone else's story. Lesson: Whether writing a book or building a business, focus on addressing a real need or challenge for your audience. 7. Peace Is Often the Harder Choice The central theme of The Hard Choice is that taking the high road can feel like losing because it does not provide immediate satisfaction. People often seek revenge, public validation, or instant emotional relief. Holly argues that choosing peace ultimately leads to better outcomes, even though it can be difficult in the moment. Lesson: Long-term peace is often worth more than short-term emotional satisfaction. 8. Emotional Triggers Should Not Drive Decisions Holly encourages people to pause before reacting when they feel hurt, angry, or betrayed. Most emotionally charged decisions are made in moments of pain and are later regretted. Lesson: Emotional regulation is a critical life skill. Memorable Quotes On Purpose "Sometimes people, when they're trying to find a purpose, they don't realize that they're living in the purpose." On Her Mission "My purpose is to not just go and give shots and give medication. My purpose is to sort of address the holistic aspect of taking care of people." On Cancer's Impact "After I make it past this, it'll never be me again." On Failure "I have zero failures in my life." On Building a Brand "Once you start being intentional and you see it as a business model, everything falls into place." On Writing Books "Nobody cares about your life story. What problem are you solving?" On Relatability "We all have things in life that almost killed us, but we're here today to tell the story." On Choosing Peace "The hard choice is choosing to take the high road." On Triggers "A trigger means that I cared about something, and now something is making me remember how I felt." On Emotional Control "Pause. See what you feel like in 24 hours." Executive Summary Holly Cotton's conversation with Rushion McDonald is ultimately about transformation. After surviving cancer, she redefined her purpose and built a platform centered on wellness, empowerment, mental health, and personal growth. Her message is that success comes from living intentionally, building meaningful relationships, creating value for others, and maintaining emotional discipline. Through The Hard Choice, she challenges readers to choose peace over revenge, even when taking the high road feels difficult or unfair. The interview offers practical insights for entrepreneurs, authors, professionals, and anyone navigating personal or professional challenges. #BEST #STRAW #SHMS Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcastSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Tiffany Bussey Director of the Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (MIEC) at Morehouse College. The conversation focuses on entrepreneurship, wealth creation, supplier diversity, workforce development, and emerging opportunities in sustainability-related industries. Dr. Bussey explains how Morehouse helps Black and Brown businesses scale through access to capital, contracts, strategic relationships, and business development programs. The discussion also highlights partnerships with organizations such as Goodwill, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo that help create pathways to employment, business growth, and economic mobility. Purpose of the Interview The interview was designed to: Educate entrepreneurs about resources available through the Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center. Challenge stereotypes about Black-owned businesses and workforce readiness. Highlight business opportunities in sustainability, renewable energy, EV infrastructure, green construction, and agriculture. Demonstrate the importance of access to contracts and relationships, not just capital. Encourage business ownership as a pathway to wealth creation and closing the racial wealth gap. Key Takeaways 1. Entrepreneurship Can Help Close the Wealth Gap Dr. Bussey emphasizes that entrepreneurship and small business development are powerful tools for creating wealth and addressing racial income inequality. 2. Access to Opportunities Is as Important as Access to Capital While funding is often discussed as the largest obstacle for minority entrepreneurs, access to contracts, customers, and decision-makers is equally important for growth. 3. Morehouse Has a Proven Record of Impact Over the past 20 years, the Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center has: Supported more than 400 businesses. Helped create over 850 jobs. Facilitated more than $34 million in new capital access. Helped businesses generate more than $82 million in new revenue. 4. Sustainability Is a Major Economic Opportunity Dr. Bussey encourages entrepreneurs to explore high-growth sectors such as: Renewable energy Electric vehicle infrastructure Green building and construction Sustainable agriculture Environmental technology and services She describes sustainability as one of the most significant emerging economic sectors globally. 5. Workforce Development Matters Businesses often struggle not only with financing but also with finding qualified workers. Partnerships with organizations like Goodwill help create a trained workforce pipeline to meet employer demand. 6. Goodwill Offers Career Training One of the most surprising insights from the interview is that Goodwill provides workforce training, certifications, and in some cases stipends for participants seeking new job skills and career pathways. 7. Entrepreneurship Is Not Easy Dr. Bussey cautions listeners against romanticizing entrepreneurship. While ownership can be rewarding, running a business requires long hours, resilience, and a willingness to embrace risk and failure. 8. The Three Cs of Business Growth The foundation of Morehouse's Small Business Executive Program is: Capital Connections Contracts Dr. Bussey argues that sustainable growth requires all three. 9. Relationships Drive Revenue Business success depends on building genuine relationships and understanding customer needs. Companies win contracts when they present solutions to customer problems rather than simply selling products or services. 10. Minority Entrepreneurs Should Pursue Future-Focused Industries Rather than focusing only on traditional business models, entrepreneurs should position themselves in growing industries where demand and opportunities are expanding rapidly. Notable Quotes On Economic Empowerment "We believe that entrepreneurship and small businesses are one of the pathways in closing the racial income inequality gap in this country." On Business Growth "At the end of the day, it's revenue that drives and scales businesses." On Opportunity "What we don't talk about quite as much is access to opportunities." On Program Design "This is not just technical assistance for technical assistance sake. This is not about butts in seats." On Sustainability "We know that global warming is a thing and it does exist, and that there is a huge industry that is being developed." On Entrepreneurship "Entrepreneurship is in our DNA." On Failure "We have to accept that failure is part of the process." On Ownership "Ownership is what we need." On the Three Cs "Capital, connections and contracts." On Selling "People don't buy products and services. They buy solutions." On Customer Value "If you approach a customer and say, this is how I can help you solve your problem, more than likely you will get that business." Bottom Line Dr. Tiffany Bussey's message is clear: business success requires more than funding. It requires access, relationships, contracts, workforce talent, and the willingness to pursue emerging opportunities. Through the work of the Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, she is helping entrepreneurs build scalable businesses, create jobs, and generate wealth within underserved communities. The interview serves as both a roadmap and a call to action for aspiring business owners to pursue ownership, innovation, and long-term economic growth. #STRAW #SHMS #BEST Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcast Steve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What kind of company do you need to become when intelligence itself is no longer scarce?  In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, Andy speaks with Brian Solis, head of global innovation at ServiceNow and co-author of Infinite: How Visionary Leaders Transform Today's Businesses into AI-Forward Companies.  A digital anthropologist and nine-time bestselling author, Brian has spent three decades in Silicon Valley mapping each major wave of technological change — and his warning here is that AI is quietly repeating the central failure of digital transformation. Companies digitized without ever transforming. Now they are automating without reimagining, and the gap between those two choices is going to decide which of them still matters in ten years.  Tune in to episode 261 to hear why the org chart is giving way to what Brian calls a work chart, what an AI-native company already looks like in Silicon Valley today, the name he gives to what happens to your thinking when you hand it to a machine, and his answer for the capable, experienced leader who is quietly afraid of becoming obsolete.  AndrewTemte.com

