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Will the boom in artificial intelligence continue in 2026? We hear how the world's biggest companies are jockeying for position in the race to dominate the field. After a year of record spending on AI, we look at how sustainable that type of investment might be in the year ahead. Plus - what gadgets could become mainstream in 2026? The BBC's Technology Editor, Zoe Kleinman, and North America technology correspondent in Silicon Valley, Lily Jamali, give Will Bain their predictions. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Will Bain Producer: Matt Lines(Picture: Guests including CEO of Meta Mark Zuckerberg; Amazon founder Jeff Bezos; CEO of Google Sundar Pichai; and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, X and xAI Elon Musk, arrive before the 60th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, on Monday, 20th of January 2025. Credit: Getty Images)
Our Venezuela situation is all about oil… So what will the CEO of ExxonMobil do next?Sprinkles, inventor of Cupcake ATMs, shut down last week… Because Private Equity botched the recipe.The big new year's resolution is Digital Detoxing… So Twitter & Pinterest's founders created an app for what we call Social Media Banuary.Ozempic has a huge new market… your pet dog.$CRMBQ $CVX $XOMBuy tickets to The IPO Tour (our In-Person Offering) TODAYAustin, TX (2/25): https://tickets.austintheatre.org/13274/13275 Arlington, VA (3/11): https://www.arlingtondrafthouse.com/shows/341317 New York, NY (4/8): https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0000637AE43ED0C2Los Angeles, CA (6/3): https://www.squadup.com/events/the-best-one-yet-liveGet your TBOY Yeti Doll gift here: https://tboypod.com/shop/product/economic-support-yeti-doll NEWSLETTER:https://tboypod.com/newsletter OUR 2ND SHOW:Want more business storytelling from us? Check our weekly deepdive show, The Best Idea Yet: The untold origin story of the products you're obsessed with. Listen for free to The Best Idea Yet: https://wondery.com/links/the-best-idea-yet/NEW LISTENERSFill out our 2 minute survey: https://qualtricsxm88y5r986q.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dp1FDYiJgt6lHy6GET ON THE POD: Submit a shoutout or fact: https://tboypod.com/shoutouts SOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tboypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tboypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tboypod Linkedin (Nick): https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-martell/Linkedin (Jack): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-crivici-kramer/Anything else: https://tboypod.com/ About Us: The daily pop-biz news show making today's top stories your business. Formerly known as Robinhood Snacks, The Best One Yet is hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fertilizer is essential to feeding America, and it all begins with natural gas. On this episode of American Potential, host David From sits down with Perry Babb, CEO of Keystate Energy, to explain how modern fertilizer is made, why energy policy directly affects food prices, and how the U.S. became dependent on foreign fertilizer despite abundant domestic resources. Perry breaks down the science behind ammonia and nitrogen fertilizer, the role of natural gas as a critical input, and why current supply chains leave American farmers exposed to global instability. Perry also shares his entrepreneurial journey—from international humanitarian work to building large-scale energy and fertilizer projects—and explains why domestic production is key to U.S. food security, energy independence, and national security. As demand grows from data centers, AI, and advanced manufacturing, this conversation highlights how smarter energy policy and reduced red tape can lower costs, strengthen rural economies, and keep America competitive.
Gwyneth sits down with Beatrice Dixon—co-founder and CEO of The Honey Pot Co.—for a conversation about what it takes to move an idea from instinct to action. They talk about listening more closely, building momentum without losing yourself, and the long game of creating something that lasts. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
My guest today is Reed Hastings, the co-founder and former longtime CEO of Netflix. Netflix is an example of two ideas that everyone talks about, but are extremely hard to do in practice. The first is finding a simple idea and taking it extraordinarily seriously. Reed talks about how even the DVD business was nothing more than a stepping stone toward streaming, which they envisioned from the company's inception in 1997. The second is talent density, and what it actually takes to set and sustain an exceptionally high bar over decades as a company grows. We talk about how those ideas shaped Netflix's culture and strategy, what Reed learned from mistakes like Qwikster, and why Netflix treated content like a venture portfolio. We also discuss Reed's work today. He shares how he's thinking about AI, what he's learned from serving on the boards of Microsoft, Meta, Anthropic, and Bloomberg, and what excites him about Powder Mountain, the ski resort he acquired after Netflix. Please enjoy my conversation with Reed Hastings. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by Ramp. Ramp's mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to ramp.com/invest to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. ----- This episode is brought to you by Vanta. Trusted by thousands of businesses, Vanta continuously monitors your security posture and streamlines audits so you can win enterprise deals and build customer trust without the traditional overhead. Visit vanta.com/invest. ----- This episode is brought to you by Rogo. Rogo is an AI-powered platform that automates accounts payable workflows, enabling finance teams to process invoices faster and with greater accuracy. Learn more at Rogo.ai/invest. ----- This episode is brought to you by WorkOS. WorkOS is a developer platform that enables SaaS companies to quickly add enterprise features to their applications. Visit WorkOS.com to transform your application into an enterprise-ready solution in minutes, not months. ----- This episode is brought to you by Ridgeline. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Visit ridgelineapps.com. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Timestamps (00:00:00) Sponsors (00:03:33) Welcome to Invest Like The Best (00:04:29) Intro (00:05:43) Sponsors (00:07:16) The Concept of Talent Density (00:11:19) Evaluating Talent (00:13:47) Managing on the Edge of Chaos (00:14:51) Why Netflix Gave Large Severance Packages (00:16:37) The Keeper's Test (00:17:07) The Qwikster Mistake (00:19:15) The Informed Captain (00:20:39) How to Come Up with Good Ideas (00:22:32) Transitioning to Streaming (00:23:05) Being on the Board of Facebook, Microsoft, Anthropic & Bloomberg (00:26:25) The Role of a Board Member (00:29:37) Sponsors (00:30:15) Why Netflix Had Open Compensation (00:32:04) Netflix's Content Strategy (00:37:52) Competing with YouTube and Traditional TV (00:39:23) Creating Hit Content (00:40:02) Impact of AI on Netflix (00:41:24) Innovations in Show Formats (00:43:23) Sponsors (00:43:44) Netflix's Technology Backbone (00:45:29) Expanding into Gaming (00:46:06) Lessons from Failed Projects (00:47:30) Financial Strategy and Capital Allocation (00:50:27) Stepping Down as CEO (00:50:52) Powder Mountain (00:56:08) Focus on Education and AI (00:59:00) Risks and Benefits of AI (01:00:56) The Kindest Thing (01:02:56) Sponsors
Are you facing the pressure to reinvent your business before it's too late? Imagine your cash flow vanishing, your team at risk, and your market shifting overnight.In this candid, deeply human episode, Sivana Brewer talks to Ruth Velez, COO and co-founder of Vinali Group, who led her company from the brink of collapse during COVID through a string of audacious pivots to global growth. Ruth exposes the real emotional rollercoaster behind leading with your partner, building culture across borders, hiring and keeping amazing talent, and never losing faith, no matter how chaotic it gets.This episode isn't just about operations, it's about surviving, adapting, and growing stronger together. Listen now to avoid the pain of stalling out, wasting years on the wrong models, or letting fear keep you stuck. Don't miss Ruth's rare, actionable insights. You won't get this level of honesty or inside story anywhere else.Timestamped Highlights[00:00] – The bold moment Ruth and her husband decided failure was NOT an option[02:50] – How COVID nearly destroyed their staffing business—and the exact pivot that saved them[03:59] – Recruiting from Colombia: training from scratch to building a cross-border powerhouse[05:45] – Nearshoring vs. offshoring: hidden advantages for cost, culture, trust[08:52] – Security, HR, and team-building—the true reasons to use a staffing partner[12:00] – Grit and transparency: the secret to client loyalty during chaos[17:48] – Marriage + business: the COO/CEO dynamic, picking which wild ideas to follow[24:06] – Being the “options queen”—conquering doubts and finding your strengths[33:42] – Building legacy: raising entrepreneurial kids in a family business[35:34] – Only work with clients who TRULY fit—how that changed everythingAbout the GuestRuth Velez is COO and co-founder of Vinali Group, an international nearshore staffing company headquartered in Orlando, FL with offices in Colombia and across Latin America. Ruth is known for operational excellence, culture-building, and helping US companies leverage nearshoring for both trust and talent.
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.
Patrick Bet-David sits down with TraxNYC to break down his rise to building one of the most recognizable jewelry brands in America, the hustle and controversies behind it, and how he became a fixture of internet culture through viral moments and high-profile collaborations with figures like MrBeast, Cardi B, Busta Rhymes, Kodak Black, Young M.A, Pauly D, Alex Verdugo, and UFC champion Jon Jones. Most recently, a heated confrontation with George and Freddy Akay of Akay Diamonds sent his latest video viral, once again proving his ability to dominate the cultural conversation where business and controversy collide.------Ⓜ️ MINNECT WITH TRAXNYC: https://bit.ly/4q8qDCG
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.
As we head into 2026, electricity grids aren't just under strain; they are facing transformational change because of the shifts in the ways that we work, entertain ourselves, and get around. EVs are one of the fastest-growing new loads on the grid in many parts of the world, but are also one of the least well-understood. They can exhibit flexibility that's mostly going unused today. Millions of EVs are already connected to the grid, and they're being treated as a problem instead of a solution. So how could they be used to ease that strain on electricity grids? What would it look like if we could turn EVs into really useful distributed energy resources (DERs)? Host Ed Crooks welcomes Apoorv Bhargava to the show for the first time. Apoorv is the CEO and co-founder of WeaveGrid, a company aiming to make EVs and other DERs function like dependable infrastructure for distribution grids. It wants provide utilities with trusted, repeatable, edge-level control of assets, rather than occasional, system-level demand response. Apoorv explains how it all works.Apoorv is a former student of regular guest Amy Myers Jaffe, who now teaches at New York University. She joins the show to argue that there is still a great deal of uncertainty around claims of using flexibility to reinforce. It isn't a black-and-white question, she says: flexibility only works when it's engineered, trusted and planned for at the distribution level, not improvised through emergency demand response. Together Ed, Apoorv and Amy debate how EVs and grids might be able to work together in the future, instead of against each other. They discuss consumer behaviour, politics and concerns over rising power bills as factors that will matter just as much as the evolution of the technology. The biggest grid upgrade opportunity may not be new wires, transformers or even power plants: it could be the Tesla, VW or BYD in your driveway.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Artificial intelligence isn't just chatbots. The technology is being integrated all across our economy and our lives. And that convergence of AI and robotics, biology and more is likely to be the most important tech trend in 2026, according to Futurist and CEO of the Future Today Strategy Group, Amy Webb.
