Podcasts about Capital

What if you could legally raise capital from friends, family, and your community without running into the red tape that derails so many first-time raises? In this episode of the Hero Capital Show, we sit down with Stella Han, founder of Fractional, to unpack how her platform has facilitated over $600M raised in the last five years by rethinking how capital is pooled and deployed. Stella shares her personal journey from real estate investor to tech founder, including a failed early raise that cost her tens of thousands of dollars and sparked the insight behind investment clubs. We dive into how investment clubs work, why the SEC treats them differently from syndications, when they outperform traditional 506 structures, and how operators can responsibly scale capital raising while engaging both accredited and non-accredited investors. If you're an investor or entrepreneur looking for smarter, more flexible ways to raise capital—and avoid costly early mistakes—this is an episode you can't afford to miss. 5 Key Takeaways from This EpisodeWhy investment clubs aren't treated as securities Stella explains how active participation—especially in deal selection and voting—is the key reason the SEC does not regulate investment clubs like traditional syndications. When an investment club beats a syndication or fund For raises around $5M or less, investment clubs can unlock capital from both accredited and non-accredited investors while offering a more engaging “seat at the table” experience. How to raise capital without a deal under contract By raising around a clearly defined investment thesis or buy box, operators can secure capital first and deploy it only after members vote on deals—similar to a fund, but without securities filings. Turning soft commitments into real commitments Fractional uses a small upfront transaction fee from investors to replace verbal promises with real financial commitment, dramatically reducing last-minute dropouts. Using investment clubs alongside syndications Stella outlines how sophisticated operators run clubs and syndications in parallel—using clubs to engage broader communities while still raising larger checks through traditional structures.About Tim MaiTim Mai is a real estate investor, fund manager, mentor, and founder of HERO Mastermind for REI coaches.He has helped many real estate investors and coaches become millionaires. Tim continues to help busy professionals earn income and build wealth through passive investing.He is also a creative marketer and promoter with incredible knowledge and experience, which he freely shares. He has lifted himself from the aftermath of war, achieving technical expertise in computers, followed by investment success in real estate, management skills, and a lofty position among real estate educators and internet marketers.Tim is an industry leader who has acquired and exited well over $50 million worth of real estate and is currently an investor in over 2700 units of multifamily apartments.Connect with TimWebsite: Capital Raising PartyFacebook: Tim Mai | Capital Raising Nation Instagram: @timmaicomTwitter: @timmaiLinkedIn: Tim MaiYouTube: Tim Mai 

In this conversation, Sam Finn shares his journey as a serial entrepreneur, detailing his experiences in the startup world, particularly with Vizo News. He discusses the challenges of navigating the startup landscape, the importance of execution and consistency, and the lessons learned from both successes and failures. Sam offers valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, emphasizing the significance of market validation and the need for resilience in the face of setbacks.  Ultimate Show Notes: 00:00:00 - Introduction to the podcast and guest Sam Finn 00:02:10 - Sam Finn's background and journey as a serial entrepreneur 00:03:49 - Launching Vizo News and the concept of bite-sized news 00:06:09 - Strategies for gaining traction and partnerships in the early stages 00:09:56 - Insights on navigating exits and understanding market dynamics 00:16:12 - Key advice for entrepreneurs on building and executing ideas Connect with Sam:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnsam/ Learn More About Accountable Equity:  Visit Us: http://www.accountableequity.com/   Access eBook: https://accountableequity.com/case-study/#register  Turn your unique talent into capital and achieve the life you were destined to live. Join our community!We believe that Capital is more than just Cash. In fact, Human Capital always comes first before the accumulation of Financial Capital. We explore the best, most efficient, high-integrity ways of raising capital (Human & Financial). We want our listeners to use their personal human capital to empower the growth of their financial capital. Together we are stronger. LinkedinFacebookInstagramApple PodcastSpotify

How is Europe handling Trump's renewed threats against Greenland and who is behind Berlin's five-day power outage? Then: A preview of Oulu's 2026 Capital of Culture program, the work of a young Ukrainian and member of the Scottish Youth Parliament, a visit to the new Byron museum in Italy, and the strange case of the Greek monks illegally occupying a mountain monastery.