A growth pipeline should do more than keep names moving through a funnel. It should help a business identify the right opportunities, understand where prospects are getting stuck, and create a clear path from initial interest to a productive long-term relationship. That distinction matters at a time when businesses have access to more marketing channels, more automation, and more data than ever before. Generating activity has become relatively easy. Generating the right activity is considerably harder. For John Dobelbower, SVP of Growth & Development at EverSmith Brands, growth is built around that difference. Leading franchise development strategy and sales across seven B2B service brands requires more than filling the top of a growth pipeline. It requires knowing which candidates have the potential to succeed, understanding the numbers behind acquisition and conversion, and building a process that supports sustainable expansion. The same principles apply well beyond franchising. Whether a company is selling a service, developing a franchise system, building a sales organization, or expanding into new markets, a smarter growth pipeline begins by understanding what successful growth actually looks like. More Leads Aren't Always the Answer When growth slows, the instinctive response is often to generate more leads. Increase the advertising budget, expand the audience, add another marketing channel, or put more prospects into the funnel and hope that additional volume produces additional sales. That approach can become expensive when the real problem is happening somewhere else. A business may have plenty of leads but a weak qualification process. Marketing may be attracting the right prospects while sales follow-up is inconsistent. Strong opportunities may be entering the pipeline only to encounter unnecessary friction, slow response times, or a process that fails to move them forward. Without tracking, those problems are difficult to distinguish. Dobelbower's approach starts by working backward from the desired result. In franchise development, growth cannot simply be measured by how many territories are awarded. The quality of the franchise owners entering the system and their ability to create healthy unit-level economics are part of the equation. That requires clarity about who belongs in the growth pipeline in the first place. An audit of franchise development advertising at EverSmith revealed just how crowded that pursuit can become. Many franchise organizations were using similar messaging, targeting similar audiences, and competing for many of the same prospects. Popular franchise messaging could put a brand in competition with scores of other organizations for essentially the same attention. More competition for the same audience generally means higher costs, but higher costs do not guarantee better prospects. A smarter strategy starts by examining the people who are actually successful and asking how to reach more individuals with those characteristics. That may produce a smaller audience, but it can also create a growth pipeline filled with people who are more closely aligned with the opportunity. The numbers then become essential. Businesses need to understand what it costs to acquire an opportunity, where prospects originate, how many advance through each stage, where they drop out, and which sources ultimately produce the strongest results. When those numbers are visible, leaders can stop assuming they need more leads and start identifying what actually needs improvement. Building a Better Sales and Qualification Process A healthy growth pipeline is not designed to move everyone toward a sale. It should also help determine who should not move forward. That can be a difficult mindset in organizations where growth targets create pressure to close as much business as possible. Yet a poor-fit customer can consume resources, create service problems, and damage profitability. In franchising, the stakes are even higher because the relationship can represent a significant financial and personal commitment lasting many years. "Franchises are awarded. They're not sold." That philosophy changes the purpose of qualification. Financial capacity, experience, and background matter, but they do not tell the entire story. Dobelbower points to qualities such as mindset, goals, motivation, and what he calls the "grittiness factor" as important parts of understanding whether someone is likely to succeed. The process becomes a mutual evaluation rather than a one-sided sales pitch. The organization is evaluating whether the candidate fits the system while the candidate is determining whether the opportunity aligns with personal goals and expectations. That same thinking can improve almost any growth pipeline. The objective is not simply to close the next sale. It is to create relationships that have a reasonable opportunity to succeed for both parties. Once the right prospects enter the pipeline, speed becomes critical. Businesses spend enormous amounts of money generating interest and then sometimes allow that interest to sit unanswered. A prospect submits a form, leaves a message, or requests information and waits hours or even days for a response. Meanwhile, the prospect keeps looking. "Whoever answers the phone first wins." The phrase may be simple, but the business implication is significant. A company can optimize advertising, targeting, and messaging only to lose the opportunity because another organization responded first. Speed to lead is not exclusively a marketing metric. It is part of the customer experience. The same is true of friction. Some friction is necessary because good qualification requires questions, information, and thoughtful evaluation. The problem arises when the business creates obstacles that serve no meaningful purpose. "There will be introduced friction in any good process, but we're the ones that are introducing friction." A detailed qualification question may help both parties make a better decision. An unanswered phone call, confusing website form, unnecessary series of steps, or delayed response simply makes it harder to do business. One of the most useful exercises for any organization is to experience its own growth pipeline from the prospect's perspective. Submit the form, make the call, read the automated response, schedule the appointment, and follow the process from beginning to end. Internal efficiency and customer convenience are not always the same thing. Technology Should Support the Human Relationship Automation can improve nearly every stage of a modern growth pipeline. Text messages can be triggered immediately, educational resources can be delivered automatically, appointments can be scheduled online, and AI can assist with research, communication, analysis, and follow-up. The ability to automate something, however, does not automatically make automation the best choice. EverSmith uses technology to create a more structured candidate journey, giving prospective franchise owners visibility into what they will encounter next and providing educational resources they can review on their own time. That allows development professionals to spend less time repeatedly delivering basic information and more time focused on the relationship itself. The distinction becomes especially important at the beginning of the relationship. "We are the front porch to an opportunity that's going to change their lives forever. That deserves a conversation." A form can collect information. An automated sequence can distribute content. AI can summarize data and help teams work more efficiently. None of those tools can fully replace a conversation where one person is trying to understand another person's motivations, concerns, expectations, and goals. Technology is most valuable when it creates more capacity for those conversations rather than eliminating them. This is especially relevant as companies rush to incorporate AI into sales and customer service. Automation can create tremendous efficiency, but it can also scale a poor process. If a company already has unnecessary friction, weak communication, or an unclear customer journey, adding more technology may simply allow those problems to occur faster. The smarter growth pipeline uses automation intentionally. Routine information can be delivered efficiently while important moments remain personal. That balance can become a competitive advantage as more businesses attempt to automate every possible interaction. Sustainable Growth Is About the Right Opportunities Growth is often discussed as an acquisition problem, but existing relationships can create opportunities that are just as valuable. EverSmith's portfolio includes seven B2B service brands, creating the potential for franchise owners to operate complementary businesses serving overlapping commercial customers. Dobelbower describes the concept as "relationship ownership." Once a trusted relationship exists, there may be additional opportunities to solve problems for that same customer rather than continually starting from zero. The concept has applications far beyond a multi-brand franchise organization. Existing customers may need additional services. Referral partners may be able to create introductions. Strategic relationships may open new markets. A satisfied customer may become an advocate who generates opportunities that traditional advertising could never create as effectively. A strong growth pipeline should account for the value of those relationships, not just the volume of new prospects entering at the top. Sustainable growth also requires the discipline to walk away from opportunities that are unlikely to work. Dobelbower describes the lasting impact of receiving a call from a franchise owner years after an agreement was signed and hearing that the business had not worked and the owner was facing the possibility of losing everything. Experiences like that make the consequences of poor qualification impossible to reduce to a sales number. "We're not in the business of ruining lives here." The opposite outcome can be equally powerful. The right person, paired with the right system and willing to execute the process, can build a business that changes the financial trajectory of a family. That is why the quality of the opportunity matters. A smarter growth pipeline is not measured solely by how many people enter or how quickly they can be closed. Its real value comes from helping an organization identify better opportunities, create better experiences, and build relationships capable of producing sustainable results. More leads may make a pipeline look impressive. Better targeting, better qualification, faster response, intentional technology, and stronger human relationships are what make it productive. Watch the full episode on YouTube. Join Fordify LIVE every Wednesday at 11 a.m. Central across your favorite social media platforms and catch the replay on The Business Growth Show Podcast for more conversations with today's leading business experts, entrepreneurs, and growth-minded leaders. About John Dobelbower John Dobelbower is SVP of Growth & Development at EverSmith Brands, where he leads franchise development strategy and sales across the company's seven B2B service brands. He oversees territory sales, candidate qualification, and pipeline management with a data-driven, execution-focused approach to sustainable growth. Previously, John served as VP of Franchise Development at PIRTEK USA, where he led record-setting expansion. His expertise includes sales process design, multi-channel lead generation, franchise development, candidate qualification, and building growth systems designed to attract and identify the right opportunities. About Ford Saeks Ford Saeks is a Business Growth Accelerator who has generated more than a billion dollars in sales worldwide by helping businesses attract loyal customers, increase visibility, and accelerate growth. As President and CEO of Prime Concepts Group, Inc., Ford has founded more than ten companies, authored eleven books, earned three U.S. patents, and advised organizations ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. A recognized expert in business growth, customer acquisition, leadership, franchising, marketing, and AI-driven business strategies, Ford helps business owners and leaders identify opportunities, improve performance, and achieve sustainable results. Learn more at ProfitRichResults.com and watch Fordify LIVE at Fordify.tv.

More far-left businesses across Memphis say they will deny service to law enforcement. We name names today. Plus, your chance to win tickets to see Alabama at Live At The Garden.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm breaking down exactly what makes a LinkedIn company page work — from the seven-day account rule to admin permissions to why your newsletter might be your best growth lever. Plus an update on Raise Your Visibility LIVE (35 days out!) and why I'm doing a daily video for 30 days ahead of my B2B Marketing Profs talk in November.In this episode:✅ RYVL conference update — Canva & YouTube confirmed as workshop hosts (7 Oct), and I've still got a couple of sponsor tables left✅ Why I'm doing a daily video for 30 days across LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts✅ The stat that'll make you fix your company page today (30% more weekly views for fully completed pages)✅ Who can actually create a LinkedIn company page (and the 7-day account rule)✅ The must-haves: banner, logo, overview keywords, specialties, CTA button, 120-character tagline✅ Super Admin vs Content Admin vs Analyst — and why you need to check who has access on yours✅ Why company page newsletters are one of the easiest wins for growth✅ Getting your team to amplify the page (most comments come from employees anyway — lean into it)Mentioned in this episode:Raise Your Visibility LIVE — 7–8 Oct, Belfast + virtual tickets → louisebrogan.com/raise-liveSocial Media Examiner's LinkedIn company page stats carouselResources:Want help setting up or optimising your company page? https://louisebrogan.com/corporate-services/My Canva tutorials → YouTube channel

Earlier this summer, the Trump administration ended Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians, upending life for tens of thousands of New Yorkers. We headed to Flatbush's Little Caribbean neighborhood to hear how the policy shift is playing out on the ground for business owners. Photo: Djon Djon executive chef Chef Wesly Jean Simon / Iru Ekpunobi Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org. 'Prevailing emotion is really fear': Haitians in NY brace for loss of deportation relief NYC public schools to ban AI for teaching students below 9th grade Woman NYPD killed after Times Square stabbings had long mental health struggle, brother says NYC now has a 400-page Racial Equity Plan. Drafting it was the easy part. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hundreds of seagulls are plaguing a northern Auckland district, leaving business owners at their wit's end. The birds are damaging roofs, while their excrement blocks drains and contaminates water in Dairy Flat - well away from the nearest beach. Locals are stumped about how they can solve a problem no one is taking responsibility for. Evie Richardson reports.

The ongoing trade war between the U.S. and Canada could have lasting economic and political implications for both countries, particularly for businesses in Northeast Ohio. Starting next week, Canada will begin charging retaliatory tariffs on American goods being shipped into their country. The U.S. was the first to kick off this battle with the same move on Canadian products coming into the United States, effective as of Aug. 22. The Trump administration imposed the tariffs after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney walked away from trade talks, citing U.S. demands that he said would "destroy" big Canadian industries including the auto, steel and aluminum sectors. We unravel that complicated concept on Wednesday's edition of the "Sound of Ideas" hosted by Stephanie Haney, in light of the fact that many Canadian companies are deeply integrated with American business operations within the U.S. In the absence of a deal, both countries have opted to tax around $20 billion worth of annual exports from the other, at a rate of 50%. With Canada being largely considered the United States' closest political ally as well as Ohio's largest international trading partner, we discuss the potential fallout of this disagreement. Guests: - Dan Ujczo, Associate General Counsel, Cenovus Energy - Katie Nicholson, Washington, DC Correspondent, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation News - Bill Kosteas, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, Cleveland State University

A damning Crown review has found longstanding systemic failures at the top and missed warning signs ahead of the catastrophic failure at Moa Point wastewater treatment plant in February, disaster, which has since spewed billions of litres of untreated sewage into Cook Strait. Reporter Mary Argue has been speaking to people on the south coast.