Welcome to the new year! On the first episode of 2026 Ashley Alderson is joined by Sara Burks for a big-picture retail conversation that every boutique owner needs right now! Retail is changing fast — and 2025 proved that "business as usual" isn't enough anymore. With reports showing 15,000+ store closures, Ashley & Sara unpack what really happened, what retailers got wrong, and how small businesses can build a stronger, more profitable plan for 2026. In this episode, Ashley and Sara walk through the six layers of retail (the proven Retail Bootcamp framework) and share what to double down on in each one — from customer clarity and CEO focus, to product profitability, team leadership, sales strategy, content planning, and modern marketing that actually works today. You'll learn: How consumer behavior is shifting: time, trust, and emotional connection How the six-layer Retail Bootcamp framework creates a strong, sustainable business from the inside out Why trying to be "something for everyone" is a losing strategy Why 2025 saw 15,000+ stores close (including major big-box brands) What successful retailers are doubling down on in 2026 Join The Boutique Hub Retail Bootcamp ____________________________ Ashley Alderson: Instagram The Boutique Hub: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok | YouTube
Industrial Talk is onsite at SMRP 2025 and talking to George Williams, CEO at ReliabilityX about "Successful Reliability begins with people". Scott Mackenzie announced upcoming events where Industrial Talk will broadcast, including Power Gen January 20-22 and MD&M West February 3-5. He introduced George Williams, who discussed his career progression from a painter to a global asset manager and co-founder of ReliabilityX. George emphasized the importance of growing "doers" through education, training, and mentoring to improve plant performance and reliability. He highlighted the need for practical applications of technology, such as using vibration sensors to prevent product giveaway. George also stressed the importance of collaboration, innovation, and adapting to the changing workforce to ensure sustainability and relevance in the industry. Action Items [ ] Broadcast Industrial Talk on site at PowerGen (January 20–22) and host conversations at booth 349 during the event[ ] Broadcast Industrial Talk on site at MD&M West (February 3–5) in Anaheim and engage attendees on the show floor[ ] Publish George Williams / ReliabilityX contact information and link on the Industrial Talk website and include it with the episode content[ ] Build and maintain the members-only area on the ReliabilityX website with a growing library of Kahoot quizzes (pneumatics, hydraulics, power transmission, etc.) for team training and engagement Outline Upcoming Events and Broadcasts Scott announces upcoming events where Industrial Talk will be broadcasting on-site, including Power Gen January 20-22 at booth 349 and MD&M West February 3-5 in Anaheim, California.Emphasizes the importance of attending these events for manufacturing professionals and encourages listeners to look him up for specific discussions.Scott welcomes listeners to the Industrial Talk podcast, celebrating industry professionals and their contributions to making the world a better place. Introduction of George Williams and ReliabilityX Scott introduces George Williams, a key figure at ReliabilityX, and praises the organization for its commitment to storytelling and roundtable discussions.George Williams shares his background, starting as a painter in a large pharmaceutical plant and eventually becoming responsible for global asset management.Discusses his transition to a $17 billion medical device company and eventually starting his own business with his partner, Joe.Highlights the passion of George and Joe for seeing people grow and succeed in their careers. Core Business of ReliabilityX George explains that ReliabilityX's core business is the growth of doers, focusing on educating, training, coaching, and mentoring individuals to improve plant performance and reliability.Emphasizes the importance of understanding and focusing on the growth of individuals rather than just the technical aspects of reliability.Discusses the need for executive support to scale business and the importance of simplifying reliability for broader understanding and application.Outlines the three key principles of reliability: stopping being the source of problems, doing the right preventive maintenance, and managing degradation. Challenges and Solutions in Reliability Scott and George discuss the challenges of maintaining focus in a rapidly changing market and the importance of practical applications of technology.George shares examples of practical applications, such as using vibration sensors to prevent product giveaway and automating processes to improve...
Artificial intelligence isn't just chatbots. The technology is being integrated all across our economy and our lives. And that convergence of AI and robotics, biology and more is likely to be the most important tech trend in 2026, according to Futurist and CEO of the Future Today Strategy Group, Amy Webb.
To Drew Canoli, the founder and CEO of Organifi, Paul is far more than a business associate and neighbor in Southern California. Paul is a close friend whose mission — making the world a better, healthier place — mirrors Drew's vision.Drew picks Paul's brain on a great many topics, from parasite infections and poop to lifestyle changes for cancer patients, relationships, eating light and so much more this week on Spirit Gym.Learn more about Drew and his work on his Permission Granted website and social media via Facebook, Instagram and his FitLifeTV channel on YouTube. Listen to his Drew and You podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to them.Timestamps3:08 The number one reason people come into contact with parasites.9:23 The most common kind of parasite infection.19:32 How much poop should you be excreting from your body every day?28:30 Inflammation, parasite infections and your muscle health.38:03 It's not good for your health to do perpetual parasite cleanses due to the life cycle of the parasite.41:32 What lifestyle changes would Paul recommend to a cancer patient?48:43 “I was a man-child until I had my own.”1:00:16 Being in a relationship is the real dojo.1:13:43 A new electrolyte product from Organifi.1:22:50 Sun gazing.1:30:42 When eating foods, you're eating light.1:43:16 Is the Comet 3l/ATLAS something more?2:03:06 Killing the ego is an idea shared by confused people.Resources Spirit of the CimarronHealing With Whole Foods by Paul PitchfordYou Be You: Detox Your Life, Crush Your Limitations and Own Your Awesome by Drew CanoleHealing Fungal and Parasite Infections: The Absolute EssentialsPaul's Fastest Way to Health series on YouTubeFind more resources for this episode on our website.Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear MusicThanks to our awesome sponsors:PaleovalleyBIOptimizers US and BIOptimizers UK PAUL15Organifi CHEK20Wild PasturesKorrect SPIRITGYMPique LifeCHEK Institute We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Les Csorba — senior partner at Heidrick & Struggles and author of Aware: The Power of Seeing Yourself Clearly. Drawing on decades advising CEOs, boards, and leadership teams, Les makes a compelling case that self-awareness is not a soft skill but a strategic differentiator. With leaders facing complexity, speed, and pressure unlike anything in recent memory, Les argues that the ability to see yourself clearly has become a true competitive edge.Throughout the conversation, Les breaks down why so many successful leaders overestimate their self-awareness — and why that gap grows as they ascend into larger roles. He draws from extensive leadership assessments, behavioral research, and personal experience to show how blind spots quietly shape decisions, team dynamics, and organizational culture. His insights on the “CEO bubble,” the tension between intent and impact, and the way digital validation dulls reflection will resonate with any executive navigating today's environment.The discussion also explores practical ways leaders can strengthen their self-awareness without resorting to vague platitudes or one-time exercises. Les shares stories from his own leadership journey, examples from well-known CEOs, and a grounded perspective on how to build cultures that make honest feedback possible. His framing of courage, humility, and reflection feels less like theory and more like leadership discipline.Finally, the conversation touches on timely challenges — from AI's influence on leader behavior to the importance of understanding one's “shadow” as a driver of organizational culture. Les brings a balanced, seasoned voice to these issues, offering clarity without overconfidence. For CEOs and senior executives committed to leading with greater impact, this episode offers a set of insights that are as practical as they are thought-provoking.Actionable TakeawaysYou'll learn why most leaders dramatically overestimate their self-awareness and why the gap between perception and reality grows as responsibilities increase.Hear how to distinguish between internal awareness and external awareness, and why the difference between intent and impact is where many leadership breakdowns occur.You'll hear why honest feedback rarely reaches the top, and what the best CEOs do to counteract the “bubble” that forms around them.Discover how small habits — reflection, solitude, and the “to-be list” — can sharpen judgment and strengthen leadership presence.Hear how blind spots form and why naming them isn't enough, and why building a “courage muscle” is essential for behavior change.You'll learn what leading researchers and leadership assessments reveal about the traits that help executives mobilize, execute, transform, and stay agile.Hear how top leaders like Jamie Dimon, Warren Buffett, and Elon Musk approach their own blind spots — and what that means for every executive who wants to keep growing.Discover why AI makes self-awareness more important, not less, and how understanding your wiring becomes a safeguard against unintended influence.Connect with Les CsorbaLes Csorba Website Les Csorba LinkedIn Aware: The Power of Seeing Yourself Clearly Connect with Mahan Tavakoli: Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website
The woman who lived to 118 years old had one remarkable characteristic that scientists couldn't ignore; her gut microbiome resembled that of a 35-year-old. I'm here today with Anders Corbett, CEO of Craft Microbiome, unpacking the science of banking your young bacteria before age-related decline sets in, and how specific bacterial strains are now being correlated to neurodegenerative diseases years before symptoms appear. Your genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's or Parkinson's may not be your destiny at all. CLICK HERE TO BECOME GARYS VIP!: https://bit.ly/4ai0Xwg Check out Anders Products here: www.craftmicrobiome.com Connect with Anders Corbett Website: https://bit.ly/495Viuq Instagram: https://bit.ly/4qz2Uvd Facebook: https://bit.ly/44XmbOH LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/44Xmjh9 Thank you to our partners H2TABS: “ULTIMATE10” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/4hMNdgg BODYHEALTH: “ULTIMATE20” FOR 20% OFF: http://bit.ly/4e5IjsV BAJA GOLD: "ULTIMATE10" FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/3WSBqUa COLD LIFE: THE ULTIMATE HUMAN PLUNGE: https://bit.ly/4eULUKp WHOOP: JOIN AND GET 1 FREE MONTH!: https://bit.ly/3VQ0nzW AION: “ULTIMATE10” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/4h6KHAD A-GAME: “ULTIMATE15” FOR 15% OFF: http://bit.ly/4kek1ij PEPTUAL: “TUH10” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/4mKxgcn CARAWAY: “ULTIMATE” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/3Q1VmkC HEALF: 10% OFF YOUR ORDER: https://bit.ly/41HJg6S RHO NUTRITION: “ULTIMATE15” FOR 15% OFF: https://bit.ly/44fFza0 GOPUFF: GET YOUR FAVORITE SNACK!: https://bit.ly/4obIFDC GENETIC METHYLATION TEST (UK ONLY): https://bit.ly/48QJJrk GENETIC TEST (USA ONLY): https://bit.ly/3Yg1Uk9 Watch the “Ultimate Human Podcast” every Tuesday & Thursday at 9AM EST: YouTube: https://bit.ly/3RPQYX8 Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3RQftU0 Connect with Gary Brecka Instagram: https://bit.ly/3RPpnFs TikTok: https://bit.ly/4coJ8fo X: https://bit.ly/3Opc8tf Facebook: https://bit.ly/464VA1H LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4hH7Ri2 Website: https://bit.ly/4eLDbdU Merch: https://bit.ly/4aBpOM1 Newsletter: https://bit.ly/47ejrws Ask Gary: https://bit.ly/3PEAJuG Timestamps 00:00 Intro of Show 02:03 Anders Corbett's Background 09:27 How Does Your Gut Bacteria Make Your Muscles Stronger? 16:32 Analysing Gut Bacteria Procedure and Treatment 26:27 Addressing the Symptoms 30:38 Working with NBA and Elite Athletes 36:57 Crafting Your Microbiome (on Your Own Goals) 40:07 Where to Start (When You Have Gut Inflammation)? 48:49 Treating Children's Skin Diseases 57:09 Successful Patients' Cases 1:05:36 Mitigating the Risks of Neurodegenerative Diseases 1:08:44 What's Next for Craft Microbiome? 1:13:30 Restoring Healthy Physiology 1:18:26 Where to Start on Your Health Journey? 1:23:52 What does it mean to you to be an Ultimate Human? The Ultimate Human with Gary Brecka Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user's own risk. The Content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Evan says Kevin Stefanski feels like a solid option, but not the automatic answer many fans are demanding, pointing to Cleveland's recent offensive struggles, head-scratching decisions, and the concern of a coach jumping right into another job after getting fired. Shaun pushes back hard, arguing Stefanski is the best available “CEO type” and the safest move compared to rolling the dice on coordinators, especially with a young quarterback like Jaxson Dart in place. The debate turns into a bigger question: is Stefanski a perfect fit for the Giants, or just the best option because the rest of the market is shaky? Plus, if the Giants want him and he turns them down, does that become a flashing warning sign about the organization and Joe Schoen's presence?