First off — Happy New Year. To kick off the year, this week's episode of the Wealth Formula Podcast is a solo one from me. I spend the episode walking through my outlook for 2026 and sharing a few predictions for how I think this cycle is going to play out. Lately, I keep hearing the same question phrased in different ways. The economy feels tight, but markets are holding up. Growth is coming in stronger than expected, inflation is easing, and yet a lot of the signals people usually rely on just don't seem to be lining up. That disconnect is really the starting point for this episode. Rather than reacting to headlines or making short-term calls, I wanted to step back and talk through the mechanics of what's actually driving this environment — and why it looks so different from the cycles most of us learned about. A lot of it comes down to debt, policy constraints, how capital moves today, and the growing influence of technology. When you start looking at those pieces together, some of the things that feel confusing begin to make a lot more sense. This isn't meant to be alarmist or overly optimistic. It's simply an attempt to frame the environment clearly so you can think about it more intelligently — especially if you're deploying capital or deciding whether it makes sense to sit on the sidelines. If you've felt like the economy and the markets aren't really speaking the same language right now, I think you'll find this episode useful. Transcript Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI and may not be 100% accurate. If you notice any errors or corrections, please email us at phil@wealthformula.com.  You need to be out of the dollar and into the investor class because that that widening gap between those who have, who own things, who own assets and those who do not is gonna continue to widen. Welcome everybody. This is Buck Joffrey with the Wealth Formula Podcast, and today I am going to do something a little bit different. I’m gonna kind of give you. My perspective, maybe predictions I dare say about, uh, the upcoming year in 2026, how I look at it, what I think, uh, uh, is likely outcome and why. Not that I am any smarter than any of you on this stuff, but I’ve actually kind of sat down and, and thought about, you know, the things that are going on in the macroeconomic. Side of things and, um, put some stuff together and, uh, hopefully you’ll enjoy it. We’ll have, uh, that right after these messages. Wealth formula banking is an ingenious concept powered by whole life insurance, but instead of acting just as a safety net, the strategy supercharges your investments. First, you create a personal financial reservoir that grows at a compounding interest rate much higher than any bank savings account. As your money accumulates, you borrow from. Your own bank to invest in other cash flowing investments. Here’s the key. Even though you’ve borrowed money at a simple interest rate, your insurance company keeps paying you compound interest on that money even though you’ve borrowed it at result, you make money in two places at the same time. That’s why your invest. Get supercharged. This isn’t a new technique. It’s a refined strategy used by some of the wealthiest families in history, and it uses century old rock solid insurance companies as its backbone. Turbocharge your investments. Visit Wealthformulabanking.com. Again, that’s wealthformulabanking.com. Welcome back everyone, and, uh, happy New Year to you. I forgot to even say that in the intro. How rude of me. Hopefully you had a great holiday, you had a great Christmas, and you’re bringing in the new year with a vision of health and wealth and PO prosperity and all that stuff. So anyway, let’s talk a little bit about, uh, you know what I am. Kinda looking at for 2026. Now, when you think about, well, what are these predictions and what could they be and all that, um, interest rates, inflation markets, you know, uh, let’s set the foundation for how I’m thinking about it, because everything else really kind of builds on it. And the most important thing to understand is that debt. Is really now I think the main character in the economy. I know we, people have been talking about this for a very long time, but I think, I think the debt issue is really, really becoming something that cannot be ignored, and I’ll get into that in a while. Obviously, I’m not saying that inflation and interest rates don’t matter. They matter enormously. Uh, those are the things that people actually feel, right? Higher prices, higher mortgage rates, higher insurance costs. What I’m saying is that the level of debt now determines really how decisions on those things are made from policy makers. You know, how do they respond to inflation and interest rates, recessions market stress. What debt does is it actually kinda limits the range of choices around how policy makers react to all these things. So once you see that, the behavior of the economy starts to, I think, make a lot more sense. So let’s start with. Sovereign debt, and I’m gonna start really basic here because the question is, you know, what exactly is sovereign debt? Okay. And sovereign debt is the money a government owes, okay? In the US it exists because the government consistently spends more than it collects in taxes, and that gap is called the deficit. When that happens year after year, you have an accumulation of debt. Now, when debt is low, it’s, it’s pretty manageable, right? But when debt gets very large, it starts to influence policy decisions, and that’s where we are right now. Uh, here’s the key mechanic that I think most people don’t really think about, right? Governments don’t pay off debt the way you and I, you know, pay off our debt, like mortgage or whatever. They always refinance it, right? So when the US government borrows money, it issues bonds. That’s how it does, those bonds have maturity dates, and when you buy a bond, you’re, you know, you’re loaning the government money. So when a bond matures, the government owes that principle back to you. Right? So that’s, that’s kind of how well we talk about, we talk about debt, but the government doesn’t save money over time to pay off that bond. Like, I mean, that’s the way you would think about it for you and me, right? I mean, at some point you’re like, ah, I really need to pay off this debt. I’m just gonna pay it off with this money that I saved. Instead, what they do is when a bond comes due, it issues a new bond and uses the money from that new bond to pay back the old one. Okay. Now, if that sounds familiar, uh, to you, it’s because it’s pretty much what we would call in plain English refinancing, right? Now imagine though, the government issued a bond a few years ago when interest rates were near zero. That bond matures today, interest rates are much higher, right to pay off the old bond. The government issues a new one at today’s higher rates. So the debt doesn’t disappear, it just becomes more expensive to carry, right? I mean, it’s just like you got a mortgage, you know you had a, a great rate, but you only got it for seven years and all of sudden you gotta refinance it. Gosh, all of a sudden that rate went really higher and your payments are much higher, and the debt payments going up, you know, for the government, what adds to that deficit? It’s a really, really vicious cycle. Now, take that process and multiply it across trillions of dollars of debt. Now you can start seeing why interest rates matter so much in a high debt system. Now, what makes this especially important right now is that for over the last several years, the US issued a very large amount of short-term debt. Short-term debt matures quickly, and that means large portions of government debt. Come due every year and have to be refinanced at whatever the interest rate exists at the time. So even if deficit stock growing tomorrow, which they won’t, the government would still need smooth functioning financial markets just to keep refinancing what it al what already exists now. This is why the economy has become so sensitive to interest rates, liquidity and confidence. Higher interest rates increase the cost of refinancing, right? We’ve mentioned that already. And that pushes deficits higher and forces even more borrowing. So I mentioned liquidity. What is that? Well, liquidity is about how easily money moves through the system. When liquidity is good, bonds are easily absorbed. Banks lend markets function normally, and when liquidity dries up, refinancing becomes fragile. That stress. Stress in the market spreads quickly. And then finally, confidence I mentioned too. Why does confidence matter? Well, confidence matters because investors need to believe that the system is gonna hold together. When confidence weakens, guess what happens? Well, what would happen if you think about it with a loan, a higher risk loan? While investors demand higher yields like refinance, it becomes even more expensive. And problems compound fast. Now, this is why Pol policymakers are extremely uncomfortable with high borrowing costs, reduced lending, falling asset values, and deep recessions. Recessions, by the way, don’t make debt easier to manage. They make it harder by reducing tax revenue and worsening debt ratios. Now that brings me to a, something that I am feeling sort of back and forth with. Um. You know, a listener who sent me some commentary about, you know, the fear of going back to 1970s, eighties style interest rates. But the thing is that I just don’t think that comparison works, and here’s why. Okay, so in the 1970s, the US had far less debt. Interest rates could go very high without threatening the government’s ability to refinance itself. Now today, with debt much larger relative to the economy, very high rates don’t just fight inflation. They stress the entire financial structure, right? You can’t just say, oh, we’re gonna make super high rates because the cost of all that debt the government has is gonna be extraordinarily expensive. Now, that doesn’t mean that rates can’t rise. It means policymakers have far less tolerance for how high and how long rates can stay elevated. It’s a completely different system from the 1970s and eighties. So I think trying to put things into that context is probably not, um, not a, a good way to think about it. So why am I fo focusing on this right now? Uh, instead of a few years ago, because again, we stu we didn’t suddenly become a high debt economy this year. So what changed? Well timing a massive amount of debt that was issued at very low interest rates, as I mentioned before, is now maturing and being refinanced at much higher rates, and that shift is no longer theoretical. It’s happening in real time. Last year, much of that low uh, rate, debt was still in place. Interest costs hadn’t fully reset, but going into 2026, they have no, I, I keep talking about, you know, how much we’re paying an interest, right? Because again, that’s a big difference between now and the 1970s when you could have, you know, you didn’t have as much debt so you could pay more interest on it. Right now, the US is now spending roughly a trillion dollars a year just on interest. Her perspective, right? I mean, what’s a trillion dollars? Uh, what does that even mean for the normal person? Well, for Perce perspective, that’s the defense budget. $1 trillion. It’s more than Medicare, more than most major federal programs. And the thing is that money doesn’t do anything, right. It doesn’t create growth. It just services past borrowing. And this is the point where debt stops being background noise, kind of an annoyance that people just say, well, we’ll kick it to the next generation. It start starts actively shaping, uh, policy decisions because it’s, it’s a thing that you gotta pay for. You gotta keep paying for it. So the takeaway I want you to carry forward is simple. We now live in a system where policymakers don’t have the luxury of letting things break when debt is low. Governments can tolerate deep recessions like you saw in the seventies and eighties and long recoveries. When debt is high, they can’t because even small shocks can just really get outta control quickly. And that’s the framework I think, uh, that I’m using as we move into interest rates, inflation, and what all this means for markets going into 2026. So let’s talk about interest rates. You’ve heard me say that I think that interest rates are gonna come down. Um, they’re gonna continue to tick down a little bit. I don’t think a lot, but I do think there’ll probably be at least one more rate cut. I think, you know, you’re probably gonna have some, um, uh, some lowering in the 10 year and, and the bond market in general. Uh, but interest rates are not gonna go back to 2010, right? They just aren’t. And. The 2010s were not normal. There were a very specific period created by very specific conditions, right? Inflation was persistently low, uh, but just wouldn’t go up. Globalization, uh, push prices down. Capital was abundant. Debt levels, well, they were high, but they’re rising, but they hadn’t become what they are now. And because of that, central banks could hold rates near zero without much consequence. That environment, unfortunately, does not exist now. So today, debt is much higher. Inflation risk is real again, and investors expect to be compensated for lending money long term. So even when rates decline from current levels, they do not return, uh, they will not return to where people, uh, anchor them psychologically. If they’re thinking about the 2000 tens, they’re gonna settle higher. Within the 2000 tens baseline, you see policymakers are kind of stuck if rates, uh, say too high for too long. We mentioned this before. Refinancing government debt becomes increasingly expensive. Interest costs rise, deficits, widen, and then you get that financial stress that’s spreads through the credit markets. But if rates are pushed too low for too long, borrowing accelerates. And that’s. When inflation resurfaces and confidence in the currency weakens, so then that’s the tug of war. So policymakers, uh, you know, they, they can no longer choose between high rates and low rates. They’re gonna be choosing how to manage, uh, the trade-offs, right? So what’s gonna happen is that you’re gonna see that rates are gonna move within a range. Uh, they come down when something breaks, they move back up when inflation pressures recurrent. Um, that’s why volatility matters more than the exact. Level of rates going forward, in my opinion. So we’re, we’re not returning to free money. We are also not headed to a permanent 1970 style high rate world. What we are doing is entering a time where borrowing costs matter. Again, refinancing is not guaranteed, and rate swings are part of the system, and that naturally leads to the question of inflation. So once you understand why rates. You know, don’t go back to the 2010. The next question becomes, uh, well, if policymakers can’t keep rates high for long and they can’t push them back to zero either, then what are they actually trying to ac accomplish? Well, the answer is that, that the goal is kind of shifted for decades. Economic policy was focused on disinflation, um, you know, pushing inflation lower and lower. Over time, uh, and inflation was actually treated as a failure, and that made sense. In a world with lower debt in a high debt world, that logic sort of breaks down, right? Deflation, which is actually falling prices, increases the real value of debt. Think about that for a moment. Like just in terms of. You know, you have a mortgage and you know, sometime, you know, your parents might have like a 30 year mortgage or something like that, that they’ve had for 25 years. They’ve been paying it off and it’s great. But the bigger thing to notice is the amount of money that they borrowed is actually very small in real world dollars because it’s, you know, 25 years later. See, inflation is bad when it’s, you know, you’re dealing with it, but inflation is. Good at one other thing, which is it’s good at eroding debt. It will make, uh, the amount of the value of the, you know, the actual money that you owe on debt lower over time. So that’s why you can’t have deflation, right? You can’t have deflation because that increases the real value of the debt. It discourages spending, slows growth and makes refinancing harder. So in today’s system, deflation is way, way more dangerous than moderate inflation. And so because of that inflation really isn’t something that I think is quite as important that has to be eliminated at all costs. That, you know, you have to be right at 2%, which is, you know, kind of what the, the fed his, his target is, right? Instead, what you gotta do is you gotta manage it. Of course, that doesn’t mean you want runaway inflation. What they wanna do is have enough inflation to keep nominal growth positive and prevent debt burdens from become heavier again. Why? What do I mean by that? You gotta have enough inflation to erode the debt that we have, right? So this is why that 2% inflation target should be understood. As, you know, kind of aspirational, but not absolute because having a little higher inflation, yeah, it hurts people. It’s, uh, it hurts people on a day-to-day basis, but actually helps with that. So even at, uh, you know, inflation sell a bit higher than, than, than the, you know, 2% fed target say it’s 4%, it’s actually eroding, uh, you know, it is eroding purchasing power, but it’s also eroding debt. It’s, it’s stabilizing debt dynamics. From the system’s perspective, of course that’s helpful. But for us, we’re paying for things on a day-to-day basis to see the cost of eggs and all that. It’s, it’s frustrating, right? And that tension between system stability and personal cost, it’s one of the defining features of the economy heading into 2026. So when you see policymakers tolerate inflation, uh, longer. Then you think they should or step in quickly When markets kind of wobble, it’s not confusion or incompetence, it’s actually constraint because debt limits the available choices. Rates are managed within a range. Inflation is guided and not eliminated. Now put those together and you get the environment we’re moving into, which is an economy where markets can look. Resilient, even while people feel stretched, right? I mean, that’s kinda what we’re feeling. Everybody’s like, oh, these markets are doing fantastic, you know? But then, you know, you look at consumer confidence, it goes down. It’s been going down every month. This is an environment where asset prices recover faster than wages, and we’re understanding how policy reacts becomes a real advantage. So that’s kind of my macro setup for 2026. Um, you know, with that framework, we can start looking into the first prediction I’ll make. And again, these are not, you know, crazy predictions. Uh, they are just generalized things that I think you’re gonna see. So, like the first one is that the markets will stop being reliable proxy for the economy. You could argue that’s already happened, right? Markets in the economy kind of stopped correlating. We saw it after the financial crisis, right? We saw it very clearly even during COVID. The decoupling itself is not new. What’s new is that that decoupling is no longer temporary. It’s become the baseline that’s become the new normal. Uh, for most of modern history people had a fairly reliable mental model, right? You probably do. If you grew up in the eighties and nineties, uh, as a kid or whatever, when the economy felt bad, layoffs, we growth falling in con incomes, markets usually reflected the pain. Right. Sometimes there was a gap. Sometimes markets recovered a little earlier, but eventually things kinda re converged. The economy healed. We just caught up in the markets and lived experience kinda lined up. Now that’s the model that most people still have in their heads, and that’s why so many people feel so confused right now. I mean, I feel confused by it. So what’s changed going into 2026? You know, it, it is, it’s structural Now. We’re no longer living in a system where policy intervenes only during emergencies. We are, uh, in a system where policy is always on, debt is permanently high, rates are actively managed, inflation is tolerated rather than eliminated. And as a result of that, markets aren’t really necessarily responding primarily to how. The economy feels to people they’re responding. Uh, you know, it’s responding to refinancing needs. Liquidity management. Uh, confidence preservation. That’s a very different signal. COVID is the clearest example of that ship, but it’s, it’s important to understand it correctly. So in 2020, the economy was literally shut down, right? Unemployment exploded. Uh, small businesses were collapsing, right? Like, this is COVID and yet markets bottom quickly. We saw that and then bam. All time highs, even though life kind of felt terrible for a lot of people. And that wasn’t because the economy was healthy, it was because policy overwhelmed fundamentals. And at the time that felt extraordinary. It felt very different. Like this doesn’t make any sense. What’s different now is that we’re still using the same playbook but with out in obvious crisis. So intervention is no longer reactive. It’s, you know, uh, it’s preventative. So what do I predict for 2026? Well, markets are gonna stop being a reliable proxy for economic health. Uh, you, you people can just stop talking about that. Like it, like it, it means anything anymore. Markets going to increasingly reflect how constrained policymakers are and how much liquidity is in the system, and how aggressively risk is being managed. They’re not gonna, the markets are not gonna tell you. About affordability, wage pressure, or whether life feels easier or harder for people. Right. Those are completely gonna, those are, it’s just a standard thing now that those are uncorrelated and the gap is not, uh, abnormal anymore. It’s. The operating environment. So what do you do with that information? Well, for an individual investor, this environment requires a real mindset shift, right? You can’t rely on your gut anymore. You can’t say, man, I feel like this economy doesn’t feel good. So the market’s gonna look at the, I mean, you, you, you know, a lot of people feel like the economy doesn’t feel good to them because of inflation, because of what happened with interest rates and all that stuff, right? But look it, you’ve got. Record breaking, uh, stock market numbers. You can’t rely on your gut anymore. Your gut is telling you the economy feels bad. For many people, that’s absolutely true. Costs are high. Again, things feel tight, and the instinct is to wait to sit in cash. To assume markets would reflect that pain, but that instinct used to work. And in this system it doesn’t because markets are no longer pricing in how the economy feels. They’re pricing policy response. Liquidity and constraints. So if you wait for the economy to feel good before you act, it’s gonna be way too late. So instead of asking, does the economy feel weak, you need to start asking different questions. You need to ask how constrained policymakers are, how quickly liquidity will return if markets wob on it, and where capital tends to flow first when policy steps sit. In other words. You gotta start really thinking about investing, right? Like you gotta, like right now. Now I’ve talked, I’ve beat this over many times before, but you know, you have, if you’re, if you’re saving money right now and you’re looking and you are wondering what to do, look for things that are on sale now. I spent real estate’s on sale right now. Right? Get your money into the markets one way or another. That’s what I would say. Whatever it is that you want to invest in. Don’t let your money just erode because this lack of correlation is, it’s a really, really important thing and it’s, it’s gonna continue to happen and you know what else is gonna happen Because of that, you’re gonna see an increasing widening up the wealth gap. People whose income is tied primarily to wages are, are gonna experience that inflation directly, right? Their money’s trapped in the real economy where costs rise faster than income. But investors on the other hand, have an opportunity to participate in the markets that are supported by this sort of unnatural infrastructure that I just mentioned, right? As asset prices are gonna continue going up. Now, I’m not here to judge whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, I’m just telling you how it’s functions. So the investor class increasingly benefits from asset appreciation, right? Early access to liquidity. While lower income groups often can participate in that upside. Even as their cost of living rise, because they’re not in the markets, they’re not, they don’t own assets. So again, you have to stop, you know, using how the economy feels is your primary investing signal. If you wanna protect and grow your wealth in this environment, you need to understand how policy reacts, how you know liquidity moves, how assets behave when the system is under constraint. And in other words, uh, you know. Frankly, you just need to be part of the winning class, which is the investor class. Alright, so that’s kind of, uh, hopefully that made sense to you. Here’s another prediction for you, and this is probably more related to some of the things that we talk about usually, but I’ll say that multifamily and commercial real estate are going to finish their washout, and the window is gonna start to really close again. I’ve talked about this. Before, you’ve probably heard me say this, but let’s talk about multifamily and commercial real estate again, because you know, this audience doesn’t need just theory. You’ve already lived through the pain or the past two years you’ve seen deals blow up, capital calls go out, refinancings fail. So the real question going on in 2026 is not whether real estate breaks. It’s already, it already did. It already did. The real question is how much longer this phase lasts and what replaces it. My view is that 2025 into early 2026, um, represents the final phase of this unwind in the beginning of stabilization. I’m not predicting an immediate boom, not a return to 2021 by any means, but the end of obvious distress. So what’s happened already from 2022 to 2024? Multifamily and commercial real estate absorbed the fastest rate shock in modern history. Many of you lived through that. I lived through that. It’s painful. Debt costs doubled or tripled. Cap rates moved hundreds of basis points. You know, bridge debt structures broke, uh, refinancing assumptions collapsed. Now, a lot of the deals, I mean, I would say most of the deals, uh, uh, that, you know, kind of imploded, uh, shared the same DNA, you know, peaking price, uh, purchases, uh, during peak prices in 2021, early 2022. Uh, you know. Floating rate thin or negative cash flow based on, you know, the rates at the time. Maybe it was positive business plans that were really dependent on refi and rent growth. Um, those deals though, have largely already defaulted, recapitalize, or, you know, they’re being quietly handed back. And that matters because markets don’t keep breaking the same wave forever. If, if you’re seeing right now and if you’re in our investor club, you are. 30% discounts on a regular basis. Right? On a regular basis compared to the peak. Don’t assume that’s gonna last. That this is the key point I wanna make very clearly. If you’re looking at multifamily or commercial deals today that are trade trading at that 30% below where they were a couple years ago, you should not assume that window stays opening. Definitely because the level of discount there, uh, the level of discount exists because. Dried up liquidity, uh, because of that violent rate reset, uh, uncertainty. But here’s the thing, markets don’t stay frozen forever and as soon as pricing stabilizes, even at higher cap rates, which are going to be higher than they were, because you’re not gonna see interest rates down at zero, capital is gonna start to move again. And stabilization doesn’t require rates to go back to zero. It just requires some level of predictability. So here’s the sequence of what happens first, you know, the distress slows, uh, you see less and less defaults, and then slowly but surely cap rates stop expanding, right? That alone brings back buyers. Then as rates drift mo lower and volatility declines, lenders reenter selectively, debt becomes a billable again. It’s not cheap. It’s definitely usable and that brings more liquidity. When I say liquidity, in this context, I’m talking about just more deals getting done. And once liquidity returns, cap rates don’t stay wide forever. They compress, right? It’s competition. And again, when they compress, they’re not gonna go back to 2021 levels, but enough to meaningfully lift asset values from distressed pricing. This can happen faster than people expect, right? People underestimate the fact that there is an enormous amount of capital sitting on the sidelines right now in money market funds, short term treasuries, private capital, waiting for clarity. That capital isn’t, you know, permanent. The moment investors believe that rates of peak, that prices of stabilized downside risks is contained, that money starts to chase yield. When it does the transition from, nobody wants this, everyone wants exposure again, can happen surprisingly fast. In other words, I’m not saying I think this will happen in 26, but the shift from a market that is on sale, which I’ve described it as to a market that is starting to look a little frothy, can really be just a couple of years. And in that situation, I’d rather be a net seller, right? You wanna be accumulating. During this phase of for sale so that you can sell in froth. So what this means is that the market is, you know, uh, is not a market to wait for everything to feel perfect, because by the time it does, the obvious discounts are gonna be gone. And if you wait for perfect clarity, you’re gonna be competing, you competing with institutional capital, with large private funds and, and, and yield hungry money coming outta cash. The opportunity is not assuming distress lasts forever. It is. It’s in recognizing when the market is transitioning from forced selling, which is what is happening even now to price discovery. So ultimately, the prediction is this multifamily and commercial real estate, that that washout is completed in 2026 and the window created by distress really starts to close. Deep discounts don’t persist. Once market stabilized, which I think is what’s gonna happen, and then I think you’re gonna start to see a shift. You’re gonna start to see more deals, more liquidity, and that’s gonna return faster than people expect. In other words, this is gonna be the end of, you know, sort of this bargain basement, you know, panic pricing. And once real assets stabilize and liquidity returns, attention inevitably turns, uh, to the currency, those assets are priced in. Which brings us to the prediction number three. That dollar, okay, the dollar doesn’t collapse, but it does continue to erode. It slowly leak, right? Let’s talk about the dollar, ’cause you hear about this all the time, right? A nausea, you hear the, the weakening of the dollar. Um, this is one of those topics that where people tend to jump to extremes. You know, on one side you hear the dollar is about to collapse. On the other side you hear the dollar’s strong and everything’s fine. I think, um, the truth is somewhere in, in the middle. And my prediction for 2026 is simple. Um, again, the dollar doesn’t really explode. It doesn’t get replaced. It can just continues to erode slowly but surely. And that’s how reserve currencies actually behave when debt gets high. Right. So why no collapse, right? Because you got like people out there, uh, worried about the collapse of the US dollar. The US dollar is gonna remain dominant, not because it’s perfect, but because there’s no real alternative at scale. There just isn’t. Okay? There’s no other currency with markets as deep, as liquid and as widely used for trade debt and collateral. So, you know, reserve currencies, you know, you hear about the, the worry about us being the reserve currency. Well, reserve currencies don’t disappear overnight. They erode gradually, but they don’t disappear overnight. And that erosion shows up not as a crash, but again as persistent inflation, right? It’s rising, you know, real asset prices, which is again, where you wanna be, and a slow loss of purchasing power over time. Again, that brings us back to the whole issue of debt we were talking about, right? So in a highly indebted system, policymakers are not incentivized to aggressively defend the currency at all costs, right? So very high interest rates might strengthen the dollar in the short term, but they also make debt harder to service and financial stress worse, right? So instead of choosing strength or collapse. Um, you know, policy drifts towards tolerance, right? Inflation is allowed to run a little hotter than people expect, because again, it’s gonna erode that debt. The currency weakens slowly, therefore, rather than violently, right? Again, currency weakening. It’s that, it, it’s so entwined with this idea of inflation because debt becomes easier to manage in real terms. And one of the things I hear, and I’ve been sort of in these conversations back and forth with, um. At least one of you out there, uh, in, in emails is that, you know, I hear, uh, that, that, that there’s a, a serious problem for interest rates because of, you know, China, uh, selling US treasuries. And because of that you might get the collapse of the dollar. In fact, in this conversation, it was not only about China, but also Europe. Which, you know, I hadn’t actually heard anybody mention that before, but I guess that’s out there in the ecosystem and some of the newsletters. Now, all that sounds scary, but it really misunderstands how the system actually works. What exactly happens when someone or a country sells treasuries? Well, they don’t dis, they, they don’t just destroy the dollars. What they’re doing is they just swap $1 asset for another, right? The dollars don’t even lead the system. They change hands. So this idea of China selling off all it t trade, well, China’s been, uh, reducing its treasury holdings for years and the dollar hasn’t collapsed. The market absorbed it because treasuries are the deepest, most liquid market in the world. And then this idea of Europe, of of Europe actually dumping treasuries because, you know, they’re not happy with Donald Trump and what he’s doing in Ukraine and all that, that would be an absolute nightmare for, for Europe. That would hurt their own economy. That’s the last thing that an indebted government wants. So foreign selling, yeah, sure it’s gonna move yields, but it, it’s not gonna implode the dollar. But the reality of the, uh, erosion of the dollar is real. I don’t think anybody questions that anymore, and I think that is another reason that you need to be buying. Real assets. You need to be buying equity. You need to be on the side of the investor class. Okay? That’s, that’s how you combat all of this. So the real takeaway here ultimately is that, you know, it isn’t, uh, to abandon the dollar, right? It isn’t. It’s, it’s just to stop pretending that holding cash is neutral. It’s not, it, most of your wall suits and assets that, that can’t adjust. You know, they can’t grow as, you know, as, as asset prices grow, then you’re making a bet on currency stability that literally no one believes is, is going to be the base standard anymore. Everybody knows, every economist, every country, every everywhere knows that these currencies are eroding. You don’t freak out about the dollar, but don’t, don’t, don’t be like heavily in dollars. Start getting into the markets. Alright, well, you know, I’m talking a lot about esoteric macro stuff, but let’s kind of get into some stuff that you might think is fun, more fun maybe. Okay. You, a lot of you are into Bitcoin. Well, I think that, you know, Bitcoin is gonna continue to mature. And the next look, leg up looks like, you know, because of more adoption, not because of hype, which isn’t maybe not as, as, as fast and violent, but it’s, it’s, it’s a lot more predictable. For those of you who are still unfortunately listening to the likes of Peter Schiff about Bitcoin, you gotta stop doing that because Bitcoin is not tulips. Right? A lot of people still talk about it like it’s a fad that could just vanish. We’re long past that phase. Bitcoin is, is, is a $2 trillion asset and in the history of the world, there has never been a $2 trillion asset that went to zero. Is it volatile? Yeah, it is. It can absolutely continue to be wildly volatile, but you’re not going to zero. And my prediction is not overly crazy. It’s just that. Bitcoin is going to continue to increase in price, but it’s not become, not because of speculative, uh, you know, because it’s a speculative trade anymore, right? I think it’s because of adoption. Uh, adoption is going to become the real meaningful driver of market capitalization. So what do I mean by that? It just means more people are seeing it as a real asset, and it has to become, when it becomes a real asset class, everyone has to have some of it. Every major institution has to have some of it because it’s an its own asset class. And when they do that, it just drives up the entire market capitalization of that asset. And when you have an asset that has a finite amount, which in the case of Bitcoin, there will never be more than 21 million Bitcoin. You have constant adoption, constant slow, but persistent growth in market capitalization, the asset has to become more expensive. Now, what do I mean by this adoption? Well, places that you would never think in a million years, a few years ago, that that would be buying Bitcoin or you know, ETFs, B to Bitcoin ETFs are doing. So Harvard. Harvard is a great example. Because it’s not, it’s not crypto influencer, right? It’s actually one of the most conservative, brand sensitive pools of capital in the world. But their endowment management, uh, disclosed roughly 443, uh, million dollars in its position in BlackRock, uh, BlackRock, iShares Bitcoin, Bitcoin Trust, which is ibi for those of you who, who, uh, don’t know, that’s how you can just go to your New York Stock Exchange and, and buy. Bitcoin ETFs with ibit. Now, whether you love this whole Bitcoin idea or hate it or whatever, that’s a signal that is increasingly treated like a portfolio asset. It’s not a fringe experiment, and it’s not only universities. Uh, institutional comfort is it’s just there, right? Um, custody, uh, custody regulated vehicles, positioning, size, risk controls, those kinds of things are all become part of the Bitcoin uh, environment. Many countries are already holding meaningful amounts of Bitcoin. Uh, even the US has, there’s a, there is a formalized Bitcoin reserve. Now we aren’t actively buying it, but here’s an interesting thing with Bitcoin, you can, when it is, uh, the way that the US is accumulating Bitcoin is through seizures. Alright? Bad guy gets caught. His boats, his house and his Bitcoin get, uh, confiscated. So the US will sell the house, they will sell the gold, they will sell the boats, but they will keep the Bitcoin. What does that tell you? You know? And, and there’s a lot of nations that are actually openly holding and, and buying Bitcoin. I mentioned the US China. This always seems to be, uh, you know, anti Bitcoin. Well, they actually own quite a bit the UK, Ukraine, Bhutan, El Salvador. Bottom line is there’s a big change in narrative, right? That this is a real asset. So this is something that, you know, even if it’s 1% of a major, uh, institution’s assets or less than that, or whatever, it’s part of it. And that adoption alone can move prices from, from here. And that’s what I think a lot of people miss because they’re like, well, you already had a big move and you know, instead a hundred, it’s 80 or 90 or a hundred, whatever. It’s, it’s not going much better, bigger than that. Well, Bitcoin is, is actually really small relative to global pools of capital. So at this stage, adoption alone. Not even the crazy mania of the past can make a non-trivial increase in market capitalization and therefore a mark, you know, a non-trivial increase in the actual price of Bitcoin. All it’s gonna take, and you’re gonna see this, you’re gonna see more endowments, you’re gonna see more sovereign wealth pool, pensions, mod model portfolios, all they guys daisy side, when you know, even with a small allocation. It doesn’t take too much to overwhelm the available float because Bitcoin is scarce and a lot of it’s held tightly. So as far as Bitcoin goes, what do I think is gonna happen? I believe all time highs are gonna get challenged. They’re gonna get broken again in 2026, not because again, everyone’s suddenly becoming a crypto maximas, but because adoptions could just gonna continue to grow. The wild card, I should say, is that the US moving from, we hold. What we seized in terms of Bitcoin to actively acquiring reserves could be enormous catalyst. And there is a lot of talk about this right now. Um, if the market ever believes that the US is a consistent buyer, even in a constrained budget neutral way, that changes the psychology fast. And in that scenario, I think 200,000 plus, uh, $200,000 plus Bitcoin by the end of 2026 becomes very plausible. Zooming out. I’ve said this before, you may think I’m crazy, but again, because of adoption, I think that Bitcoin is at a million dollars five to seven years from now. So what does that mean for you? Well, I mean, I think at the end of the day, if you don’t own some, you might want to, I’m not gonna give you financial advice, but again, just like Harvard’s doing it, you know, major, major endowments are saying, well. You know, maybe we’ll just buy, like, you know, 2% of that, 2% of our, our, uh, endowment will be made of something like that, right? Uh, you know, it’s just even a very small amount, but exposure to it makes a lot of sense. So I think that is something to highly consider if you are still on zero when it comes to Bitcoin. All right, now here’s my last, uh, prediction. You may have heard me talking about this before as well, that AI becomes a deflationary force that policy makers finally wake up to. And I think this is actually one of the most important and misunderstood economic developments, um, that is currently already out there. But I think it’s, it’s gonna be really recognized. By the end of 2026. Okay. Artificial intelligence is gonna stop being just a tech story, and it’s gonna become a macroeconomic story. I think that by the end of 2026, artificial intelligence is clearly, uh, you know, it’s clearly, um, going to be boosting corporate earnings while beginning to materially reshape the labor force. Um, and what’s gonna happen is that central banks and policymakers are gonna start treating it. Is a genuinely deflationary force over the next several years, and they’re gonna try to have to figure out what to do about it. And again, going back to our earlier conversation, because deflation is really a real problem for a country with an enormous amount of debt. So let’s get a little bit into the whole deflationary uh, conversation. So artificial intelligence at its core is a productivity machine, right? It allows companies to produce more. Without, with fewer inputs, fewer hours, fewer people, fewer stakes and productivity always shows up in profits before it shows up in everyday life. Right now, lower cost per transaction, faster execution, fewer people doing the same amount of work, widening margins without price increases. That’s the tell. That’s when profits rise without raising prices, something deflationary is happening underneath the surface. The biggest impact there is the labor market, right? It’s gonna be impossible to ignore. And this is where the conversation really shifts because artificial intelligence doesn’t need to eliminate jobs outright to matter. It only needs to reduce the number of people required to do it, right? So you’re thinking the labor markets, you’re gonna see a lot of this. You’re gonna see more slowing in hiring. Um, even while productivity expectations rise, and I think by late 2026, the public conversation is gonna change from will artificial intelligence affects jobs someday to why aren’t companies hiring the way they used to? And of course, that’s when people are gonna start paying attention and they’re gonna notice it’s deflationary because it’s going to be because artificial intelligence is gonna push down the cost. Of services, administration, customer support, research, and eventually decision making itself. That’s why it’s, it’s deflationary, it’s structural, right? Just think of all those things you can do for so much cheaper. That is what deflation is, right? And again, we mentioned before deflation is not something central banks are comfortable with because of debt and because debt heavy systems rely on nominal growth. Deflation makes debt heavier in real terms as opposed to what we said before, which is that inflation actually erodes debt. And that is a, a very, very challenging problem. And by 2026, I think you’re gonna hear a lot about this, you know, policy problem that we have. Which is innovation versus, you know, deflation. You make a lot of money, but are still worried about retirement. Maybe you didn’t start earning until your thirties. Now you’re trying to catch up. Meanwhile, you’ve got a mortgage, a private school to pay for, and you feel like you’re getting further and further behind. Now, good news, if you need to catch up on retirement, check out a program put out by some of the oldest and most prestigious life insurance companies in the world. It’s called Wealth Accelerator, and it can help you amplify your returns quickly, protect your money from creditors, and provide finance. Financial protection to your family if something happens to you. The concepts here are used by some of the wealthiest families in the world and there’s no reason why they can’t be used by you. Check it out for yourself by going to wealthformulabanking.com. Alright, well, so that’s basically it for my, uh, predictions. And I know I’ve kind of. Off on many different tangents, so hopefully it’s useful to you at least to start thinking and doing some of your own research. Bottom line is this, I mean, as, as a investor, what can you do? I think the big story here is understanding that, um, you need to be out of the dollar and into the investor class because that that widening gap between those who have. Who own things, who own assets, and those who do not is gonna continue to widen. And so, you know, my best, uh, won’t call it advice, but my own belief is that it is a, it is a very good time to look around and look for assets that are underpriced because I think everything is going to expand and it’s gonna ex expand. Uh, and you don’t wanna be caught, you know, on the, uh, dollar side of that equation. So. That’s it for me this week on Wealth Formula Podcast. Happy New Year. I’ll see you next week. If you wanna learn more, you can now get free access to our in-depth personal finance course featuring industry leaders like Tom Wheel Wright and Ken McElroy. Visit wealthformularoadmap.com.