The end of Temporary Protected Status for many Haitian immigrants has transformed Miami's Little Haiti. Businesses are quieter and churches are emptier, while many families weigh impossible choices. USA TODAY National Correspondent Chris Kenning joins The Excerpt after reporting from the heart of the community to explore the economic and human toll of losing deportation protections.Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to podcasts@usatoday.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At least 50 businesses, owned by pro-criminal, far-left activists, have announced they will not do business with any member of the Memphis Safe Task Force. The co-owner of Bramble and Bloom, which promotes flowers over fascism, says Memphis needs more social services, not cops. What say you, Memphis? Join the conversation by calling Todd at 901-260-5926.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 1 (8.31) Mark Thompson is back behind the mic after fainting from dehydration and breaking his ankle — and he's got opinions. First up: the customer service collapse nobody can explain. Businesses are fighting for every dollar, yet consumers are getting phone trees, useless AI chatbots, and burned-out frontline staff. You'd think companies would be rolling out the red carpet. Instead they're doing the opposite. Mark digs into why the system actually works this way. Then: Aaron Donald is coming back. The future Hall of Famer ends a two-and-a-half-year retirement and returns to the Rams on a one-year deal worth up to $30 million. Plus the latest on the Times Square stabbing, a look at how the neighborhood got its name back in 1904, and the question that's going to blow up the phone lines — Mark's stuck in a boot for eight weeks and can't drive. So: is your spouse actually a good driver? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#337 Billy interviews fitness industry leader Sara Kooperman, CEO of SCW and Water in Motion, about how she built her career from dance into entrepreneurship, education, and event leadership. They also dig into the real-world business lessons that matter most for gym and studio owners, especially around hiring, legal protection, systems, and leadership. Sara shares practical advice from decades of building and fixing businesses, plus the mindset that keeps her growing. Key topics Billy introduces Sara Kooperman as a fitness icon, CEO of SCW and Water in Motion, a Fitness Hall of Fame inductee, and a major speaker and presenter in the industry. Sara tells the origin story of her career, starting with dance, a foot injury in high school, and rehab before eventually dancing in college and joining a dance company. She explains how teaching became her real passion, and why she prefers being behind the scenes, building events and finding talent, rather than being the center of attention. Sara talks about the importance of listening to yourself and finding people who believe in you, especially when your path does not match the traditional one expected by family or society. She describes herself as a serial entrepreneur and shares how that mindset led her from one fitness idea to multiple businesses, including SCW, Water in Motion, SEET, and an upcoming reformer program. Sara stresses that entrepreneurship means failing early and often, then treating mistakes as learning instead of quitting. She shares a painful early business lesson: being $450,000 in debt after hiring the wrong sales team for Water in Motion, then rebuilding the company by fixing the structure. She gives practical advice on borrowing money and building trust with bankers slowly over time by starting small, paying loans back, and proving reliability. Sara recommends using worst-case and best-case scenario planning before making expansion decisions, especially for gym and studio owners. She emphasizes systems, organization, and surrounding yourself with people who compensate for your weaknesses, especially if you are not naturally neat or structured. Billy and Sara discuss the legal side of business, including waivers, informed consent forms, physician notes, leases, and personal guarantees. Learn more about Sara: www.SaraKooperman.com Get some Goodies from Billy: www.yourfitnessmoneycoach.com/resources

Today, Colorado Sun rural reporter Tracy Ross talks about how the growth in northern Colorado spurred a push to create a chamber of commerce in the once sleepy town of Timnath and also team with nearby Severance and other area communities. https://coloradosun.com/2026/08/29/rural-chamber-of-commerce-timnath-severence/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People across Chicago are working multiple jobs just to afford basic necessities, while neighborhood small businesses are being priced out by skyrocketing licensing fees, software taxes, and crushing property taxes.   In this episode of Eyes Wide Open, host Nick Thompson sits down with Laura Yepez, longtime Wicker Park Inn owner and candidate for Chicago's 1st Ward Alderwoman. costs.    However, mainstream news channels keep our attention glued to national political theater—distracting us from the reality that our local alderpersons hold direct power over our wallets, streets, and communities. We unpack why the true cost of existing is pushing families out of the city, how City Hall ignores mom-and-pop operations in favor of private equity chains, and what authentic, constituent-first leadership looks like when everyday residents decide to fight back.   In this episode, you will learn: ✅Why local municipal politics impacts your daily finances ✅Why neighborhood safety is far more important than national news. ✅How escalating property taxes and licensing fees are driving independent Chicago small businesses to the brink. ✅ The reality behind Chicago's historic move toward a fully elected school board ✅How corporate private-equity chains masquerade as local neighborhood spots to extract community wealth. ✅The core differences between responsive, present constituent service and entrenched political complacency. ✅Why working-class families and young adults face an existential affordability crisis in modern urban centers. ✅ What Laura Yepez will bring to Chicago as Alderwoman Chapters   0:00 - The Reality of Working Multiple Jobs Just to Exist 2:21 - Meet Laura Yepez: Small Business Owner and 1st Ward Candidate 5:36 - Why Small Businesses Rally: COVID Fallout & Lack of City Support 9:32 - The Rising Cost of Existing and Doing Business in Chicago 11:11 - What Does an Alderperson Actually Do for Your Community? 14:59 - Taking on an Incumbent: Why Local Representation Must Change 19:49 - Redefining Authentic Leadership Through Service and Mentorship 22:33 - The Modern Urban Affordability & Housing Crisis 26:00 - Property Taxes, Rent Hikes, and the New Elected School Board 33:26 - The Broken American Dream: Corporate Layoffs and Surviving the Squeeze 47:10 - Contrasting the 1st Ward Race: Advocacy, Identity, & Small Business Focus 54:50 - The Ground Game: Door-Knocking, Petitions, and Upcoming Election Deadlines 1:00:35 - Nick Thompson on Moving Past Reality TV & Staying Authentic   About Guest  Laura Yepez is a longtime Chicago resident, community advocate, 1st Ward Democratic Committeewoman, and the owner of the historic Wicker Park Inn for over 22 years. With a deep background in entrepreneurship, local chambers of commerce, and local school councils, she is running for 1st Ward Alderwoman to bring responsive, constituent-focused leadership and small-business advocacy to City Hall. Our Mission Eyes Wide Open is a space for honest communication. Our goal is to remove the stigmas around mental health, holistic lifestyles, culture, and free speech so you can show up as your authentic self with your eyes wide open. By having real conversations about difficult truths, we move toward collective healing. Find Laura Yepez here:   Website: https://www.yepezforchicago.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yepezforchicago/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yepezforchicago_/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yepezforchicago  Stay at the Wicker Park Inn: https://www.wickerparkinn.com/    Find Nick Thompson here: Nick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/    UCAN Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_ucan_foundation/       YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EyesWideOpenContent       LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/        UCAN Foundation: https://theucanfoundation.org/      Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com   