Dylan Field is the co-founder and CEO of Figma, a design software company that went public in July 2025. Founded in 2012, Figma transformed how people design, prototype, and build products together. After a $20 billion acquisition attempt by Adobe collapsed in 2022 because of regulators, Dylan helped Figma rebound stronger than ever. Just three years later, Figma listed its shares at nearly $20 billion and its stock price more than tripled on its first trading day.A few highlights:Expanding a sleepy marketMerging of designers and product rolesCounter-narrative to polarizing CEOsIf models get better, we have toRemembering Brat Summer Resources:More on Dylan:https://www.figma.com/https://X.com/zoinkMore on Jack:https://www.altcap.com/https://x.com/jaltmahttps://linktr.ee/uncappedpodEmail: friends@uncappedpod.com Stay Updated:If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zListen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYXListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Show on SpotifyListen to the a16z Show on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Get access to metatrends 10+ years before anyone else - https://qr.diamandis.com/metatrends Elon Musk is the cofounder and CEO of Tesla, cofounder of SpaceX and xAI. Dave Blundin is the founder & GP of Link Ventures – My companies: Apply to Dave's and my new fund: https://qr.diamandis.com/linkventureslanding Go to Blitzy to book a free demo and start building today: https://qr.diamandis.com/blitzy _ Connect with Peter: X Instagram Connect with Dave: X LinkedIn Connect with Elon X Listen to MOONSHOTS: Apple YouTube – *Recorded on December 22nd, 2025 *The views expressed by me and all guests are personal opinions and do not constitute Financial, Medical, or Legal advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Baller Lifestyle Podcast Episode 607 — 2025 Year in Review: Deaths, Degeneracy & Headlines We'll Never Forget Host: Brian BecknerCo-Host: Ed DalyGuest: Dolamite DNetwork: TheBallerLifestyle.comRelease: January 2026 Episode Description The first episode of 2026 is here, and The Baller Lifestyle Podcast is doing what it does best: looking back at an absolutely unhinged year. In Episode 607, Brian Beckner and Ed Daly are joined by longtime TBLS favorite Dolomite D for a no-holds-barred 2025 Year in Review, covering the deaths, scandals, viral moments, celebrities, athletes, criminals, grifters, sex scandals, pop culture chaos, and bizarre headlines that defined the year. From OnlyFans endurance porn, Diddy trial madness, and NFL degeneracy, to Hollywood deaths, sports arrests, political weirdness, and the rise of RoboCop as a civic icon, this episode hits every corner of culture with brutal honesty, dark humor, and zero reverence. If you missed any of 2025 — or want to relive it with inappropriate commentary — this is your definitive recap. Topics & Segments Covered The 2025 Year in Review Why 2025 felt like one long headline fever dream Movies, pop culture, and whether the Oscars still matter Leo DiCaprio still fucking (confirmed) Deaths That Defined the Year Bob Uecker David Lynch Gene Hackman Val Kilmer Brian Wilson & Sly Stone Ozzy Osbourne Hulk Hogan Clay Davis (Isaiah Whitlock Jr.) And many more cultural icons lost in 2025 Crime, Arrests & Degeneracy ChiefsAholic finally sentenced NFL players and gambling scandals Justin Tucker massage therapist allegations Mark Sanchez stabbing & arrest saga Ex-MLB player throwing a literal missile The Burbank Serial Butt Sniffer returns Sex, Porn & Internet Insanity Bonnie Blue's 1,000-men-in-12-hours OnlyFans stunt Porn inflation vs. the Houston 500 Diddy's dog-locking revenge tour Falconers, penile implants, and Italian soccer chaos What the TBLS After Show actually talks about Celebrities Being Weird Travis Kelce FaceTiming the Chainsmokers Bill Belichick's cheerleader girlfriend saga Aaron Rodgers' mystery wife Coldplay concert CEO scandal Rosie O'Donnell & the Menendez Brothers Kim Kardashian vs. the Bar Exam Sports, Media & Cultural Absurdity NFL hypocrisy and selective outrage Why Notre Dame refusing bowl games punishes no one Dean Cain joins ICE (but not Superman-shaped anymore) RoboCop statue > Rocky statue (official TBLS ruling) Quotes You'll Hear “Let this man live.” “That's stolen valor.” “There's no such thing as a Diddy fan.” “Who is this for?” “Leo fucks.” Links & Support TBLS Voicemail: 949-464-8257Mailbag: mailbag@theballerlifestyle.comPatreon (1-week free trial):https://patreon.com/TheBallerLifestylePodcast Bonus episodes, weekly Bonus BRI content, and uncensored extras available exclusively on Patreon. Baller Lifestyle Podcast, TBLS, Brian Beckner, Ed Daly, Dolomite D, 2025 Year in Review, pop culture podcast, comedy podcast, sports podcast, celebrity scandals, Diddy trial, NFL news, OnlyFans, true crime, dark humor, podcast recap, entertainment news, cultural commentary Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode of The D2D Podcast, Hunter Lee sits down with Justin Brach, CEO of SubcontractorHub, to break down what new and struggling door to door reps often miss about the contracting world. Justin brings nearly two decades of experience building and rescuing large construction organizations.Justin explains why so many contractors and solar companies collapse when they scale too fast, especially when teams chase volume without understanding cash flow, WIP timelines, and the dangers of becoming asset heavy. He also shares how SubcontractorHub solves this by connecting sales orgs and EPCs into one ecosystem, improving transaction speed and allowing reps to work with multiple installers under one roof.Reps will hear timely perspectives on AI in sales, why it will never eliminate door to door, and how AI is reshaping permitting, project management, lending, and operational efficiency behind the scenes. Justin breaks down how the most sustainable companies grow by staying capital efficient, compressing timelines, and putting customer outcomes above quick wins.You'll find answers to key questions such as: What causes new contracting and solar companies to fail when trying to scale fast?How does being asset light and capital efficient protect a D2D sales business?Why will AI never replace door to door sales reps?How do WIP timelines and cash flow delays impact installs and commissions? How can reps benefit from a decentralized platform that connects them to multiple EPCs? Connect with Justin Brach Website: https://subcontractorhub.comInstagram: @SubcontractorHub