Enzo Maresca became the first Premier League manager to leave their club in 2026 as he walked out of Chelsea on New Year's Day. In true Chelsea fashion, the Blues have leaned on sister club Strasbourg to appoint Englishman Liam Rosenior to be the latest to have a crack at appeasing Todd Boehly and co at the Bridge. Niall and Marley are on today's FSD to discuss the shenanigans in the Capital, in a podcast recorded before the Rosenior appointment was made official. Make sure you keep up to date with our socials for more! SUBSCRIBE NOW: https://footballsocialdaily.supportingcast.fm/NEW: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fsdpod?igsh=MjQ5d29veGdoMmZ4&utm_source=qr Twitter: https://twitter.com/FSDPod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@footballsocialdaily Telegram Group: https://t.me/FootballSocialMerch Store: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/FootballSocialDaily Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a volatile first half and another year of strong headline returns, Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist, and Sonu Varghese, VP, Global Macro Strategist at Carson Group, step back to assess what actually shaped markets in 2025 and what that foundation means heading into 2026.They revisit why early-year turbulence caught so many investors off guard, how companies navigated tariffs and margin pressure more effectively than expected, and why earnings growth remained the quiet backbone of the rally. The conversation then turns forward, covering their 2026 outlook for stocks and bonds, the role of AI-driven capital spending, global market leadership, and why sentiment continues to lag reality even as breadth improves. Along the way, they discuss inflation stickiness, labor market crosscurrents, policy tailwinds, and where diversification still matters most as the cycle matures.Key Takeaways: • Earnings did the heavy lifting: Profit growth and margin resilience, not valuation expansion, powered market gains • Volatility followed the script: Early-year drawdowns fit historical patterns despite widespread surprise • Global leadership expanded: International markets and cyclicals outpaced expectations as breadth improved • AI spending surged: Capital expenditures accelerated across major tech platforms, reinforcing long-term growth trends • 2026 outlook remains constructive: Above-average equity returns and modest bond gains hinge on steady growth without recessionJump to:0:00 — Setting The Stage For 20251:48 — Tariffs, Liberation Day, And Market Bottom4:30 — Sentiment, Concentration Myths, And Breadth9:45 — Speculation Falls, AI Leaders Repriced14:45 — Small Caps, Transports, And Rate Cuts22:30 — IPO Drought, Private Markets, And Valuations27:20 — Media Moments, Gold, And Diversifiers32:20 — Fed Cuts, Dots, And Labor Revisions40:10 — 2026 Playbook: Mid Caps, Financials, Healthcare46:30 — Global Vs. U.S., EM Tilt, And PolicyConnect with Ryan:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryandetrick/• X: https://x.com/RyanDetrickConnect with Sonu:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonu-varghese-phd/• X: https://x.com/sonusvarghese?lang=enQuestions about the show? We'd love to hear from you! factsvsfeelings@carsongroup.com