Seven Life Insurance Tax Benefits Many People Are Unaware Of Episode 398 – It's not always easy to understand how life insurance works. But there are some unique tax advantages that often get overlooked. Here are seven of them. More SML Planning Minute Podcast Episodes Transcript of Podcast Episode 398 Hello, this is Bill Rainaldi, with another edition of Security Mutual's SML Planning Minute. In today's episode: seven life insurance tax benefits many people are unaware of. Is there really such a thing as a simple financial product? Maybe. But in many—if not most— cases, tax law introduces complications that can make some products difficult for the typical consumer to understand. But with that comes opportunity. You're going to pay taxes anyway, but along the way, you might as well make an effort to minimize them. Life insurance, particularly permanent life insurance, offers its share of tax complexities. But many of these, if you truly understand them, can help produce advantageous after-tax results. Here are seven tax benefits you might not be aware of: 1) In most cases, the life insurance death benefit is income tax-free. This is probably the biggest, and most well-known, tax advantage of life insurance. When you receive a large sum of cash after someone dies, the taxation depends on where the money comes from. For example, if you inherit an individual retirement account or IRA, you are likely to be facing a significant income tax bill. Not so with a life insurance death benefit. We must caveat, that we are referring to typical lump-sum payouts directly to a named person that are generally income tax-free. Exceptions can occur due to interest earnings, estate size, policy transfers, or complex ownership structures. These are not typical scenarios, however. Using the typical scenario, the difference is potentially huge. If you're in a 32 percent tax bracket for example, your $1,000,000 of pre-tax cash will only be worth $680,000 after tax. But with the few exceptions already referenced, a $1,000,000 of life insurance death benefit is worth the full $1,000,000 after tax. 2) Tax-deferred growth of cash value. In most circumstances, a permanent life insurance policy will generate a cash value, which is also the amount you would receive if you surrendered the policy. Note that a term life insurance policy generally does not have any cash value.The cash value within a permanent policy—in most but not all cases—grows on a tax-deferred basis, unlike, say, a mutual fund or a stock that pays a dividend. The gains within the policy are not taxed from year to year. Gains only become taxable in certain circumstances, such as a cash surrender of the policy, certain withdrawals above your taxable basis, or if the policy lapses. 3) Tax-free borrowing via policy loans. You have the ability to borrow against your policy's cash value on a tax-free basis, within limits, as long as the policy stays in force. Tax-wise, loans are treated as debt, not income. As with most types of loans other than home mortgages, interest payments are not deductible. But unlike a bank loan, the loan decision is entirely yours. You don't have to ask anyone else to approve your application, and while you will continue to accrue interest, you are not required to pay the loan back at any particular time. 4) Receiving an “accelerated death benefit” that is generally tax-free. If you are chronically or terminally ill, you may be able to access a portion of the policy's death benefit while you are still living if the policy includes a chronic or terminal illness accelerated death benefit provision. From a tax perspective, assuming certain conditions are met, the distribution would be treated as an income tax-free acceleration of the eventual death benefit payment. 5) Tax-free exchanges via IRC Section 1035. You can also exchange one life insurance policy for another without being immediately taxed on any gains. There are, of course, some rules you'll need to follow. When the first policy is transferred, the money needs to go directly from the original transferring insurance company to the new insurance company. Of course, if the original company is also issuing the new policy then there is no physical transfer. The main thing is that you can't take receipt of the policy proceeds yourself during the exchange. Also, the new policy must have the same owner and insured as the old one. No material changes may occur but if you follow the rules, a Section 1035 exchange can be an opportunity to improve the life insurance benefits over the ones in your original transferred policy. The new policy may have a higher or less expensive death benefit, performance implications, or riders that may not have existed before or are better, all without any current tax implications. 6) A life insurance policy can help with estate taxes. Not many people think about this one. After all, federal estate tax law, as of 2026, allows you to leave up to $15 million to your heirs ($30 million for a married couple) before any federal estate tax is assessed.[1] But state estate tax laws are different. If you live in certain states, such as New York, Maryland or Massachusetts, the threshold is much lower.[2] Estate tax rates can be high, and an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT) can help ensure the associated life insurance proceeds are not included in your taxable estate, thus minimizing or helping to avoid a potentially significant estate tax. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, it is recommended to consult with a qualified life insurance professional. 7) In a business situation, life insurance can potentially have tax advantages. Businesses can find ways to use life insurance in a tax-efficient manner. This might include buy-sell agreements, key-person insurance, split-dollar arrangements, or executive benefit plans. Premiums paid are generally not deductible for the business, but these strategies can still provide significant tax advantages to both the business and the insured individual(s). And here's a bonus tax-advantaged use of life insurance: 8) Potential retirement income. If the circumstances are right, a cash value life insurance policy can be used to supplement retirement income. This doesn't happen overnight; it's a strategy that generally needs to be planned out well in advance. Once a life insurance policy has been well-capitalized (and this usually takes someone many years) it is possible to access cash value through periodic tax-free loans and withdrawals to the policy's tax basis. This strategy can provide retirement income that is both tax-free and not subject to Required Minimum Distributions or RMDs. Such loans and withdrawals are generally not guaranteed. As is always the case with taxation, things can become very complicated, and there are some pitfalls to watch out for. One of the most notable is something called a “modified endowment contract.” The IRS specifies how much money can be paid into a life insurance contract, and if you exceed those limits, many of the tax advantages could be lost. It's too complicated to discuss in detail here, but it's a good illustration of why you need the help of a qualified life insurance professional. Interested in pursuing some of the special tax advantages discussed here? Your Security Mutual Life insurance agent can help. Your Security Mutual Life insurance agent can augment or help assemble your financial team and coordinate with your attorneys and tax professionals to review your situation, and to determine the insurance plan that will best suit your needs and objectives. [1] Internal Revenue Service. “Estate Tax.” IRS.gov. https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/estate-tax (accessed August 6, 2026). [2] Loughead, Katherine. “Estate and Inheritance Taxes by State, 2025.” Taxfoundation.org. https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/estate-inheritance-taxes/ (accessed August 6, 2026). More SML Planning Minute Podcast Episodes This podcast is brought to you by Security Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, The Company That Cares®. The content provided is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Information is provided in good faith. However, the Company makes no representation or warranty of any kind regarding the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the information. The information presented is designed to provide general information regarding the subject matter covered. It is not to serve as legal, tax or other financial advice related to individual situations, because each individual's legal, tax and financial situation is different. Specific advice needs to be tailored to your situation. Therefore, please consult with your own attorney, tax professional and/or other advisors regarding your specific situation. To help reach your goals, you need a skilled professional by your side. Contact your local Security Mutual life insurance advisor today. As part of the planning process, he or she will coordinate with your other advisors as needed to help you achieve your financial goals and objectives. For more information, visit us at SMLNY.com/SMLPodcast. If you've enjoyed this podcast, tell your friends about it. And be sure to give us a five-star review. And check us out on LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter. Thanks for listening, and we'll talk to you next time. Tax laws are complex and subject to change. The information presented is based on current interpretation of the laws. Neither Security Mutual nor its agents are permitted to provide tax or legal advice. The applicability of any strategy discussed is dependent upon the particular facts and circumstances. Results may vary, and products and services discussed may not be appropriate for all situations. Each person's needs, objectives and financial circumstances are different, and must be reviewed and analyzed independently. We encourage individuals to seek personalized advice from a qualified Security Mutual life insurance advisor regarding their personal needs, objectives, and financial circumstances. 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Founder knowledge transfer becomes critical when a business reaches the point where effort and intuition can no longer carry it forward. Early-stage companies often succeed because a founder or small team knows the customer, product, history, and processes so deeply that they can make decisions almost automatically. That expertise is an advantage, but it can become a constraint when growth requires someone else to reproduce the founder's results. In his conversation with Building Better Developers, Scott Shagory, founder and CEO of the Purple Finch Group, describes this transition as the point where growth complexity begins to outrun the original clarity of the idea. The business has proven something works. The next challenge is making that success transferable. The expertise that gets a company started can become the constraint that prevents it from scaling when that expertise remains trapped inside the founder. About Scott Shagory Scott Shagory is the founder and CEO of the Purple Finch Group, where he helps technology CEOs navigate growth when organizational complexity begins to outpace the clarity that originally drove the business. His work focuses on identifying underlying growth constraints, clarifying where organizations create value, making implicit founder knowledge visible, and helping leaders adapt their strategy and operations as technologies such as AI reshape the business environment. Outside his business work, Shagory is a senior martial arts instructor, an experience that complements his focus on teaching and breaking complex ideas into understandable frameworks. Founder Knowledge Transfer Starts When Effort Stops Scaling In the beginning, businesses can compensate for weak systems with extraordinary effort. Founders work late, early employees become true believers, and everyone understands more than their job description because they have lived through the company's wins, losses, pivots, customer conversations, and product decisions. That creates enormous contextual knowledge. It also hides weaknesses. As Shagory explains, a team can create procedures, add tools, automate work, and simply outwork many problems for a while. AI may even extend that runway by allowing a small team to accomplish more. Eventually, however, there is still a wall. Time and human effort are finite. This is where symptoms begin appearing. Sales may flatten, margins may suffer, or delivery may become inconsistent. The founder may conclude that the company needs better lead generation, another developer, or a new tool. Shagory cautions that what a CEO perceives as the constraint is often a symptom of another problem. One of those deeper constraints occurs when the organization still depends on knowledge and judgment that only a few people possess. The company has grown, but its operating knowledge has not. Why Founder Knowledge Transfer Is Harder Than Delegation Delegation sounds simple: identify something you do and give it to somebody else. The problem is that experienced founders rarely perform important work as a simple list of steps. Broadhead compares the problem to tying a shoe. Doing it is automatic once you have performed the task thousands of times, but explaining every movement to somebody who has never done it is surprisingly difficult. Business expertise works the same way. After years of customer conversations, technical decisions, mistakes, and successful projects, founders develop thousands of small assumptions. They recognize warning signs without consciously listing them. They know which customer request matters and which should be ignored. They understand why a product works the way it does. That is more than procedural knowledge. It is context. A new employee receives none of that history automatically. As Shagory explains, "No one can buy . . . your invisible or implicit genius. It has to be made visible in some way." Making that genius visible is one of the fundamental challenges of moving from a founder-dependent business to a scalable organization. Warning: Documenting steps without transferring the reasoning behind them can create employees who know what to do when everything is normal but cannot make sound decisions when circumstances change. Founder Knowledge Transfer Requires a Blueprint Shagory compares this challenge to building a house. You cannot hand someone a picture of a house, write a check, and expect the plumbing, electrical system, framing, and foundation to appear correctly. Specialists need a blueprint showing how their work fits into the whole. Businesses need the same thing. A developer does not necessarily need to know everything the CEO knows. Neither does a salesperson, marketer, or contractor. Each person does, however, need enough of the larger blueprint to understand how individual decisions support the value the company creates. That means making foundational elements visible: what the company does especially well, whom it serves, why important decisions were made, where quality matters most, and how individual roles connect to customer outcomes. This becomes especially important when a founder is also an exceptional salesperson or technical leader. The founder's performance may look effortless precisely because that individual possesses a 360-degree view of the business. Scaling requires breaking that view into pieces other people can understand and use. Action: Identify recurring decisions that still require the founder. Instead of documenting only the eventual answer, capture the context and criteria the founder uses to reach that answer. When the Founder Becomes the Business's Lid There is another complication: founders often remain involved because they genuinely love the work. A developer who built a company may still love developing. A technical founder may want to retain architectural control because technology is where that person feels most competent and energized. That creates more than a delegation problem. It can become an identity problem. The founder is not simply giving away a task. The founder may feel as though a part of what created the original success is being surrendered. Shagory discusses this in the context of the "law of the lid," the leadership idea that an organization can eventually struggle to grow beyond the limitations of the person at the top. If every meaningful technical decision, customer judgment, or process exception must return to one individual, adding employees does not eliminate the bottleneck. It can actually increase it because every additional person creates another potential path back to the same decision-maker. The important question therefore changes. Instead of asking, "Can somebody do this as well as I can?" the founder needs to ask, "Does the company need me to continue being the person who does this?" Those are very different questions. Founder Knowledge Transfer Makes the Company's Genius Visible One of Shagory's strongest concepts in the conversation is what he calls an "origin of genius." Successful companies begin with something distinctive: insight into a technical problem, an ignored market, a customer need, or a better way of combining capabilities. Early teams understand that genius intuitively because they were present when it developed. Later employees were not. The danger is allowing the original insight to become buried beneath processes, growth, departments, and daily activity. People can work extremely hard while becoming increasingly disconnected from what created value. Scaling is not merely adding people and procedures. It means preserving what makes the business valuable while making that value understandable to people who were not there at the beginning. Founder knowledge transfer is therefore more than documentation. It is an exercise in organizational clarity. The company must preserve the context necessary for good decisions without requiring the founder to personally make every decision. Conclusion: Build Beyond the Founder A founder's knowledge is one of an early company's greatest assets. It becomes a liability only when the organization cannot function without constant access to that knowledge. The foundation for growth is not removing founders from everything they enjoy. It is identifying where their context, judgment, and expertise have become organizational dependencies and deliberately making the necessary pieces visible. The goal is a company in which other people can understand the blueprint, make sound decisions, and carry the original value forward. That is when the business begins to scale beyond the people who started it. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community