Today I'm joined by Eric Cohen, CEO at Merchant Advocate. We break down why credit card processing is one of the most overlooked expense lines in dealerships, how 60–70% of stores are overpaying, and which “non-negotiable” fees are actually negotiable. Eric explains where the hidden charges live, how to audit statements properly, and why transparency matters more than ever in a largely unregulated space. The payoff: real strategies dealers can use to reclaim margin without cutting people or growth. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Flai Technologies Inc - Your best people know how to turn an opportunity into an appointment—but they can't be everywhere. Flai is an AI communications platform that handles calls, texts, and emails before your team takes care of customers. Every call gets answered. Every lead gets followed up. Appointments get booked. Flai works with some of the largest dealer groups in the US, and some dealers have seen appointments double. They're offering free pilots to CDG listeners till January 31. Book a meeting @ http://useflai.com 2. Ikon Technologies delivers a connected vehicle program for dealers that maximizes Customer Lifetime Value by driving sales efficiency and securing non-cancellable PVR on your front end while delivering an average of 50 additional customer-pay ROs every single month for your service bays. At NADA 2026 in Las Vegas, visit Stand 1763 West to see the benefits for yourself and take your chance to roll the dice to win a Rolls Royce (terms and conditions apply; no purchase necessary). Plus, as an exclusive offer for listeners, mention “Car Dealership Guy” when you sign up at NADA to have your entire initial installation fee waived—book your demo today @ http://ikontechnologies.com/CDG 3. Merchant Advocate - Merchant Advocate saves businesses money on credit card fees WITHOUT switching processors. Find out how they can help your dealership with a FREE analysis. Click on @ http://merchantadvocate.com/cdg for more. Check out Car Dealership Guy's stuff: For dealers: CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/ Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com Dealership recruiting ➤ http://www.cdgrecruiting.com Fix your dealership's social media ➤ http://www.trynomad.co Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com For industry vendors: Advertise with Car Dealership Guy ➤ http://www.cdgpartner.com Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com Topics: 00:14 What are the top dealer concerns today? 04:43 How do credit card processing fees work? 07:44 What are the best optimization strategies? 14:03 What are the most common hidden fees? 16:56 What is the Merchant Advocate's unique approach? 21:40 What is your most impactful client success story? Car Dealership Guy Socials: X ➤ x.com/GuyDealership Instagram ➤ instagram.com/cardealershipguy/ TikTok ➤ tiktok.com/@guydealership LinkedIn ➤ linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy Threads ➤ threads.net/@cardealershipguy Facebook ➤ facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683 Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
The S&P 500 also hit a new record. Plus: Shares in insurance giant AIG fall after announcing a new CEO. Katherine Sullivan hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. An artificial-intelligence tool assisted in the making of this episode by creating summaries that were based on Wall Street Journal reporting and reviewed and adapted by an editor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, Jason is joined by entrepreneur and CEO of the global fitness brand Barry's, Joey Gonzalez! Joey had dedicated over a decade of his life trying to break into the entertainment business in LA, but after realizing he wasn't achieving the financial stability he desired, he knew he had to make a change. In addition to acting, he was working jobs in real estate and in the restaurant industry before stumbling upon his role as a fitness instructor with Barry's Bootcamp. From there, Joey organically worked his way up the company, eventually assuming the role of CEO 11 years after taking his first class. Joey breaks down how failure and adversity have been some of his greatest teachers—and why settling for a traditional nine-to-five often comes at the cost of fulfillment and passion. He shares how his early career in acting seamlessly translated into becoming a world-class fitness instructor, from musicality and performance to programming and staying calm in chaos. Joey dives into the business side of fitness, including how to advocate for yourself, what consumers should look for before committing to a membership, how locations are selected, and the real drivers behind their global success—from private equity and adaptability to embracing local nuance in every market. He also reflects on how COVID reshaped the business, breaks down instructor pay structures, offers insight into his personal nutrition and training, recommends must-have home gym equipment (including how he discovered the Woodway treadmill), and shares his thoughts on pursuing an OPM or MBA—before tying it all together with a focus on the four F's. Joey reveals all this and so much more in another episode you can't afford to miss! Host: Jason Tartick Co-Host: David Arduin Audio: John Gurney Guest: Joey Gonzalez Stay connected with the Trading Secrets Podcast! Instagram: @tradingsecretspodcast Youtube: Trading Secrets Facebook: Join the Group All Access: Free 30-Day Trial Trading Secrets Steals & Deals! Upwork: Instead of spending weeks sorting through random resumes, Upwork Business Plus sends a curated shortlist of expert talent to your inbox in hours. Trusted, top-rated freelancers vetted for skills and reliability.... and rehired by businesses like yours. Right now, when you spend $1,000 on Upwork Business Plus, you'll get $500 in credit. Go to Upwork.com/SAVE now and claim the offer before 1/31/2025. Rula: Rula does things differently. They partner with over 100 insurance plans, making the average co-pay just $15 per session. That's real therapy, from licensed professionals, at a price that actually makes sense. Think about it - you use your insurance benefits to maintain your physical health, so why wouldn't you do the same for your mental health? Thousands of people are already using Rula to get affordable, high-quality therapy that's actually covered by insurance. Visit Rula.com/tradingsecrets to get started. Square: Whether you're selling lattes, cutting hair, detailing cars, or running a design studio, Square helps you run your business, without running yourself into the ground. With Square, you get all the tools to run your business, with none of the contracts or complexity. And why wait? Right now, you can get up to $200 off Square hardware at square.com/go/tradingsecrets.