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. George C. Fraser. Chairman & CEO of FraserNet, Inc. Purpose of the Interview The interview aimed to: Promote financial literacy, wealth-building strategies, and entrepreneurial thinking within the Black community. Share actionable steps for creating generational wealth and economic empowerment. Highlight FraserNet’s mission to foster networking, education, and business development for people of African descent. Key Takeaways Knowledge & Execution Are Critical “My people perish for lack of knowledge”—Dr. Fraser emphasizes that progress requires knowledge and execution, not just protest. Rejecting knowledge leads to stagnation; skill-building and financial education are essential. Entrepreneurial Thinking vs. Entrepreneurship Focus on taking ownership and responsibility for your life. Entrepreneurial thinking can evolve into entrepreneurship, creating jobs and wealth for the community. Black Economic Empowerment By the end of the 21st century, Black people must become the #1 employer of Black people, mirroring other ethnic groups. This requires sacrifice, planning, and multiple income streams. Practical Wealth-Building Steps Open a high-interest savings account and start with $100. Buy stocks in companies you use (Nike, McDonald’s, Home Depot). Open or maximize 401(k), IRA, or Roth IRA contributions. Improve credit score by 20 points every six months until above 700. Pay $50 above minimum payments on credit cards and loans to reduce payoff time. Research term vs. whole life insurance—insurance is key for wealth transfer. Start a 529 college plan or Roth IRA for children. Gift U.S. Treasury bonds or indexed universal life policies for grandchildren. Generational Wealth & Insurance 60% of wealth transfer occurs through proper insurance planning. Example: Indexed universal life policies can yield millions tax-free for future generations. Seven Streams of Income Earned income (jobs), Profit income (buying/selling), Interest income, Dividend income, Rental income, Capital gains, Royalty income. Goal: Add a new income stream every year. Mindset Shift “The rich stay rich by pretending to be poor; the poor stay poor by pretending to be rich.” Focus on winning, not looking like you’re winning. Giving Wealth Support Black-owned businesses, restaurants, salons, authors. Volunteer, tithe, and donate to HBCUs. Encourage and uplift Black men, women, and children. Notable Quotes “We are suffering because we cannot see our problems clearly.” “Execution, execution, execution—protest without execution is meaningless.” “To be gifted, Black, and beautiful means nothing unless you are Black and powerful.” “Don’t quit your job until your side income covers twice your monthly expenses.” “White folks plan for three generations; we plan for Saturday night.” “Money attracts money—start with $100 in a savings account.” “There should not be a Negro in America with a single stream of income.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. George C. Fraser. Chairman & CEO of FraserNet, Inc. Purpose of the Interview The interview aimed to: Promote financial literacy, wealth-building strategies, and entrepreneurial thinking within the Black community. Share actionable steps for creating generational wealth and economic empowerment. Highlight FraserNet’s mission to foster networking, education, and business development for people of African descent. Key Takeaways Knowledge & Execution Are Critical “My people perish for lack of knowledge”—Dr. Fraser emphasizes that progress requires knowledge and execution, not just protest. Rejecting knowledge leads to stagnation; skill-building and financial education are essential. Entrepreneurial Thinking vs. Entrepreneurship Focus on taking ownership and responsibility for your life. Entrepreneurial thinking can evolve into entrepreneurship, creating jobs and wealth for the community. Black Economic Empowerment By the end of the 21st century, Black people must become the #1 employer of Black people, mirroring other ethnic groups. This requires sacrifice, planning, and multiple income streams. Practical Wealth-Building Steps Open a high-interest savings account and start with $100. Buy stocks in companies you use (Nike, McDonald’s, Home Depot). Open or maximize 401(k), IRA, or Roth IRA contributions. Improve credit score by 20 points every six months until above 700. Pay $50 above minimum payments on credit cards and loans to reduce payoff time. Research term vs. whole life insurance—insurance is key for wealth transfer. Start a 529 college plan or Roth IRA for children. Gift U.S. Treasury bonds or indexed universal life policies for grandchildren. Generational Wealth & Insurance 60% of wealth transfer occurs through proper insurance planning. Example: Indexed universal life policies can yield millions tax-free for future generations. Seven Streams of Income Earned income (jobs), Profit income (buying/selling), Interest income, Dividend income, Rental income, Capital gains, Royalty income. Goal: Add a new income stream every year. Mindset Shift “The rich stay rich by pretending to be poor; the poor stay poor by pretending to be rich.” Focus on winning, not looking like you’re winning. Giving Wealth Support Black-owned businesses, restaurants, salons, authors. Volunteer, tithe, and donate to HBCUs. Encourage and uplift Black men, women, and children. Notable Quotes “We are suffering because we cannot see our problems clearly.” “Execution, execution, execution—protest without execution is meaningless.” “To be gifted, Black, and beautiful means nothing unless you are Black and powerful.” “Don’t quit your job until your side income covers twice your monthly expenses.” “White folks plan for three generations; we plan for Saturday night.” “Money attracts money—start with $100 in a savings account.” “There should not be a Negro in America with a single stream of income.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Venezuela remains on edge as the Trump administration preps to brief lawmakers about the US operation. We'll tell you how House Democrats are marking five years since the January 6th Capital riot. Five Democratic-led states are facing billions of dollars in funding cuts to social services and child care. More details have emerged about the Swiss bar where dozens of people died in a fire. Plus, the US' worst flu season in a quarter of a century.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. George C. Fraser. Chairman & CEO of FraserNet, Inc. Purpose of the Interview The interview aimed to: Promote financial literacy, wealth-building strategies, and entrepreneurial thinking within the Black community. Share actionable steps for creating generational wealth and economic empowerment. Highlight FraserNet’s mission to foster networking, education, and business development for people of African descent. Key Takeaways Knowledge & Execution Are Critical “My people perish for lack of knowledge”—Dr. Fraser emphasizes that progress requires knowledge and execution, not just protest. Rejecting knowledge leads to stagnation; skill-building and financial education are essential. Entrepreneurial Thinking vs. Entrepreneurship Focus on taking ownership and responsibility for your life. Entrepreneurial thinking can evolve into entrepreneurship, creating jobs and wealth for the community. Black Economic Empowerment By the end of the 21st century, Black people must become the #1 employer of Black people, mirroring other ethnic groups. This requires sacrifice, planning, and multiple income streams. Practical Wealth-Building Steps Open a high-interest savings account and start with $100. Buy stocks in companies you use (Nike, McDonald’s, Home Depot). Open or maximize 401(k), IRA, or Roth IRA contributions. Improve credit score by 20 points every six months until above 700. Pay $50 above minimum payments on credit cards and loans to reduce payoff time. Research term vs. whole life insurance—insurance is key for wealth transfer. Start a 529 college plan or Roth IRA for children. Gift U.S. Treasury bonds or indexed universal life policies for grandchildren. Generational Wealth & Insurance 60% of wealth transfer occurs through proper insurance planning. Example: Indexed universal life policies can yield millions tax-free for future generations. Seven Streams of Income Earned income (jobs), Profit income (buying/selling), Interest income, Dividend income, Rental income, Capital gains, Royalty income. Goal: Add a new income stream every year. Mindset Shift “The rich stay rich by pretending to be poor; the poor stay poor by pretending to be rich.” Focus on winning, not looking like you’re winning. Giving Wealth Support Black-owned businesses, restaurants, salons, authors. Volunteer, tithe, and donate to HBCUs. Encourage and uplift Black men, women, and children. Notable Quotes “We are suffering because we cannot see our problems clearly.” “Execution, execution, execution—protest without execution is meaningless.” “To be gifted, Black, and beautiful means nothing unless you are Black and powerful.” “Don’t quit your job until your side income covers twice your monthly expenses.” “White folks plan for three generations; we plan for Saturday night.” “Money attracts money—start with $100 in a savings account.” “There should not be a Negro in America with a single stream of income.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carla is the CEO of Vintage Capital, Vice Chair at America First Policy Institute, Former US Ambassador to Denmark calls-in to give her take on "Operation Absolute Resolve"- the US capture of the President of Venezuela and his wife. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Brandon Sedloff sits down with Willy Walker for a conversation on leadership, capital markets, and the evolution of Walker & Dunlop. Willy walks through his unconventional path into real estate, from early career experiences in Latin America to returning home to help scale a multi-generational family business. The discussion explores how personal ambition, insecurity, and long-term vision shaped both his leadership style and the firm's growth into a publicly traded platform. Together, they also unpack current dynamics in multifamily, capital flows, and the role of media and personal platforms in building trust and credibility in the industry. They discuss: • Willy Walker's career journey from nonprofit work and private equity to leading Walker & Dunlop • Lessons from scaling a family-owned company into a public, diversified real estate platform • How public market expectations changed strategic planning and capital allocation decisions • The state of multifamily in 2025, including supply, rent trends, and capital flows • The origins and impact of the Walker Webcast as a long-term communication and trust-building tool Links: Willy on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/willy-walker/ The Walker Webcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_QkMqEzOkzNmWUe9kpfRJ4213jIh6LNk Brandon on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bsedloff/ Juniper Square - https://www.junipersquare.com/ Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:29) - Willy's career journey (00:18:44) - Leadership and business growth (00:34:03) - Post-financial crisis IPO challenges (00:37:38) - Diversification strategy (00:41:56) - Investment management business evolution (00:47:29) - Multifamily market trends in 2025 (00:53:33) - Capital flows and market dynamics (01:01:29) - Building a personal brand with Walker webcast (01:08:20) - Conclusion and final thoughts