The 50-per-cent tariffs from the U.S. that came into effect on Aug. 22 are hitting a long list of goods — everything from cosmetics and toiletries, to electronics, clothing, and chemicals. For Canadian small businesses selling to the U.S., the levies are having a big impact already; a 50-per-cent tariff means that, for example, a wedding dress that costs $1,000 will now cost $1,500 overnight. A survey from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business this summer, found that 40 per cent of its members would be affected by the tariffs; some expect to lose at least half of their revenue. Today, we hear from small business owners across Canada to get a sense of how they're getting caught up between the U.S. tariffs and Canadian countertariffs. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GCH Technologies: Building Trust Into Business-to-Consumer Communications, Podcast, GCH Technologies is focused on enabling trusted business-to-consumer communications across messaging, voice and emerging communications technologies. The company works alongside wireless operators, carriers, aggregators, verification providers and industry organizations rather than competing with those participants By Doug Green “Trust doesn't happen by accident.” That observation captures the central theme of my conversation with Cliff Holsenbeck, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of GCH Technologies: how the telecom industry can make it easier for legitimate businesses to communicate with consumers while making trusted communications channels increasingly difficult for fraudsters to exploit. GCH Technologies is focused on enabling trusted business-to-consumer communications across messaging, voice and emerging communications technologies. The company works alongside wireless operators, carriers, aggregators, verification providers and industry organizations rather than competing with those participants. GCH is also the operator of the U.S. Short Code Registry, giving the company a unique position within the infrastructure that supports business messaging. During the podcast, Holsenbeck discusses why trust has become such an important issue as consumers increasingly rely on messaging and other digital communications to interact with businesses. The technology itself has evolved rapidly, but many of the administrative processes behind trusted communications remain fragmented, manual and inconsistent. Legitimate businesses can face lengthy onboarding processes, while carriers and service providers must simultaneously prevent bad actors from gaining access to the same trusted channels. The challenge, Holsenbeck explains, is finding the right balance. Businesses need efficient ways to establish their identities and begin communicating with customers. At the same time, the communications ecosystem needs confidence that those businesses are who they claim to be and are using those channels for legitimate purposes. That means trust begins well before a message or call reaches the consumer. Identity verification, consistent onboarding processes and greater transparency across the ecosystem are increasingly important components of trusted communications. GCH is addressing those issues through vendor-neutral platforms designed to modernize administrative and onboarding processes while maintaining rigorous verification standards. Artificial intelligence also has a role. GCH is using AI to provide better information and stronger intelligence during onboarding and verification, helping ecosystem participants make more informed decisions while reducing manual work and improving consistency. But one of the larger messages from the conversation is that no single company can solve the trust problem. Wireless operators, carriers, messaging providers, verification partners, technology companies and industry organizations all have a role in protecting consumers while preserving access for legitimate communications. Looking ahead, Holsenbeck sees business messaging becoming richer and more interactive, with AI, automation and new communications formats creating new opportunities for businesses and consumers. Those advances will also make identity and trust even more important. As communications become increasingly automated and sophisticated, knowing who is communicating — and why — becomes a foundational part of protecting consumers and maintaining confidence in the communications ecosystem. GCH expects the industry to continue moving toward more automated, API-driven processes while increasing collaboration between carriers, brands, verification providers and industry organizations. The goal is straightforward: make trusted communications easier for legitimate businesses and harder for fraudsters. And, as Holsenbeck puts it, that trust doesn't happen by accident.

You know Codie Sanchez as the woman who made buying a laundromat sound cooler than launching a startup. Today, she's back to talk about her new book, Own or Be Owned, and why so many founders are secretly addicted to their own businesses. Codie explains why being "the hero" of your company is a trap (she compares it to heroin), the 12 owner archetypes she discovered after surveying 15,000 business owners, and why the goal isn't to work harder, it's to become unnecessary. She also gets real about the parts of founder life nobody talks about: the years she put her personal life on hold chasing a revenue number, the fear of telling her team she was pregnant, and why she now believes "later" almost never actually comes. Get Codie's book Own or Be Owned Find boring businesses to buy on BizScout.com What we cover 00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab? 01:33 How to Buy a Laundromat: Cost, Margins, and Failure Rates 14:29 The Thesis Behind Own or Be Owned, and the 12 Owner Archetypes 20:40 Why Being "The Hero" Feels Like Heroin 25:03 Founder Mode vs. Owner Mode 31:03 Stepping Away From the Business She Built 39:12 Pregnancy, Business, and Life as a Founder 43:16 How Codie Invests and Manages Her Own Money 46:48 Boring Business Grades: A Through F, and What to Skip in 2026 All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments. Start investing investing at SoFi.com/MNN Private Wealth Collective Nicole's boutique wealth management practice for people who want more than a robo-advisor and less than a hedge fund minimum. Real strategy, real relationship. https://privatewealthcollective.com The Money School Nicole's $149 investing course that actually breaks down stocks, ETFs, crypto, and building a real portfolio, no jargon, no judgment, lifetime access. https://themoneyschool.com ----------------------- Find other exclusive content at— Instagram: @moneynews TikTok: @moneynewsnetwork Website: https://moneynewsnetwork.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this webinar-turned-podcast, Scott Becker is joined by Jason Zins, Ben Lerner & Nancy Temple to discuss building strong businesses, leadership, talent, client service, entrepreneurship and the importance of people, transparency and long-term alignment.