Leah kicks off the episode with repeat guest Rebecca Ingber of Cardozo Law to discuss the wild illegality–both domestic and international–of Trump's regime change operation in Venezuela. Then, Kate, Melissa, and Leah welcome Princeton professor and expert on the rise of modern autocracies, Kim Lane Scheppele to break down how Trump is consolidating power over the executive branch and the courts. Leah next catches up with president and CEO of Democracy Forward Skye Perryman on some of the legal developments over the holidays, including challenges to Department of Education funding cuts, the freezing of childcare payments to Minnesota, and a near-total abortion ban for veterans. Finally, the hosts speak with Demand Justice's Josh Orton about the worrying trends his organization is seeing among Trump 2.0's judicial nominees.Kim's favorite things: An “Almost Sacred Responsibility”: The Rule of Law in Times of Peril, Gerald J. Postema (Judicature); Judge Harvey Wilkinson's opinion in Abrego Garcia v. Noem; Judge William G. Young's opinion in AAUP vs. Rubio; Sara L. Ellis's opinion in Chicago Headline Club v. Noem; The Dual State, Ernst Fraenkel; The Origins of Totalitarianism, Hannah Arendt Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2026! 3/6/26 – San Francisco3/7/26 – Los AngelesLearn more: http://crooked.com/eventsBuy Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad VibesFollow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco3/7/26 – Los AngelesLearn more: http://crooked.com/eventsOrder your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad VibesFollow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Renue Healthcare https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit https://Renue.Healthcare/Todd Bulwark Capital https://KnowYourRiskPodcast.comBe confident in your portfolio with Bulwark! Schedule your free Know Your Risk Portfolio review. Go to KnowYourRiskPodcast.com today. Alan's Soaps https://www.AlansArtisanSoaps.comUse coupon code TODD to save an additional 10% off the bundle price.Bonefrog https://BonefrogCoffee.com/ToddThe new GOLDEN AGE is here! Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE at:The Todd Herman Show - Podcast - Apple PodcastsThe Todd Herman Show | Podcast on SpotifyWATCH and SUBSCRIBE at: Todd Herman - The Todd Herman Show - YouTubeRetired Special Forces Operator and CEO of Advanced Operational Concepts Mike O'Rourke joins the show to discuss all aspects of the brilliant raid on and capture of dictator Maduro.Episode links:Street Parties In Venezuala For years the church of Venezuela has been fasting, praying and crying out to God for deliverance. The removal of Maduro was an answer to their prayers.Statue of Maduro being torn downJUST IN: General "Raizin" Caine gives a detailed breakdown of the U.S. attack on Venezuela, says they were so detailed that they knew what Maduro ate and where his pets were.Video of the operation from a Venezulan's Perspective
Hey Heal Squad! Happy New Year! Today Maria is looking back on everything 2025 taught her (especially all the hard stuff!), and sharing how she's getting grounded, organized, and truly empowered heading into 2026. Maria opens up about why challenging seasons are often preparation for your next level, how faith carried her through moments that didn't make sense at the time, and how she's getting ready to leave old habits behind, like… disorganization!! She actually has two simple systems she's using right now, including a smarter to-do list that actually works and makes life feel lighter instead of overwhelming. Plus, Maria also gets real about emotional health, relationships, and why pausing to practice empathy can change everything. She also reflects on some of the biggest lessons learned from the incredible experts we've talked to this year, like Dr. Bland who reminded us health is not just the absence of disease, but about being functional. Because no matter what, healing really begins with your environment, your daily habits, and your mindset, all working together, to truly become the CEO of your health. Enjoy friends! HEAL SQUAD SOCIALS IG: https://www.instagram.com/healsquad/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@healsquadxmaria HEAL SQUAD RESOURCES: Heal Squad Website:https://www.healsquad.com/ Heal Squad x Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HealSquad/membership Maria Menounos Website: https://www.mariamenounos.com My Curated Macy's Page: Shop My Macy's Storefront EMR-Tek Red Light: https://emr-tek.com/discount/Maria30 for 30% off Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/host AUDIBLE: https://audible.com/healsquad AG1: https://drinkag1.com/healsqaud Join In-Person Heal Retreat Waitlist! https://mariamenounos.myflodesk.com/heal-retreat-waitlist Dr Jeffrey Bland Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21EvzO6vLOA Maria's Notebook & Glasses: https://shopmy.us/shop/mariamenounos ABOUT MARIA MENOUNOS: Emmy Award-winning journalist, TV personality, actress, 2x NYT best-selling author, former pro-wrestler and brain tumor survivor, Maria Menounos' passion is to see others heal and to get better in all areas of life. ABOUT HEAL SQUAD x MARIA MENOUNOS: A daily digital talk-show that brings you the world's leading healers, experts, and celebrities to share groundbreaking secrets and tips to getting better in all areas of life. DISCLAIMER: This Podcast and all related content (published or distributed by or on behalf of Maria Menounos or http://Mariamenounos.com and http://healsquad.com) is for informational purposes only and may include information that is general in nature and that is not specific to you. Any information or opinions provided by guest experts or hosts featured within website or on Company's Podcast are their own; not those of Maria Menounos or the Company. Accordingly, Maria Menounos and the Company cannot be responsible for any results or consequences or actions you may take based on such information or opinions. This podcast is presented for exploratory purposes only. Published content is not intended to be used for preventing, diagnosing, or treating a specific illness. If you have, or suspect you may have, a health-care emergency, please contact a qualified health care professional for treatment.