L'Aquila, Abruzzo — a place many people still don't seem to know about, but one that carries one of the most important cultural stories in Italy right now: this year the city holds the special title of Italy's 2026 Italian Capital of Culture!

＜目次＞(0:00) How Tetsuro met Sara(1:18) About the Thiel Fellowship(8:43) Questioning the systems(12:29) Unlocking freedom(15:31) Capital without restraints(17:26) Peter Thiel's taste in people(20:31) A Thiel Fellow's compressed sense of timeAndo | Work communication designed for human + agent collaborationhttps://ando.so/Sara Du (@saradu)https://x.com/saradu＜About Off Topic＞Podcast:Apple - https://apple.co/2UZCQwzSpotify - https://spoti.fi/2JakzKmOff Topic Clubhttps://note.com/offtopic/membershipX - https://twitter.com/OffTopicJP草野ミキ:https://twitter.com/mikikusanohttps://www.instagram.com/mikikusano宮武テツロー: https://twitter.com/tmiyatake1

The tower business is alive and well. U.S. mobile network operators are expanding their networks and tower companies are benefiting from that increased deployment activity. Smaller, private tower companies remain active with new tower builds and consolidations but need funding.Palistar Capital is a private investment firm that helps small tower companies grow. Omar Jaffrey, Palistar Capital Managing Partner and Founder speaks with John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor about the company's business model and the outlook for the tower business. Hear this and much more on the podcast, available on our website, Amazon Music, Spotify and iTunes.Support the show

Catalytic capital is often described as concessional capital, sometimes accepting lower returns. But this framing overlooks what matters most. In practice, catalytic capital steps in first, absorbs the risk others can't, and makes institutional capital comfortable enough to follow.If you're involved in capital allocation, this matters because catalytic capital isn't about charity. It's about structuring risk so institutions can invest in assets they normally couldn't because of regulatory and rating rules.This episode focuses on how catalytic capital functions inside impact investing portfolios under real regulatory and balance-sheet constraints. It revisits key points from my earlier conversation with Yasemin Saltuk Lamy who built and scaled the Catalyst Portfolio at British International Investment from roughly £300 million to about £1.6 billion.Tune in to learn:Why who goes first matters more than how much capital goes inWhen catalytic capital actually crowds in institutional investorsHow credit enhancement changes regulatory eligibilityHow impact measurement shapes capital allocation decisionsWhy impact trades off with liquidity, not financial returnsFeatured guest: Yasemin Saltuk Lamy, Head of Investment Strategy for the Institutional Retirement division of Legal & General (L&G) and former Deputy CIO and Head of Asset Allocation and Capital Solutions at British International Investment (BII)Listen Next: Full conversation with Yasemin Saltuk LamyDiscover More from SRI360°:Explore all episodes of the SRI360° Podcast Sign up for the free weekly email update 

In corporate finance, we often focus on balance sheets, cash flow, and NPV. However, there is an "invisible factor" that dictates whether those numbers hold up: Corporate Culture. While it doesn't have a line item, culture acts as either a precision tool for financial discipline or a toxic liability that destroys enterprise value.In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained, hear how to move culture from the HR office to finance, exploring how trust, psychological safety, and accountability translate into hard dollars and cents.The 4 Financial Levers of CultureA strong culture isn't just about "feeling good" it's a performance multiplier that impacts the bottom line through four direct channels:Productivity & Execution: High-trust cultures move with incredible velocity. By cutting through bureaucratic "sign-off" layers and blame-avoidance, high-trust teams can reduce decision cycle times by up to 40%, accelerating time-to-market.Decision-Making Quality: Healthy cultures encourage "robust debate." When employees feel safe to voice concerns (Psychological Safety), leadership avoids the catastrophic blind spots that lead to failed mergers or flawed product launches.Cost of Human Capital: Employee turnover is a massive recurring expense. Replacing an employee can cost 50% to 150% of their salary, but the hidden costs—lost institutional knowledge and training dips—are even higher.Risk Management & Compliance: Fear-based cultures suppress bad news. A culture that encourages surfacing risks early lowers the company's risk profile, directly reducing the Cost of Capital (the interest rates you pay) demanded by lenders.Culture in Strategy: Accuracy, Discipline, and InnovationCulture fundamentally changes how a company executes its financial planning and growth:Forecast Accuracy: Transparent cultures provide cleaner, earlier data. Surfacing a risk is rewarded, leading to fewer "end-of-quarter" surprises.Cost Discipline: Cultures of high accountability drive Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB), moving away from "entitlement spending."Innovation: Real innovation requires the safety to fail. If failure is punished, employees only pursue safe, incremental ideas, stifling disruptive growth.Resilience: During market shocks, trust enables rapid cost-cutting and resource reallocation that low-trust competitors cannot match.Case Studies: Triumphs and TragediesNetflix (Success): Their "Freedom & Responsibility" model enabled massive capital shifts from DVDs to streaming via extreme strategic agility.Google (Success): Psychological safety powers an R&D engine that prunes failing projects early, saving billions in "sunk costs."WeWork (Failure): A culture of unchecked exuberance ignored financial controls, erasing tens of billions in paper value.Theranos (Failure): Suppression of dissent led to massive misstatements and total corporate obliteration.The Finance Professional's Cultural DashboardFinance teams should track cultural health using these granular data indicators:Turnover by Function: High churn in Internal Audit or Compliance is a massive red flag. Forecasting Behavior: Are teams "padding" budgets to create easy beats? This is a symptom of low trust. Project Delivery Metrics: Consistent delays in cross-functional handoffs often signal a collaboration problem, not a funding one. Ethical Indicators: Spikes in whistleblower reports or audit findings are leading indicators of catastrophic financial risk.