Paying off your mortgage can feel like one of the clearest signs of financial freedom. I understand the appeal. For many families, that monthly payment represents pressure, obligation, and dependence on someone else. That is exactly why Velocity Banking can sound so compelling. Use a home equity line of credit to attack the mortgage balance, run your income through the line, reduce the total interest you pay, and get the house paid off faster. On paper, the math can work. That is not really where Bruce and I disagree. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6N3lnog3PY What I want you to look at is what happens to your control of capital while you are doing it. A HELOC gives you access to credit under a bank's contract and lending rules. Infinite Banking starts from a different premise: build capital first, then use the policy's loan provision to access capital against what you have already built. Both strategies can involve borrowing. Both require disciplined behavior. But they are not the same financial system. And I want to say this up front: we are not anti-HELOC. A HELOC can be a useful financial tool. The purpose of this conversation is not to tell you that using one is automatically wrong. It is to help you see the structural tradeoffs clearly, especially if you are thinking about making a HELOC the center of your banking strategy. When you are thinking beyond one transaction, about the opportunities you want to pursue, the people you want to provide for, and the financial strength you want to build for your family, that distinction matters. Key TakeawaysWhat Velocity Banking Actually DoesPaying Less Interest Is Not the Only Financial ObjectiveA HELOC Gives You Access to Credit. That Is Not the Same as Controlling Capital.Home Equity Is Valuable, but It Is Not Liquid CapitalWhat Infinite Banking ChangesThe Ownership Question MattersA Different Way to Think About Paying Off the MortgageThe HELOC Draw Period Deserves Attention From the BeginningInfinite Banking Has Tradeoffs TooThe Bigger Question Is Who Controls the Capital Key Takeaways Velocity Banking can accelerate mortgage payoff, but the HELOC itself does not create the savings. Your cash flow and additional principal reduction do the work. Home equity is a real asset, but it is not the same as liquid capital. Turning it into spendable cash requires a sale or another financing decision. A HELOC gives you access to bank credit. Your continued access to unused credit remains subject to the lender's contract and applicable rules. Infinite Banking requires capitalization first. Policy loans charge interest and have to be managed responsibly. Our preference for Infinite Banking is about building a capital system around liquidity, contractual guarantees, long-range behavior, and control, not pretending every bank loan is bad. Before you ask how fast you can eliminate your mortgage, ask what position your capital will be in while you are getting there. DimensionHELOC (Velocity Banking)Infinite BankingWhere the capital comes fromA bank's credit line against your home equityCapital you build first inside a participating whole life policyGetting access to itThe bank approves the line; access to unused credit stays subject to the lender's contract and rulesThe policy's loan provision, based on the contract and available loan value — not income, credit score, or home valueWho controls continued accessThe lender, which may freeze or reduce the line in defined circumstances (per the CFPB)You, within the terms of the policy you ownCost of borrowingCommonly a variable rate that can change over timePolicy-loan interest (not free money); an unpaid loan can reduce the death benefitLiquidity of the underlying assetHome equity is real but not spendable until you sell, refinance, or borrow against itA capital base designed to stay liquid, accessible, and deployableUnderwriting each time you use itSet when the line is established; future refinancing depends on conditions at that timeNo bank-style underwriting each time you use the loan provisionYour relationship to the institutionYou are the bank's customerYou participate in a mutual insurer as an eligible policyholder (dividends are non-guaranteed)The main tradeoff to weighAccess can tighten at exactly the moment you need itYou must capitalize the policy first, and give it timeHELOC vs. Infinite Banking at a glance What Velocity Banking Actually Does Velocity Banking uses a revolving line of credit, often a HELOC, as part of a mortgage-payoff strategy. The basic mechanics are straightforward. You open a HELOC against available equity in your home. You use some of that credit to reduce or replace mortgage debt. Then you direct income into the HELOC and use the line again for living expenses. If more cash flows into the line than flows back out, the balance declines. That can reduce the total interest you pay and shorten the payoff timeline. But here is the part I do not want you to miss: your surplus cash flow is paying down principal. The HELOC changes the path the money takes. It does not create the surplus. Bruce said it very simply in our conversation: your behavior is more important than the strategy. If your income is steady, your spending stays disciplined, rates cooperate, and you follow the plan consistently, the model can look very compelling. But life is not an illustration. Income changes. Businesses have slow seasons. Families face expenses they did not plan for. And sometimes an opportunity shows up at exactly the moment you were not expecting it. That is why I want a financial strategy to be evaluated by more than how it performs when everything goes perfectly. I also want to know what options it leaves you when life does not follow the spreadsheet. Paying Less Interest Is Not the Only Financial Objective One of the strongest arguments for Velocity Banking is something we actually agree with in principle: the interest rate by itself does not tell you the total cost. A higher rate on a balance that falls quickly can, in some circumstances, produce less total interest than a lower rate carried for decades. Looking only at the rate can give you an incomplete picture. But looking only at interest saved can do the same thing. I understand why people see the amount of interest on a long mortgage schedule and immediately think, "I need to get rid of this as fast as possible." That reaction makes sense. Nobody is trying to pay a bank more interest than necessary. The question I want you to add is: what else is happening to that dollar while you are paying down the house? Every extra dollar of principal you put into the four walls of your home increases your equity, but that dollar is no longer liquid. To turn home equity back into spendable cash, you have to sell, refinance, or borrow against the property. There is also an opportunity cost. Could that same dollar have strengthened your reserves? Funded your business? Put you in position for an investment opportunity? Built capital somewhere that remained accessible to your family? A paid-off home may absolutely be part of your financial plan and part of your legacy. But so is the financial capacity you preserve along the way. For me, that is the bigger conversation. We are not simply trying to win an interest calculation. We want each decision to strengthen the whole financial system. A HELOC Gives You Access to Credit. That Is Not the Same as Controlling Capital. This is the distinction at the center of the episode. When you have a HELOC, a bank has agreed to extend credit to you against the equity in your home. That credit can be incredibly useful, but it is still a lending relationship. The bank decides whether you qualify when the line is established. Your available credit exists under the agreement, the value of the collateral, and the lending rules that apply to the account. HELOCs also commonly have variable interest rates, so the cost of borrowing can change over time. Some products offer fixed-rate features, but the details depend on the lender and the contract. The other issue is access. An unused credit line is not the same thing as cash you already control. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains that a lender may freeze additional advances or reduce a HELOC in certain circumstances, such as a significant decline in the home's value or a material change in the borrower's financial condition. That does not mean a bank can simply demand repayment of every HELOC whenever it wants. Bruce was careful about that distinction in our conversation, and I want to be just as careful here. It means your continued access to unused credit is not entirely yours to decide. If your financial strategy depends on that line staying open and available, that matters. You are still a customer of someone else's bank. Home Equity Is Valuable, but It Is Not Liquid Capital Owning more of your home is not a bad thing. A paid-off home can be a meaningful goal. But we need to distinguish between having equity and having capital you can deploy. Your home's equity is real. The house is an asset. But if you want to use that equity without selling the property, a lender usually has to become part of the decision again. That is why Bruce and I kept coming back to the image of money being stored inside the four walls of the house. You can put more money in by paying down principal. The harder question is how easily you can get that money back out when you need it, and on whose terms. If your primary financial objective is to pay off the house as fast as possible, you may be directing a large share of your available cash into an asset that is not immediately deployable. At the same time, you may be delaying your ability to build a capital base somewhere else. For me, financial freedom includes having capital that is growing,...

In this episode, we speak with Chris Hamilton, Partner and Employee Benefits Practice Leader at Hotchkiss Insurance, an independent insurance agency based in Texas. With nearly 20 years of experience in corporate finance and employee benefits, Chris helps employers better understand healthcare costs, improve plan performance, and explore alternatives to traditional insurance models. Chris is also the founder of Benefits Insider, an educational platform focused on helping employers understand how healthcare financing works. Through case studies, industry insights, and practical examples, he gives business leaders the information they need to make smarter decisions about employee benefits and healthcare spending. Recognized as the 2025 BenefitsPro Advisor of the Year, Chris is a respected voice on healthcare transparency, employer-sponsored health plans, and cost-control strategies. His work helps simplify a complex system and gives employers a clearer view of the forces driving healthcare expenses. This conversation explores: ·       Chris's journey into healthcare and employee benefits ·       How the Affordable Care Act has affected employers and healthcare costs ·       The incentives influencing insurance companies, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and other healthcare stakeholders ·       Different strategies employers can use to control healthcare spending Connect with Chris: Personal Website Hotchkiss Insurance LinkedIn YouTube TikTok Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/38oMlMr 

Larry O'Connor sits down with David From of Americans for Prosperity — host of the American Potential podcast — for a Small Business Month conversation that starts with a tribute to Dolly Parton as one of the great American entrepreneurs and ends with the roadblocks strangling small business owners. David From tells the story of Colin Raby, a Louisiana farmer merging AI with agriculture, and Chris Thomas, an Ohio veteran who handed his employees a 30-40% raise after the Trump tax cuts. Plus the Mike Rowe statistic about the trades that stopped David cold. Nominate a small business owner at https://www.AmericaBuildsFreedom.comBecome a Townhall VIP member with promo code "LARRY": https://townhall.com/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi businesses are slower to adopt AI than those in Australia but once they do, they make bigger gains. 

In this webinar-turned-podcast, Scott Becker is joined by Jason Zins, Ben Lerner & Nancy Temple to discuss building strong businesses, leadership, talent, client service, entrepreneurship and the importance of people, transparency and long-term alignment.

Sustainability can sound like a big undertaking, especially for a small or mid-sized business. But as this episode of the DuPage Business Beat Podcast explores, getting started can be much more practical than businesses might expect. Greg Bedalov talks with Cassie Carroll of the EnergySense Resilience Center, Jennifer Larson of Chicago Glue and Machine, and DuPage County Board member Saba Haider about the resources available to businesses through Sustainable DuPage and the Illinois Green Business Certification Program.The conversation looks at Chicago Glue and Machine's experience becoming the first business in DuPage County to earn Illinois Green Business Certification, from its initial assessment to employee engagement and identifying practical improvements. The guests also discuss how businesses can reduce waste, conserve resources, lower costs, and build sustainability into their operations over time. Along the way, they make the case that sustainability does not have to be an either-or proposition for businesses. Done well, it can simply be smart business.To keep up with what's happening in DuPage County and the Chicagoland region, follow Choose DuPage on social media or visit ChooseDuPage.com/Ready. Thank you to our sponsor, Fastener SuperStore, Inc. Visit them at fastenersuperstore.com to easily purchase standard screws, nuts, bolts, rivets, and other fasteners in bulk.

Eric Wiklendt, of Speyside Equity, a private equity firm that acquires and grows mid-market manufacturing and industrial businesses.Through capital investment and hands-on operational support, Eric works with founders, family-owned companies, and management teams to improve performance, strengthen leadership, and create long-term growth.Now, Eric's work across multiple deals and portfolio companies demonstrates what it really takes to balance strategy, pressure, and hands-on problem-solving in complex businesses.And while the world of private equity can be fast-moving and unpredictable, Eric is helping manufacturing companies become stronger, more scalable, and better positioned for the future.Here's where to find more:https://speysideequity.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericwiklendt/________________________________________________Welcome to The Unforget Yourself Show where we use the power of woo and the proof of science to help you identify your blind spots, and get over your own bullshit so that you can do the fucking thing you ACTUALLY want to do!We're Mark and Katie, the founders of Unforget Yourself and the creators of the Unforget Yourself System and on this podcast, we're here to share REAL conversations about what goes on inside the heart and minds of those brave and crazy enough to start their own business. From the accidental entrepreneur to the laser-focused CEO, we find out how they got to where they are today, not by hearing the go-to story of their success, but talking about how we all have our own BS to deal with and it's through facing ourselves that we find a way to do the fucking thing.Along the way, we hope to show you that YOU are the most important asset in your business (and your life - duh!). Being a business owner is tough! With vulnerability and humor, we get to the real story behind their success and show you that you're not alone._____________________Find all our links to all the things like the socials, how to work with us and how to apply to be on the podcast here:https://linktr.ee/unforgetyourself

In this episode of the Grow A Small Business Podcast host Troy Trewin interviews Brett Penager, co-founder of Chiro One Wellness Centers, shares his remarkable journey from four failed businesses and being forced out of a top practice management firm to building a chiropractic empire that grew from just two clinics and 12 team members to 164 offices across 13 states with over 1,000 employees. In this candid conversation, he reveals the highs and lows of rapid scaling, including a near-collapse that forced the closure of dozens of locations, the landmark $100M+ private equity deal in 2017, and hard-won lessons on culture, leadership, and accountability. Penager challenges the myth of work-life balance, stresses surrounding yourself with smarter people, and explains why complete personal responsibility is the true lid on any company's growth. He also discusses his book Larger Than Life and his new mission to support 5,000 entrepreneurs worldwide. Packed with practical wisdom for owners scaling past the 5–30 team stage, this episode delivers both inspiration and actionable insights. Why would you wait any longer to start living the lifestyle you signed up for? Balance your health, wealth, relationships and business growth. And focus your time and energy and make the most of this year. Let's get into it by clicking here. Troy delves into our guest's startup journey, their perception of success, industry reconsideration, and the pivotal stress point during business expansion. They discuss the joys of small business growth, vital entrepreneurial habits, and strategies for team building, encompassing wins, blunders, and invaluable advice. And a snapshot of the final five Grow A Small Business Questions: What do you think is the hardest thing in growing a small business? Brett Penager shares that the hardest thing in growing a small business is learning to set it up so you're no longer the source of everything, especially once you reach around 40–50 employees. He emphasizes putting capable people in place, staying out of their way even if they don't do the job exactly as well as you would, and accepting that acceptable results from others free you to focus on what you do best. What's your favorite business book that has helped you the most? Brett Penager shares that his favorite business books are The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Good to Great, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. If he had to choose just one, he says The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has been the most powerful for him. Are there any great podcasts or online learning resources you'd recommend to help grow a small business? Brett Penager shares that he listens to a wide variety of podcasts and online learning resources rather than sticking to just one or two regularly. He values hearing many different voices and perspectives, so he recommends exploring broadly across platforms instead of limiting yourself to a single show or tool. What tool or resource would you recommend to grow a small business? Brett Penager recommends the Landmark Forum (from Landmark Education) as the most powerful tool for growing a small business. He describes it as transformational learning that accelerates personal growth, helping entrepreneurs become the kind of leaders who can successfully scale their companies by gaining decades of wisdom in a much shorter time. What advice would you give yourself on day one of starting out in business? Brett Penager shares that he would tell himself on day one: "It's all going to work out." He encourages embracing the beauty of the journey itself, because the real magic happens in the process—not just at the mountaintop—and that mindset helps shorten the learning curve when starting over. Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey.     Quotable quotes from our special Grow A Small Business podcast guest:   Balance is a myth — when you're out of balance, it simply means you're doing things that aren't lighting you up – Brett Penager If it's working, it's on me. If it's not, it's on me. At the end of the day, the leader is the lid – Brett Penager Every problem has a solution, and every solution brings with it a new problem you could never have foreseen – Brett Penager      

In this episode, we sit down with Rick Jordan, CEO of ReachOut and host of the leadership podcast Frequency, to discuss the rapidly changing cybersecurity landscape and the growing threats businesses face in an increasingly digital world.  With more than 1,200 interviews and years of experience in technology, media, and business leadership, Rick graciously shares his perspective on protecting organizations, understanding emerging cyber risks, and staying ahead of increasingly sophisticated attacks… Jump in to learn about: How artificial intelligence is changing cybersecurity and cyber threats The growing risks of ransomware, phishing, and social engineering Why cybersecurity awareness matters for businesses of all sizes How organizations can better protect data and digital infrastructure Through his work at ReachOut and Frequency, Rick harnesses his experience in cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, media, and leadership to help others. His approach emphasizes staying calm, informed, and prepared in the face of rapidly evolving challenges. To find out more about how cybersecurity threats are shaping the future of business, click play now! Connect with Rick: Personal Website ReachOut Frequency Instagram Linkedin Youtube

The government can write a solicitation around a single contractor when that contractor supplies the specific requirement language, from minimum past performance to licensing, that gets copied into the statement of work. Ryan Atencio, a federal contracting strategist, walks through how a small business gives the buyer the exact spec details to include so the posted contract fits one company, plus how SDVOSB and woman-owned set-asides and the acquisition.gov forecast open earlier paths to a win. What you'll learn in this episode: How to feed contractor-specific requirements into a statement of work so the solicitation favors your business Why the DOD 5 percent goal for veteran and service-disabled veteran businesses is set to expand, and how to position for it How to use the acquisition.gov forecast to spot a recompete up to a year before the RFP drops How to reach the COR and the actual customer while an opportunity is still pre-solicitation Why vague construction solicitations can be won on price and corrected later through a legitimate contract modification Chapters: 0:00 - Simplified acquisition threshold under $350K explained 1:05 - DD Form 2345 and using AI to fill federal forms 1:35 - DOD 5 percent goal for veteran-owned businesses 3:00 - Giving the government the spec language to buy you 4:30 - acquisition.gov forecast and finding a recompete early 5:30 - Reaching the COR and customer before the RFP 6:00 - Winning vague construction bids and using mods correctly Mindy gives you the federal opportunities, agency signals, recompete intel, and pursuit briefs that tell you not just what contracts exist, but which ones to chase and how to win them. Sign up for free Daily Alerts and get opportunities delivered to your inbox before the day starts.

Enjoy this special feed drop of our sister show "In This Economy?!" Canadian small businesses are a big part of the economy. And like the rest of us, they're dealing with more tariffs as the trade war with the US heats up again, with Canadian counter tariffs set to take effect next month. It's the latest economic hit coming from south of the border, just as businesses were seeing a degree of recovery from the pandemic. Host Kris McCusker speaks to Brad Poulus, lecturer in the Entrepreneurship Department at The Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. They discuss how these latest levies could hit small businesses, if the government is doing enough to help them, and if there are any potential new trade opportunities for them abroad. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Another month, another Q&A!You guys seem to love these episodes and we do too! We're so grateful for each and every question you leave on our episodes throughout the month. It is SO fun to see what you ask and to have the chance to respond!This month, we covered questions around combining finances, building a life with someone else when you're an ambitious woman, how we earn income in our business, how to navigate the messy middle of your career, and so much more!As always, leave any questions you have for the Q&A episodes in the Spotify comments - we source all questions from here! And if you have anything you'd like to see us talk about in a future episode, let us know!If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the podcast. We appreciate your support!

Recorded at the 2026 Florida SBDC Small Business Success Summit, host Tom Kindred speaks with Anthony Gagliano, Chief Operating Officer of CareerSource Suncoast, about the organization's role in supporting entrepreneurs, employers, and job seekers throughout Florida. Anthony shares how his own experience losing a job during the 2009 recession introduced him to CareerSource and ultimately led to a 17-year career focused on employment, education, and workforce training. He explains how Florida's 21 regional CareerSource boards connect businesses with valuable services, including recruiting assistance, job fairs, employee training grants, apprenticeships, and workforce-development programs. The conversation also highlights CareerSource Suncoast's Community Entrepreneur Opportunity—or CEO—program. This free, 10-week business boot camp helps aspiring entrepreneurs evaluate their ideas, understand marketing and pricing, identify funding needs, study their competition, and develop a viable business model. Anthony emphasizes that discovering an idea is not currently sustainable can be just as valuable as launching a new business. Tom and Anthony also discuss the importance of planning for human-capital needs as a company grows. CareerSource can help small businesses recruit employees, develop talent internally, create registered apprenticeship programs, train new hires, and upskill existing workers. The episode demonstrates how partnerships among CareerSource, the Florida SBDC Network, educational institutions, financial organizations, and local governments create a stronger support system for Florida's entrepreneurs and small-business community.

Now into our tenth season we wanted to start the series with something a little different so over the next few episodes we'll be looking a little closer at some of Scotland's award winning food and drink businesses.And as we hold on to the last of summer for dear life what better way to kick off this celebration than to go for ice cream - specifically Equis ice cream in Rutherglen! Rosalind wanted to find out more about the family business and the significant investment they've made in recent years. Father and daughter team David and Alex Equi took her on a tour of the factory - which at points was not for the faint hearted - we're talking about the blast freezer visit here. Rosalind saw a modern, high spec, busy business and learnt a great deal about this award-winning producer. You'll hear parts of the tour here interspersed with Rosalind's chat with Alex and David.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Send us Fan MailEvery purchase you make is a vote. The trouble is, most of us never stop to ask who we're voting for when we're just trying to grab a backpack, refill the soap, and get the birthday gift in the mail on time.In this episode, we have Erin Fangmann and Kate Marsh Lord, the co-founders of Little Blue Cart, a platform that connects conscious consumers with values-driven small businesses. Inspired by a conversation after the 2024 election, they built Little Blue Cart around their kitchen table with a mission to make it easier for people to support small businesses that reflect their values of democracy, equality, and freedom.As military spouses with more than 30 years of combined experience as small business owners, Kate and Erin understand the resilience, creativity, and determination it takes to build a business through constant change. Building on that mission, they recently launched Little Blue Market, an online marketplace where small businesses can sell directly to shoppers. Together, Little Blue Cart and Little Blue Market help independent businesses grow while empowering consumers to make a meaningful impact through their everyday purchasing decisions.What does it mean to vote with your money? Every purchase is a decision about whose values you are funding. When you spend, you are choosing which businesses and which principles get your dollars, so where your money goes ends up being a clear reflection of what actually matters to you.How do you start ‘shopping your values' without feeling overwhelmed? Start with one thing. No one expects perfection tomorrow, and it is not realistic to swap 100 percent of your spending overnight. The next time you are buying a birthday gift or back-to-school supplies, pick one purchase to make intentionally and get it from a small or local business. Once you think intentionally about one purchase, it starts to become a habit for the next.Does shopping your values actually cost more money? Not necessarily, and that is one of the biggest misconceptions. Some sellers offer free shipping once you hit a certain amount, and while a values-aligned marketplace is not built like the giant platforms, the idea that spending with your values always costs more simply is not true.Why does it matter where you shop, not just what you buy? 68 cents of every dollar you spend locally stays in your community and goes toward things like your schools and local resources. On top of that, small businesses keep a far bigger share of each sale than they do on the big platforms, so who you buy from changes how much of your money actually reaches real people.What is the difference between Little Blue Cart and Little Blue Market? Little Blue Cart is a directory of progressive, values-aligned small businesses, both product-based and service-based, that works like a searchable yellow pages you can sort by category or by state. Little Blue Market lets you shop those small product-based businesses directly, all in one place.How do businesses get listed on Little Blue Cart? Little Blue Cart is completely free to join. Businesses fill out an application, agree to the community guidelines and value statement, and go through a quick vetting process. There are optional one-time add-ons for linking socials or featuring a listing, but a free listing gets just as much love and attention.Join us for the next Money Talks “Aligning Spending with your Values”. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions!  Follow & connect with Little Blue Cart:Little Blue Cart Little Blue Market InstagramFacebookThreadsTikTokWant to take this conversation one step further? Join us for our next Money Talks, a free 30 minute live session where we'll dig into a question we hear all the time from women business owners: Budgeting for Businesses to Offer Benefits. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with us!Website Facebook PageFacebook groupInstagramTikTokLinkedInYouTubeReddit ResourcesHave questions? Click this to check out our expert Q&A for tips from industry experts, tailored to help women address their most common financial concerns. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive financial tips delivered weekly here!...