Shohei Ohtani is the entry point for a wider conversation about strategy, timing, and identity in the modern hobby. Leighton Sheldon puts Paul Hickey on the spot with a question many collectors think about but rarely articulate clearly: if you have $1,000 or $10,000 to spend on Ohtani, what's the smartest way to approach it right now? Paul answers from an unapologetic Operator perspective, explaining why Ohtani behaves differently than almost any other modern athlete, how raw-to-grade math actually works, and why early January can be one of the least crowded decision windows of the year. From there, the discussion expands into bigger hobby dynamics, including grading labels versus true condition, friction between Purists and Operators, and why Paul deliberately caps his premium community to protect both value and signal. This episode stands on its own whether you're a collector, an investor, or somewhere in between. In this episode: A practical Ohtani buying framework for $1,000 vs $10,000 budgets One big card versus multiple plays, and how risk tolerance changes the answer Why Ohtani is a data anomaly in modern cards Raw-to-grade strategy explained without hype Timing buys around grading backlogs and the MLB calendar The grading company versus card condition debate Why Operator and Purist perspectives clash and why both still matter How community size can quietly impact markets If you want to go deeper: Follow Sports Cards Live and leave a rating or review on your podcast platform of choice Take the Hobby Spectrum assessment at HobbySpectrum.com to see where you land Opt into the Spectrum Directory to connect with collectors who think like you Explore Paul Hickey's work at NoOffSeason.com and the Sports Card Strategy Show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode continues our ongoing mini-series covering organizations that have proven to be great training grounds of talent. There may be none larger and quieter than Capital Group, the $3.2 trillion global asset manager whose 650-person investment team and 9,400 associates have historically experienced a fraction of the turnover of industry norms. My guest is Mike Gitlin, the CEO of Capital Group, known for its long-term philosophy, private ownership, and multi-manager investment system. Founded in 1931 by Johnathan Bell Lovelace, Capital Group is one of the industry's largest and most enduring active managers. Mike joined the firm as a lateral hire in 2015, after more than two decades across the buy side, sell side, hedge funds, and global markets. Our exploration of Capital Group covers Mike's path through the investment industry, Capital's approach to recruiting and training talent, ownership model, client-centric focus, Capital System investment model, organization of a large, global team, and new product development. We close with Capital Group's five-year strategic plan as it approaches the firm's hundred-year anniversary in 2031. I've been fascinated by Capital for most of my life, as it was the professional home for my uncle, the late Jim Rothenberg, for his entire 45 year career. It is a privilege for me to share this conversation with memories of Uncle Jim in mind.   Learn more about our Strategic Investments: Old Well Labs, Thema, and Ascension Data. Learn More Follow Ted on Twitter at @tseides or LinkedIn Subscribe to the mailing list Access Transcript with Premium Membership   Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠)

Blackstone is marking 40 years of growth while positioning itself for the next era of global investing. President and COO Jon Gray goes Inside the ICE House to reflect on the firm's evolution, his 33-year journey, and the culture that has scaled alongside the business. He explains how Blackstone identifies long-term investment tailwinds, from digital infrastructure to global real estate, while cutting through market noise with data and discipline. Gray also outlines how AI, energy infrastructure, and broader access to alternative investments are shaping Blackstone's strategy for the years ahead.

In this episode, Micah Cannon returns to Above The Business to share the blueprint Club Capital followed to grow and scale their bookkeeping and financial advisory firm over the past decade. Rather than covering his origin story, this conversation focuses on the strategic decisions, systems, and frameworks that enabled Club Capital to achieve sustained success since their founding in 2015. From navigating the early startup years to building a leadership team and establishing disciplined operational rhythms, Micah reveals the key milestones and lessons learned along their growth journey.Featured ResourcesClub CapitalGo to club.capital to book a no-obligation demo with the team and explore how they can help bring financials to your decision-making table with the right cadence and support.Recommended ReadingThe Effective Executive by Peter Drucker - Essential reading on conducting time studies and understanding where your time as a leader is actually being spent.Thanks to our sponsors...Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner. He leads a large, stable team of professionals who are at the top of their game year after year. Now he shares the systems, processes, delegation, and specialization he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at www.coachpconsulting.com. Be sure to mention the Above The Business Podcast when you get in touch.Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve their staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every single business day - optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities. With their continuous, hands-off recruiting approach, you can save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates, all without paying any hiring fees or commissions.More money & more freedom: that's what Autopilot Recruiting help business owners achieve. Visit https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com/ and don't forget to mention you heard about us on the Above The Business podcast.Direct Clicks is built is by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that deliver real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide the comprehensive digital marketing your business needs to grow. Here's an exclusive offer for Above The Business listeners: Visit directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness for a FREE marketing campaign audit. They'll assess your website, social media, SEO, content, and paid advertising, then provide actionable recommendations. Plus, when you choose to partner with them, they'll waive all setup fees.

Recorded live at Capital Church in Meridian, Idaho Dr Stan Fleming

Connect with Early Riders // Connect with OnrampPresented collaboratively by Early Riders & Onramp Media…Final Settlement is a weekly podcast covering capital markets, dealmaking, early-stage venture, bitcoin applications and protocol development.00:00 - Welcome Back and Market Overview02:47 - Inflation and Asset Trends05:44 - Regulatory Changes and Institutional Adoption08:53 - Security Risks and Custody Solutions11:52 - Market Sentiment and Long-Term Thinking14:57 - The Role of AI and Future Predictions33:15 - Navigating the Content Proliferation Challenge35:59 - The Future of Value in Digital Content40:19 - Stablecoins vs. Bitcoin: The Future of Transactions42:10 - Tether's Strategic Positioning in Global Markets48:43 - The Shift of Talent and Capital to Favorable Jurisdictions56:17 - Understanding the Economic Landscape and Future OpportunitiesIf you found this valuable, please subscribe to Early Riders Insights for access to the best content in the ecosystem weekly.Links discussed:https://x.com/exec_sum/status/2005751198725640395?s=20https://x.com/bearlyai/status/2006474217206985085?s=20https://x.com/paoloardoino/status/2002414704753586398?s=20Keep up with Michael:https://x.com/MTangumahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mtanguma/Keep up with Brian:https://x.com/BackslashBTChttps://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-cubellis-00b1a660/Keep up with Liam:https://x.com/Lnelson_21https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-nelson1/

The US government is reportedly considering the seizure of Venezuela's Bitcoin and cryptocurrency reserves, according to CNBC. This potential move comes amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and economic sanctions imposed on Venezuela. ~This episode is sponsored by iTrust Capital~iTrustCapital | Get $100 Funding Reward + No Monthly Fees when you sign up using our custom link! ➜ https://bit.ly/iTrustPaulGuest: Steven McClurg, CEO of Canary Capital Canary Capital website ➜ https://bit.ly/CanaryETF00:00 Intro00:10 Sponsor: iTrust Capital00:45 Venezuela's oil impact on Bitcoin02:20 Is this a positive for the US?04:30 4 Year cycle: No new ATH in 2026?07:00 Utility tokens will outperform BTC10:00 Tom Lee: $250K BTC this year14:15 Fear & Greed16:30 BMNR merger rumors19:40 New Fed Chair impact21:40 QE happening?22:30 Fed rate cut23:20 SUI ETF coming soon24:45 Outro#Crypto #bitcoin #XRP~U.S. Seizing Venezuela's Crypto??

Jimmy Tate joins us over a pour of Basil Hayden bourbon for a wide-ranging conversation that traces his journey from growing up in a small-town Miami on Bay Harbor Islands to becoming a key figure behind some of South Florida's most complex developments. We get into his early hustles, learning real estate the hard way on his father's construction sites, the decision to strike out on his own, and the discipline that shaped Tate Capital. Jimmy also shares lessons from rebuilding after Hurricane Andrew, seeing the 2008 crash coming early, and tackling massive projects like the Bahia Mar redevelopment, giving us a candid look at legacy, risk, and building in Miami over decades.Connect with usWant to dive deeper into Miami's commercial real estate scene? It's our favorite topic and we're always up for a good conversation. Whether you're just exploring or already making big moves, feel free to reach out at info@builtworldadvisors.com or give us a call at 305.498.9410. Prefer to connect online? Find us on LinkedIn or Instagram - we're always open to expanding the conversation. Ben Hoffman: LinkedIn Felipe Azenha: LinkedIn We extend our sincere gratitude to Büro coworking space for generously granting us the opportunity to record all our podcasts at any of their 8 convenient locations across South Florida.

What do you do when the real estate market collapses? If you're Ian Livingstone, you buy. In this episode of Distinguished, Dean Arun Upneja speaks with Ian Livingstone, the co-founder of London & Regional Properties, one of the UK's largest private real estate groups, about what it really takes to build a £30 billion global empire, through booms, crashes, and everything in between. Livingstone shares how he went from running 170 optician stores to reshaping urban skylines; why crisis moments create once-in-a-generation opportunities; and how he's built cities like Panama Pacifico, where 20,000+ homes, schools, and commercial districts grew from a single idea and decades of patience. A candid, behind-the-curtain conversation on timing, conviction, distressed assets, hospitality real estate, and why the future of leisure and experience-driven travel still holds unmatched potential, even in the age of AI.  Email us at shadean@bu.eduThe “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Executive Director of Strategic Operations and Corporate RelationsMarketing: Rachel Hamlin, Senior Marketing ManagerResearch: Lu Lan Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Smart investors aren't chasing upside anymore — they're prioritizing predictability, downside protection, and cash flow. In this episode of The Legacy Podcast, I sit down with longtime friend and lender Mike Zlotnik (‪@TempoInvestments‬ ) to break down how experienced operators are navigating today's real estate market. Mike and I go deep on what's actually working right now — why heavy value-add and new construction have burned so many investors, how interest rates reset the entire multifamily landscape, and why capital is flowing toward industrial, open-air retail, and long-term leases instead. We also talk candidly about investor psychology after the 2020–2022 run, what LPs are demanding today, how to think about risk vs. reward as your portfolio matures, and why staying in your lane matters more than ever in volatile cycles. This is a conversation for serious investors who want to protect capital, generate real income, and build wealth that lasts through multiple market cycles. Topics we cover: Why chasing upside is costing investors money How interest rates reshaped multifamily, retail, and industrial The importance of positive cap-rate spreads What predictable cash flow looks like today Investor sentiment after the last market peak Staying focused instead of chasing shiny objects Connect with Mike: Website & Podcast: https://bigmikefund.com Want help building a more predictable real estate portfolio?

In his first “60 to 90 days” as CFO of Presidio, Manny Korakis learned that preparation doesn't cancel pressure, he tells us. “Now the buck stops here,” he tells us, and he “didn't really appreciate the pace” required until he was living it daily, he tells us.Korakis traces his move into enterprise thinking back to the McGraw Hill companies. Early on, he was “very technical” and “pretty close” to a singular controllership focus, he tells us. Then a mentor CFO pulled him into what they called the “growth and value plan,” he tells us. He worked on the “system landscape” and “data flow,” and on portfolio decisions about which assets were core and which were “distracting,” he tells us. That work drove the separation of McGraw Hill Education from the rest of McGraw Hill and a rebranding to “S&P Global,” he tells us. It also surfaced “hidden gems of value,” he tells us. Seeing theory turn “real life” became his “aha moment,” he tells us.In a later chapter, Korakis served as CFO of S&P Dow Jones Indices, where partners were aligned “in many cases,” but “not always aligned,” he tells us, requiring balance of “different needs and expectations,” he tells us.That arc shapes how he defines finance: not just “counting the beans,” but “highlighting the key things” so others decide better, he tells us. Today, he says finance “own[s] the model” for where Presidio wants to go, he tells us, and AI starts with “bite sized pieces,” he explains.

Reaching One More For JESUS @ Capital Baptist - Annandale, VA

We talk with Labor Writer Kalena Thomhave about her Capital & Main article about the Dept of Labor changes to Home Health Care Workers in 2026. Thanks to  CWA  UAW2209  MLPA AnneFeeney  LeftistLezzies  WCPT AM 820 Chicago Heartland Signal 

In this episode, Adrienne breaks down the four pathways every business can use to fund growth: debt, equity, revenue power plays, and asset leverage. She explains why under-capitalization kills more businesses than bad ideas and shares the mindset and structure required to become “fundable.”Key Takeaways: You cannot scale without funding. Capital is strategy, not luck. Debt preserves ownership; equity accelerates growth. Revenue power plays can create cash-on-demand without outside capital. Fundable companies have clean financials, predictable revenue, capable owners, and clear systems. Capital flows to companies that look prepared, not desperate. What You'll Learn: The 4 capital pathways every CEO must understand How to choose the right funding method for your next stage How to prepare your company to receive capital What lenders and investors really look for The financial mistakes that kill funding opportunities Resources: Mogul Chix Guide to Getting VC Funding- https://mogulchix.com/product/mogul-chix-guide-vc-funding/Funding School ™- http://academy.mogulchix.com/funding-school/

BBC SHARES INFORMATIONhttps://www.bbccshares.com/formBITCOIN PROGRAMSCALL OR TEXT 941-413-8080ALL BITCOIN BEN'S PROGRAMShttp://bbccprograms.comJOIN THE BITCOIN BEN CRYPTO CLUBS AND WEBSITEhttps://bitcoinbencryptoclubnashville.com/clubsCLAIMING YOUR CLUB SHARES VIDEO LINKhttps://us06web.zoom.us/j/81113673520?pwd=BFyIgqBIBoOHzWHg55kpk7Bpql6NNX.1CALEB AND BROWN LINK SAVE 30% ON EVERY BUY/SELL FEEShttps://www.calebandbrown.com/affiliates/bitcoin-benPRIVATE SERVERhttps://substack.com/@bitcoinben?utm_source=profile-pageFOLD APP LINKhttps://use.foldapp.com/r/BITCOINBEN2OZLO SLEEP EARBUDShttps://refer.ozlosleep.com/mQIhHLaCALIX SOLUTIONS CRYPTO AND LIBERY LAPTOPS!!!CALL OR TEXT (702) 845-8276 OR EMAIL info@calixsolutions.io OR HITTHIS LINK TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE WEBSITEhttps://calixsolutions.io/crypto-laptops/XPATCHES EMAIL AND TELEGRAM CHANNELBitcoinBensXpatches@gmail.comhttp://t.me/BitcoinBensXpatchesSALT BITCOIN LOANhttps://borrower.saltlending.com/register?referralCode=1UzYRShbxBITCOIN BEN SWAG LINKhttps://www.miniadaydesigns.com/collections/bitcoin-bens-private-collection?_pos=2&_psq=bitcoin+ben&_ss=e&_v=1.0FOUNDERS GROUP MEMBERSHIPS WEBSITEhttps://foundersgroupworldwide.com/join/ OR Call our officeBECOME A TRADEMARK LICIENCED DEALER AT THE BITCOIN BEN SILVERCOMPANY!! GET MORE INFORMATION ON OUR TELEGRAM CHANNELhttps://t.me/BitcoinBensSilverChatGroup

Venezuela has urged the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting to condemn what it calls a “brutal, unjustified” U.S. attack, following claims that President Maduro and his wife were captured.

If you're trying to raise capital for your business because you're struggling, you won't get it. And there is a major conversation happening right now in Black and Brown communities that only half address the investing problem. People often have a misconception about what it takes to get capital investment for their business. I'm here to dispel the myths for you. Capital investments aren't about saving your company or getting you back in the green. It's about giving you an advantage to take a good business to great, while producing a return on the investor's investment. Until you start operating from that frame of mind, you won't get the funding you're looking for. So let's talk about it.

On this episode, we're taking a look at the top crypto investment trends going into 2026.~This episode is sponsored by BTCC~BTCC 10% Deposit Bonus! ➜ https://bit.ly/PBNBTCCGuest: Felix O. Hartmann, Managing General Partner - Hartmann CapitalHartmann Website➜ https://bit.ly/HartmannCap00:00 Intro00:50 Sponsor: BTCC01:00 Portfolio update03:00 Crypto tokens or strictly VC equity?05:15 Top Stablecoin & Banking play?08:50 Biggest beneficiary of CLARITY Act?12:40 Tokenized Stocks: TradFi vs xStocks14:30 Vaults will reach $1 trillion17:00 Tech bubble concerns20:00 Logan Paul auction in January (Tokenized Collectibles)24:45 Top Gaming Chain?29:40 Roblox is safest play for Crypto, VR, A.I. ?30:10 Meta A.I. Agents30:46 XR Glasses Will Explode33:49 Number 1 Mistake investors make in 202636:10 Outro#Crypto #Bitcoin #Ethereum~Hottest Crypto Investment Trends For 2026

PART TWO OF  DC residents speaking out about the impact of increased policing by federal agents, including ICE officers, since August 2025. Those presented here are among  the 130 people who testified for nearly 12 hours on December 4th 2025 before the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee of the DC Council. The Trump administration ordered a multi-million dollar surge in policing and deployment of the National Guard, despite the district's 30-year low crime rate. That surge officially ended in September, but there are still more federal police openly collaborating with local police, leading to shootings and other violent encounters in DC neighborhoods.   The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people's voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to be and support our own media! Please click here or click on the Support-Donate tab on this website to subscribe for as little as $3 a month. We are so grateful for this small but growing amount of monthly crowdsource funding on Patreon. PATREON NOW HAS A ONE-TIME, ANNUAL DONATION FUNCTION! You can also give a one-time or recurring donation on PayPal. Thank you! “On the Ground: Voices of Resistance from the Nation's Capital” gives a voice to the voiceless 99 percent at the heart of American empire. The award-winning, weekly hour, produced and hosted by Esther Iverem, covers social justice activism about local, national and international issues, with a special emphasis on militarization and war, the police state, the corporate state, environmental justice and the left edge of culture and media. The show is heard on three dozen stations across the United States, on podcast, and is archived on the world wide web at https://onthegroundshow.org/  Please support us on Patreon or Paypal. Links for all ways to support are on our website or at Esther Iverem's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/esther_iverem

On tonight's program: Florida lawmakers hadn't originally planned for 2026 to be a congressional redistricting year. But then President Donald Trump called; A priority of Florida's senate president to funnel more state resources into rural counties didn't make it in 2025.But it's make a return appearance in 2026; A move to allow younger Floridians to own long guns is attracting some pushback ahead of the lawmaking session; Florida law requires rental property owners to take reasonable steps to protect their tenants from things like gun violence. Although that law was watered down a few years back; If you're whipsawed by inflation at the grocery store, you might want to consider growing more of that food yourself; And we go back in time a quarter-of-a-century to a political meltdown that was very unlike today when all politics is taken very personally by everybody.

In this engaging conversation, Toby Fisher shares his remarkable journey from a struggling real estate investor to a successful philanthropist. He discusses the challenges he faced, the lessons learned along the way, and the power of visualization in achieving his goals. Toby emphasizes the importance of giving back, detailing his commitment to donate a million dollars to a women's shelter and inspiring others to do the same. He also reflects on his current investment strategies and the significance of community and masterminding in his life. Ultimate Show Notes: 00:00:00 - Introduction to the podcast and guest Toby Fisher's background 00:01:00 - Toby's journey from rock bottom to real estate success 00:03:00 - Using credit cards to finance real estate investments 00:06:00 - The impact of the 2008 financial crisis on Toby's investments 00:08:00 - The visualization exercise that led to his million-dollar donation commitment 00:11:00 - The significance of donating to a women's shelter and personal connections 00:14:00 - Toby's current real estate portfolio and investment strategy 00:18:00 - Inspiring others to make significant donations and the importance of a strong "why" 00:24:00 - The role of community and masterminding in achieving goals 00:29:00 - Closing thoughts and how to connect with Toby Fisher Connect with Toby: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobyfisher/  Learn More About Accountable Equity: Visit Us: http://www.accountableequity.com/  Access eBook: https://accountableequity.com/case-study/#register  Turn your unique talent into capital and achieve the life you were destined to live. Join our community!We believe that Capital is more than just Cash. In fact, Human Capital always comes first before the accumulation of Financial Capital. We explore the best, most efficient, high-integrity ways of raising capital (Human & Financial). We want our listeners to use their personal human capital to empower the growth of their financial capital. Together we are stronger. LinkedinFacebookInstagramApple PodcastSpotify

Join the brand new season of Elite Finance Podcast with Kaushik, with Greg Giordano, from Veritas Capital, one of the leading technology & services Private Equity firms in the world! The Elite Finance podcast features elite professionals & investors from the top PE, HF, VC, IB & AI firms in the world. Kaushik is the leading voice in the High Finance space, having built 3 Private Equity platforms to date, including Onefinnet, the #1 Finance platform in the world245 | Greg's Intro350 | Greg's Experience with Onefinnet500 | What does Veritas Actually Do700 | What does it Look Like to Work in Private Equity900 | Different Kinds of Private Equity Firms1100 | What Goes in Minds of Private Equity Investors1300 | Best Practices of Due Diligence for Private Equity Firms1500 | How to Overcome Large Risks in Private Equity1710 | Strategies Employed in Private Equity2000 | How does a Private Equity Deal Look Like2240 | Private Equity : How does Value Addition Work2510 | Private Equity : Kinds of Exit Strategies2845 | Promising Market Sectors for Next 5 Years3100 | Competition : How to Standout from other Private Equity Firms3350 | Deal Sourcing : How does a Deal Lands with a Firm3600 | Importance of Teams : How is a Team Formed3850 | How to Build a Skillset for Private Equity Operator4110 | Role & Impact of Technology in Private Equity4345 | Future of AI and Human Capital in Finance Industry4630 | Balancing Short-Term & Long-Term Investments 4935 | How to Standout as Candidate for Private Equity5225 | Early Careers : How to Standout as an Analyst5530 | Potential Candidate : Important Factors to Standout5850 | How does Operational Sides of Private Equity Look Like10130 | Challenges You Face in Private Equity10355 | How does MBA help in Career10700 | One Piece of Advice10845 | Ending Note

Join Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler as they sit down with industry expert Suzy Badaracco from Culinary Tides to forecast the biggest restaurant trends for 2026. This year-end episode explores how Gen Z is reshaping dining expectations, the AI versus hospitality debate, why comfort food isn't making a comeback despite economic pressures, and the rise of mood-based menus and subscription dining services. Discover insights on anti-viral marketing, the importance of "vibe" over speed, and why off-premise dining is becoming more experiential than ever.#RestaurantTrends #FastCasual #FoodIndustryBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fast-casual-nation--3598490/support.Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights.Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory

We discussed a few things including:1. Their career journeys2. Carta3. Archangel and Techstars4. Current trends5. Outlook for investing for 2026Hamza Shad is an insights manager at Carta, where he analyzes data on startups and the venture capital ecosystem. He leads Carta's quarterly State of Pre-Seed report on early-stage companies and has spoken at Startup Grind, 500 Global, SOSV, the World Bank, and more. Previously, Hamza conducted research on entrepreneurship in emerging markets at Endeavor. He holds a bachelor's in economics and political science from the University of Chicago and a master's in international development from University of Oxford. ----Mellie Chow is an Engineer turned Entrepreneur / Operator turned Angel Investor / Venture Capitalist with over 25+ years of experience across multiple industries including telecommunications & cable, utilities & power generation, banking, healthcare, government, and food. She is a Board Advisor at Techstars Toronto Accelerator and a Venture Partner at Archangel Network of Funds, Axion Fund, ventureLAB EIR and University of Delaware - Horn Entrepreneurship - Venture Acceleration Lab mentor. She is also an adjunct professor at New York University SPS and Elizabethtown College of Competitive Product Strategy. She holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering (University of Waterloo), an MBA (Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management & Schulich). #podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

Ben & Bob join Ellis Hammond to look back on a landmark year in which Aspen deployed approximately $140 million in capital. We walk you through our biggest verticals to see how oil & gas, debt & credit, and multifamily fared this year. And we share some strategies we're bringing into 2026.Have more questions, or want more resources like a tax calculator? Go to investlikeabillionaire.org to learn more about our community. Check out Ben & Bob's company and invest along at https://aspenfunds.us/

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by returning guest Nik Modi, Co-Head of Global Consumer & Retail Research at RBC Capital Markets for a 2025 retrospective and 2026 preview.Follow Nik Modi on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nik-modi-675926/Follow RBC Capital Markets on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rbc-capital-markets/Follow RBC Capital online at: https://www.rbccm.com/en/=CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj's Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual's use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.