Most land clearing guys using AI are typing random questions into ChatGPT and getting random answers back. In this episode, I've got Jacob Neffendorf on with me and we break down why that happens, and how to actually train AI to think like your best advisor, using real operational and sales data instead of guesswork.We'll walk through Clear Path, the AI tool Jacob and I built and trained specifically for land clearing, forestry mulching, and fire mitigation businesses, pulling from 5+ years of pricing data, scorecards, top performing ad scripts, and sales sequences across 400+ land clearing accounts. Then we map out the 9 prompt system I'm rolling out live over the next nine weeks to help you install AI into every part of your business.WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:✅ Why your AI outputs are only as good as the inputs you feed it. Garbage in, garbage out✅ Why Clear Path is different among other AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini✅ The 9 core prompts every land clearing business owner needs. ✅ How to actually prompt AI so you get a useful answer instead of a generic one✅ Why you should not replace yourself on camera with AI

Dolly Parton's most valuable asset wasn't her music, it was her theme park. We kickoff the episode with an exploration of Dollywood. Then on our road to Trapital Summit, Shot Tower Capital's Rob Law and Antwyne DeLinde joins us for bold prediction: Why AI could increase the value of human-made music, improve royalty collection, and strengthen catalog cash flows. Musixmatch Co-President Marco Paglia also predicts that, within three years, every AI-generated song will be licensed before it is created, opening the door to personalized music and entirely new revenue streams. The Trapital Summit is happening September 15 in Los Angeles. Get your ticket here:https://www.trapital.com/summit/2026 CHAPTERS 03:33 Dolly Parton's Legacy 05:54 The Artist Wealth Funnel 08:49 AI's Upside for Music 11:49 Predicting Catalog Cash Flow 16:23 AI and Catalog Values 19:21 Licensing Before Release 22:42 Personalized Music 26:41 Musixmatch's AI Framework 28:47 What Needs to Change SPONSORSChartmetric: Listen in for our Stat of the Week. Symphonic: Distribute your music to one of the largest networks in the industry. Symphonic delivers your music to over 200 digital service providers ensuring that you're monetizing every stream and use of your music on Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, and more TRAPITAL Where technology shapes culture. New episodes and memos every week. Sign up here for free.

- Join David's email list, RECEIVE 7 FREE GIFTS!!- https://www.DavidCBarnettList.com In this "best-of" interview, I sit down with lending advisor Marshall Lebovitz to explore financing options for businesses that don't fit traditional bank lending criteria. We discuss why healthy and growing businesses can still be considered "unbankable," asset-based lending, working capital, accounts receivable and inventory financing, alternative lenders, and why the cheapest loan isn't necessarily the best financing solution. Marshall also explains how to evaluate the real cost of borrowing, recognize potentially dangerous loan structures, and understand your business from a lender's perspective before you start looking for capital. Watch the video and discover how to fund a business when traditional banks say no. **** Do Business with David using these incredible internet links... - David's Blog where you can find hundreds of free videos and articles, https://www.DavidCBarnett.com - Book a call with David and let him help you with your project, https://www.CallDavidCBarnett.com - Learn how to buy a successful and profitable business in a risk-controlled way https://www.BusinessBuyerAdvantage.com - Get help selling your business, https://www.HowToSellMyOwnBusiness.com ----- #BusinessFinancing #SmallBusiness #BusinessLoans #BusinessFunding #WorkingCapital #CashFlow #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth Special Xero offer: Get 90% off for 6 months using this link: https://referrals.xero.com/DavidCBarnett_xero . Terms & Conditions apply.* See the video of my Xero story here: https://youtu.be/LfaGUfwStqo Youtube music licensing code: 5PJWQOE5ZZHTQSRY

CONTENTS THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 8-25-2026COVER OF FANTASTIC MAGAZINE OCTOBER 1961Liz Peek, columnist for The Hill and Fox News, discusses the surprising resilience of the American economy, noting that small businesses are reporting strong hiring and profitability growth based on broad National Federation of Independent Business and Bank of America data. While consumer spending remains robust, recent data reveals a K-shaped economy, where higher-income homeowners spend extensively on renovations while lower-income consumers trade down at Walmart. Rising interest rates present a critical challenge, slamming the housing market and significantly increasing interest payments on the massive national debt. Lastly, the administration's tariff conflict with Canada is criticized as a major, highly unfortunate, and economically damaging political mistake. (1)Jonathan Schanzer, Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, evaluates the Treasury's initial tranches of secondary sanctions targeting entities trading with Iran, including firms in China and the UAE. Although these measures stop short of targeting major Chinese banks, they provide President Trump with leverage ahead of his Washington summit with Xi Jinping. Within the Middle East, Schanzer warns that regional powers are hedging their bets. Saudi Arabia may be negotiating a separate peace with the Houthis and Iran, which could undermine US sanctions. Additionally, the US controversially rescinded Syria's state sponsor of terror status following the rapid rise of former al-Qaeda commander Ahmed al-Shara. (2)Mary Kissel, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute and former Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State, analyzes Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran, asserting that its success relies on penalizing large Chinesefinancial institutions. However, Beijing holds significant economic and military leverage over the US, including export controls on critical minerals. Regarding North America, Kissel describes the escalating trade war with Canada as a "loser's game" driven by domestic politics. She stresses that the 50% tariffs on essential materials like Canadianaluminum and auto parts disrupt deeply integrated supply chains. Consequently, this trade conflict severely harms ordinary consumers and threatens Republican control of key Senate seats in critical border states of Maine and Michigan. (3)Colonel Jeff McCausland, US Army (Retired) and Visiting Professor at Dickinson College, warns that the US foreign policy process has collapsed under President Trump, who relies on personal loyalty over expert advice. This is illustrated by Trump's sudden decision to reduce joint US-South Korea military exercises without notifying allies. McCausland argues this undercuts South Korea while offering concessions to a nuclear-armed dictator, Kim Jong-un, who actively supplies weapons to Russia for the Ukraine war. Furthermore, he criticizes the "economic D-Day" against Iran as highly insincere given key delays in sanctioning China, and strongly condemns the trade war against Canada, a loyal ally with a rich military history. (4)Gregory Copley, editor of Defense & Foreign Affairs, argues that the US sanctions regime against Iran is strategic signaling that makes Washington look weak, as it ignores China's trade dominance and threatens relations with India. He also views the Canadian trade dispute as a strategic failure that weakens the NORAD treaty and forces Canada to act independently in the Arctic. This unpredictability has alienated European allies, who are now bypassing the US to negotiate directly on Ukraine. Additionally, Copley analyzes post-Petro Colombia, detailing how the energetic new president faces massive domestic security issues, narco-trafficking networks, and the grounding of critical disaster relief aircraft under sanctions. (5)Thaddeus McCotter, former US Representative from Michigan and columnist for American Greatness, details the severe political and economic fallout of Trump's trade war with Canada, noting that insulting rhetoric like the "51st state" remark has politically boosted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. He explains that border states like Michigan and Maine share deep commercial integration, meaning 50% tariffs will directly harm their local economies. This unvetted policy blindsided senior Republican legislators, including Susan Collins, who openly opposed the tariffs and avoided a campaign rally with Vice President Vance. Ultimately, McCotter warns that these tariffs jeopardize critical Senate seats in highly contested swing states, giving rival Democrats a very major campaign advantage. (6)Judy Dempsey, Senior Scholar in Berlin for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, with co-host Thaddeus McCotter: Dempsey describes European Baltic and Nordic leaders flocking to Kyiv, yet warns that "moral outrage" lacks a cohesive strategic plan to negotiate an end to the war. She highlights the rising prominence of the pro-Russian, far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in state elections. Interestingly, an ideological rift has emerged as radical AfD factions in East Germany sour on MAGA due to Trump's policies on Iran. McCotter delivers a severe critique of the MAGA-AfD relationship, arguing MAGA should never have "played footsies" with neo-Nazis, and asserting the AfD is fundamentally aligned with Vladimir Putin rather than the United States—their temporary embrace of MAGA merely a superficial attraction. Although West Germans have abandoned historical sentiments toward Russiadue to the Ukraine invasion, East Germany remains deeply split, harboring lingering sentimental pro-Russian views and separate post-unification cultural dynamics. (7)Note: segment 7 came with a separate co-host block for McCotter, so I've folded his critique into the single paragraph after Dempsey's material — flag me if you'd rather run his commentary as its own standalone file.

Liz Peek, columnist for The Hill and Fox News, discusses the surprising resilience of the American economy, noting that small businesses are reporting strong hiring and profitability growth based on broad National Federation of Independent Business and Bank of America data. While consumer spending remains robust, recent data reveals a K-shaped economy, where higher-income homeowners spend extensively on renovations while lower-income consumers trade down at Walmart. Rising interest rates present a critical challenge, slamming the housing market and significantly increasing interest payments on the massive national debt. Lastly, the administration's tariff conflict with Canada is criticized as a major, highly unfortunate, and economically damaging political mistake. (1)