McKinney police charged the son of the city's former city manager with capital murder Monday after finding 73-year old Frank Ragan and his wife, 72-year old Jackie Ragan dead with stab wounds in their living room just days after Christmas. In other news, Rep. Jasmine Crockett said Monday she's the more experienced, proven progressive option for Democrats as she competes with state Rep. James Talarico for the party's Senate nomination; Federal officials on Monday announced funding amounts for its new rural health program. Texas will receive more than $281 million, more than any other state; nd Razzoo's, the Cajun restaurant chain that started in Dallas in 1991 and filed for bankruptcy in 2025, has been purchased by North Texas company M Crowd. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More syndications are going sideways. Capital calls have become common. Tensions are rising between operators and investors…but not for all deals. If you had talked to today's guest before forming your real estate syndication, there's a good chance you'd already have a battle plan for every potential challenge. Thankfully, today, CRE's go-to legal advisor is sharing his take for free. Richard Crouch has worked on eight figure commercial real estate deals for over two decades, helping advise on disputes, defaults, and structuring. He's the one who sets up your failsafes before a deal goes sideways and advises you on the right way to resolve it once the damage has been done. Today, we're getting into the nitty-gritty that not only sponsors but also passive investors need to know. We'll talk about the “gotcha” clauses lenders can use to extract fees from you or worse…take your entire property, the right way to handle a capital call so your exit strategy doesn't fall apart, and what to do in the unfortunate event that a guarantor passes away mid-deal.  Insights from today's episode: Your lender is not your friend: the “gotchas” put in place that you must navigate around  How to handle capital calls so your investors don't feel neglected and unsettled  One thing you need to include in every single operating agreement you sign  A crucial event that can “trigger” if a guarantor passes away during a deal cycle  Opportunity for buyers: Is now the time to invest in distressed debt amid inexperienced syndicators' struggles — Connect with Richard on LinkedIn Richard's Email: richard.crouch@woodsrogers.com  Richard's Phone Number: 757-353-0969 Recommended Resources: Accredited Investors, you're invited to Join the Cashflow Investor Club to learn how you can partner with Kevin Bupp on current and upcoming opportunities to create passive cash flow and build wealth. Join the Club! If you're a high net worth investor with capital to deploy in the next 12 months and you want to build passive income and wealth with a trusted partner, go to InvestWithKB.com for opportunities to invest in real estate projects alongside Kevin and his team.  Looking for the ultimate guide to passive investing? Grab a copy of my latest book, The Cash Flow Investor at KevinBupp.com.  Tap into a wealth of free information on Commercial Real Estate Investing by listening to past podcast episodes at KevinBupp.com/Podcast.

A New Year, A New Financial BlueprintWhat if the new year wasn't about resolutions—but about real financial positioning?As we step into a new year, this episode challenges the idea that retirement is tied to age and introduces a smarter way to think about income, protection, and legacy. Financial strategist Shateka Husser joins the show to break down how early planning, disciplined structure, and education can help families build tax-efficient income and long-term security—starting now, not decades from now.This is a timely New Year conversation about resetting your mindset, reclaiming control of your finances, and committing to legacy building in the year ahead. If you've been relying solely on your 401k or Social Security, this conversation is a wake-up call to the "unconventional wisdom" used by the wealthy to build legacies that last.Key Takeaways[04:21] The Social Security Myth: Why relying on government systems is a risk and how to close the "60% income gap" that most W-2 employees face at retirement.[09:47] The Tax Code Trap: Understanding why traditional accounts (401k, 403b, IRA) are written for the employer, not the employee, and how to pivot to IRS Code 7702.[10:48] Be Your Own Bank: A deep dive into the Infinite Banking Concept and how permanent cash value policies allow you to "eat the cookies and still have them grow."[15:15] Living Benefits vs. Death Benefits: Why you need a policy you can use while you're alive to pay off debt and fund investments like real estate or business ventures.[20:31] The "HIT" List: The three major termites that destroy retirement: Healthcare, Inflation, and Taxes—and how to protect your portfolio against them.[28:16] Retirement is an Income, Not an Age: Why Shateka advises against quitting your job too early and how to use your 9-to-5 as a "sponsor" for your ultimate freedom.Legacy Moment TakeawaysLegacy starts with structure, not age. Waiting until retirement age delays the opportunity to build income, protection, and options for the next generation.Connect with Shateka:Website: Shateka.comEmail: info@shatekahusser.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/shatekahusserofficial/?hl=enConnect with Corwyn:Contact Number: 843-619-3005Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/exitstrategiesradioshow/⁠FB Page:⁠ https://www.facebook.com/exitstrategiessc/⁠Youtube:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxoSuynJd5c4qQ_eDXLJaZA⁠Website:⁠ https://www.exitstrategiesradioshow.com⁠Linkedin:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmelette/⁠Shoutout to our Sponsor: Mellifund Capital, LLCNeed funding for your next real estate flip or build? MelliFund Capital makes it fast, flexible, and investor-friendly. Visit MelliFundCapital.com and fund your future today. Again, that's MelliFundCapital.com, M-E-L-L-I-L-U-N-D, Capital.com.

So many books are published each year; few stand the test of time. Today we devote our whole show to asking which works have shaped the way we behave and how we think. Picks include “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen, “A Suitable Boy” by Vikram Seth and “Lord of the Rings” by JRR Tolkien.Full list of books mentioned in the show:The BibleThe Koran“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins“On the Origin of Species” by Charles Darwin“Il Saggiatore” by Galileo Galilei“Two New Sciences” by Galileo Galilei“Capital in the Twenty-First Century” by Thomas Piketty“Amusing Ourselves to Death” by Neil PostmanThe novels of Philip PullmanThe Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling“The Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley“A Suitable Boy” by Vikram Seth “Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien “A Room of One's Own” by Virginia Woolf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SHOW 12-25-25 THE SHOW BEGINS WITH DOUBTS ABOUT THE MODERN STORY OF MARY AND HER FAMILY. 1868 NAZARETH SEPPHORIS AND THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF MARY'S LIFE Colleague James Tabor. Tabor identifies Sepphoris, a Roman capital near Nazareth, as Mary's birthplace. He reimagines Jesus and Joseph as "tektons" (builders) working in this urban center rather than simple carpenters. This proximity meant Mary witnessed Romanbrutality and the city's destruction, influencing her family's spiritual views on the Kingdom of God. NUMBER 1 INVESTIGATING THE NAME PANTERA Colleague James Tabor. Tabor explores the name "Pantera," found in rabbinic texts and on a Roman soldier's tombstone. He suggests this might be a family name rather than a slur, investigating the possibility that Jesus's father was a relative or soldier, which challenges the theological narrative of a virgin birth. NUMBER 2 RECLAIMING THE HISTORICAL JEWISH FAMILY Colleague James Tabor. Highlighting the Protoevangelium of James, Tabor contrasts its depiction of a perpetual virgin Mary with historical evidence of a large Jewish family. He argues Mary had numerous children and that her parents were likely wealthy property owners in Sepphoris, integrating Jesus into a close-knit extended family. NUMBER 3 JAMES THE JUST AS TRUE SUCCESSOR Colleague James Tabor. Tabor asserts James, Jesus's brother, was the movement's true successor, not Peter. Citing Acts and the Gospel of Thomas, he notes James led the Jerusalem council and stood at the cross. Tabor argues the "beloved disciple" entrusted with Mary's care was this blood brother, not Johnthe fisherman. NUMBER 4 THE HEADQUARTERS ON MOUNT ZION Colleague James Tabor. Tabor describes excavations on Mount Zion, identifying a first-century house foundation as the "upper room" and headquarters of the early movement. He visualizes Mary as the matriarch in this courtyard, welcoming pilgrims and apostles like Paul, and establishes James as the leader of this house synagogue. NUMBER 5 THE FLIGHT TO PELLA AND MARY'S DEATH Colleague James Tabor. Tabor discusses the Christian flight to Pella during the Roman revolt. He speculates Mary died before this event, likely around 49–63 CE, and was buried on Mount Zion. Consequently, she disappears from the New Testament record, which shifts focus to Peter and Paul after the Jerusalem church's dispersal. NUMBER 6 THE TALPIOT TOMB AND DNA EVIDENCE Colleague James Tabor. Discussing the Talpiot tomb, Tabor details ossuaries bearing names like "Jesus son of Joseph" and "Mariamne." He argues statistical clusters and potential DNA evidence suggest this is the Jesus family tomb, positing that physical remains support historical existence without necessarily negating the concept of spiritual resurrection. NUMBER 7 THE Q SOURCE AND MARY'S TEACHINGS Colleague James Tabor. Tabor identifies the "Q" source as a collection of ethical teachings shared by Matthew and Luke. He attributes these core values—such as charity and humility—to a family tradition taught by Mary to Jesus, James, and John the Baptizer, aiming to restore Mary'shistorical influence as a teacher. NUMBER 8 VIRGIL'S RURAL ORIGINS AND AUGUSTAN CONNECTION Colleagues Scott McGill and Susanna Wright. The guests discuss Virgil's birth in 70 BCE near Mantua and his rural upbringing, which influenced his poetry. They trace his move to Rome during civil war and his eventual connection to Augustus, noting that Virgil promised a grand epic for the emperor in his earlier work, the Georgics. NUMBER 9 TRANSLATING THE SOUND AND METER OF VIRGIL Colleagues Scott McGill and Susanna Wright. The translators explain choosing iambic pentameter over dactylic hexameter to provide an English cultural equivalent to the original's epic feel. They describe their efforts to replicate Virgil's auditory effects, such as alliteration and assonance, and preserve specific line repetitions that connect characters like Turnus and Camilla. NUMBER 10 THE AENEID'S PLOT AND HOMERIC INFLUENCES Colleagues Scott McGill and Susanna Wright. McGill and Wright summarize the plot, from Troy's destruction to the war in Italy. They analyze Virgil's dialogue with Homer, noting how the poem's opening words invoke both the Iliad's warfare and the Odyssey's wanderings. They also highlight the terrifying, visual nature of Virgil's depiction of the underworld. NUMBER 11 ROMAN EXCEPTIONALISM VS. HUMAN TRAGEDY Colleagues Scott McGill and Susanna Wright. They discuss whether the Aeneid justifies Roman empire or tells a human story. McGill argues the poem survives because it creates sympathy for antagonists like Dido and Turnus. They explore how Virgil portrays the costs of empire and Aeneas's rage, complicating the narrative of Augustan propaganda. NUMBER 12 CLODIA'S PRIVILEGE AND CICERO'S AMBITION Colleague Douglas Boin. Boin introduces Clodia, a privileged woman from an ancient Roman family on Palatine Hill. He contrasts her aristocratic, independent nature—manifested in her name spelling—with the rise of Cicero, a talented outsider. Boin frames their eventual conflict as a clash between established power and ambitious newcomers. NUMBER 13 THE POLITICS OF TRIBUNES AND REFORM Colleague Douglas Boin. Boin details the divide between the Optimates and Populares. He explains how Clodia and her brother Clodius used the office of Tribune—the "people's protector" with veto power—to enact reforms. This strategy allowed them to challenge the Senate's authority and set the stage for Clodius's political dominance. NUMBER 14 THE TRIAL OF RUFUS AND CICERO'S MISOGYNY Colleague Douglas Boin. Boin describes a trial where Clodia accused her ex-lover Rufus of poisoning. Cicero defended Rufus by launching misogynistic attacks on Clodia, calling her "cow-eyed" and alleging incest. Boin argues this famous speech unfairly solidified Clodia's negative historical reputation while obscuring the political power she wielded. NUMBER 15 THE DEATH OF CLODIUS AND THE REPUBLIC'S END Colleague Douglas Boin. Boin recounts the violent death of Clodius by rival gangs, marking a turning point toward the Republic's collapse. He views Clodia's subsequent disappearance from history as a symbol of the loss of women's influence and civic rights, framing her story as a cautionary tale about political violence. NUMBER 16

So many books are published each year; few stand the test of time. Today we devote our whole show to asking which works have shaped the way we behave and how we think. Picks include “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen, “A Suitable Boy” by Vikram Seth and “Lord of the Rings” by JRR Tolkien.Full list of books mentioned in the show:The BibleThe Koran“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins“On the Origin of Species” by Charles Darwin“Il Saggiatore” by Galileo Galilei“Two New Sciences” by Galileo Galilei“Capital in the Twenty-First Century” by Thomas Piketty“Amusing Ourselves to Death” by Neil PostmanThe novels of Philip PullmanThe Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling“The Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley“A Suitable Boy” by Vikram Seth “Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien “A Room of One's Own” by Virginia Woolf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.