Patrick Bet-David, Tom Ellsworth, Vincent Oshana, and Adam Sosnick discuss the dramatic capture and U.S. indictment of Nicolás Maduro, speculation over Tim Walz dropping out of Minnesota's Gubernatorial race, Mamdani's NYC bus fare increase, and reports that Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has a Russian escape plan.-----
Gary Shapiro, CEO of the CTA explains the sleeper trends at this tear's show and the secrets of the show's longevity and international appeal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hey Clutterbugs! It's time for some decluttering motivation, organizing tips, and a step-by-step January roadmap so you can stop feeling behind and start taking action fast. Happy New Year, friends. Ready for a little tough love Cas (with love)? We're not doing the “new year, new you” pressure spiral, and we are not making a giant, unrealistic plan for all of 2026. We're using January as a container and focusing on one small doable decision that you can repeat—because that's how real change sticks. I'm also introducing what I'm calling the Boss Rule. If you have to negotiate with an item—debate it, justify it, imagine a future version of you who finally fixes it, paints it, returns it, uses it, or finds the “perfect system”—that item is breaking the rule. You're the CEO of your home. You don't negotiate with clutter. #declutter #decluttering #homeorganization #homeorganizing #cleaningmotivation #januaryreset #newyearreset #lifelessons #mindset #newyearmotivation #productivity #toughlove #selfimprovement #declutteringtips #homehacks #clutterbug Website: http://www.clutterbug.me YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@clutterbug TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clutterbug_me Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clutterbug_me/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Clutterbug.Me/
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Substack has quickly become one of the most talked-about platforms in our community, and for good reason. In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly why I'm going all in on Substack in 2026, how we're monetizing it inside our business, and how it fits into a long-term strategy for freedom, thought leadership, and scalable income, all without ads, sales calls, or constant live content. You'll learn: How we're using archived thought leadership to build a paid ecosystem Why Substack is one of the most powerful tools for authors, deep thinkers, and established leaders The exact tier structure we're using (free, paid, founding member) and why How Substack supports book launches, passive income, and audience ownership in ways other platforms don't If you're a CEO, author, or thought leader looking to get paid for your ideas, build a high-intent audience, and reduce dependency on algorithms, this episode will give you the clarity you need to decide if Substack belongs in your 2026 strategy. And, Ii you missed Part 1, be sure to listen to that episode first: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1098-why-im-betting-on-substack-for-the-future/id1052353755?i=1000741820357 TIMESTAMPS: 02:30 – 05:30: What Substack actually is 08:30 – 11:30: How we're using archived content to build a monetized ecosystem without creating new content 14:30 – 17:30: Our tier structure explained: free, paid, and founding members 17:30 – 20:30: Why in-app purchases and Apple Pay are game-changers for conversion and consumer behavior 20:30 – 23:30: Owning your audience: why Substack + books is the future: owning your audience 23:30 – 26:00: How Substack fits into a long-term ecosystem: book sales, email, trust-building offers, and passive income Resources & Links Subscribe to The Sacred Art of Selling on Substack: Free, Paid, and Founding Member tiers available {founding member subscriptions must be done through web browser or mobile browser and are not currently supported on the Substack app}: https://kellyroachofficial.substack.com/ Join The Sacred Art of Selling book waitlist: https://thekellyroach.com/bts Follow Kelly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyroachofficial/ Follow Kelly on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kelly.roach.520/ Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyroachint/
What if stubborn visceral fat isn't about eating less or exercising more, but about fixing the stress, sleep, and toxin overload quietly shutting down your metabolism? In this episode of the Metabolic Freedom Podcast, host Ben Azadi sits down with human performance expert Sam Tejada, founder and CEO of Liquivida, for an in depth conversation on the real drivers of visceral fat, metabolic dysfunction, and accelerated aging. Drawing from his experience as a former firefighter and wellness entrepreneur, Sam explains how chronic stress, sleep deprivation, toxins, poor nutrition, and lack of movement quietly shut down fat burning and hormone balance. The conversation explores practical strategies including meditation, sleep hygiene, toxin detoxification, nutrient IV therapy, personalized testing, and movement based approaches to restore metabolic health. This episode delivers a data driven, holistic framework for reducing visceral fat, improving recovery, and rebuilding a resilient nervous system. Key Topics Covered Why visceral fat is driven by hormones and stress, not calories How chronic sleep deprivation fuels cortisol and fat storage The role of meditation and nervous system regulation in fat loss How environmental toxins disrupt metabolism and hormone signaling Infrared sauna, glutathione, and detox strategies explained The five foods Sam recommends removing to reduce inflammation Why movement matters more than intense exercise for fat loss Dexa scans and body composition testing for tracking visceral fat Peptides and IV therapy for metabolic and cognitive optimization Testosterone decline, infertility, and restoring hormonal balance Why personalized lab testing matters more than standard ranges Guest Information Sam Tejada is a human performance expert, wellness entrepreneur, and former firefighter. He is the founder and CEO of Liquivida, one of the fastest growing wellness clinic networks in the United States. Sam specializes in metabolic optimization, IV nutrient therapy, hormone health, diagnostics, and longevity focused protocols. Connect with Sam Tejada
We're back with another episode in a series of highly vetted companies that I love sharing with my community. Today, I'm joined by Forrest Smith, the co-founder and CEO of Kineon. A dynamic entrepreneur with an infectious enthusiasm for his work, Forrest reads and writes fluent Chinese, lives in Mexico, and brings over 20 years of experience building and scaling successful startups. His work at Kineon reflects his optimism and innovative approach in the field of health and wellness technology. In our conversation, we explore what red light therapy (photobiomodulation) is and its cellular and mitochondrial effects. We unpack the benefits of methylene blue, the impact of photobiomodulation on joint pain and thyroid health, and specific contraindications. We also discuss red light therapy and the gut hormone access, peptides, recovery toolkits, and female-centric research related to infertility, PCOS, endometriosis, thyroid health, and more. This is one of those conversations you will likely want to listen to more than once. Be sure to check the show notes for a special offer from Kineon, exclusively for my listeners. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: What is red light therapy? How red light therapy supports the body at the cellular level, particularly during the aging process How methylene blue enhances the effects of red light therapy The value of photobiomodulation for treating chronically inflamed joints and muscle tissue How local inflammation in the joints impacts gut health The benefits of red light therapy for female-specific pathologies, such as endometriosis, hypothyroidism, and dysmenorrhea The way that red light therapy works in combination with stem cell treatments, PRP, and extracorporeal shock wave therapy Connect with Cynthia Thurlow Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn Check out Cynthia's website Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com Join other like-minded women in a supportive, nurturing community: The Midlife Pause/Cynthia Thurlow Cynthia's Menopause Gut Book is on presale now! Cynthia's Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book The Midlife Pause Supplement Line Connect with Forrest Smith Kineon Kineon Labs on Instagram We're giving away TWO Kineon Move+ Pro devices (worth $499 each!) Want to enter? Leave a review of the Everyday Wellness podcast in English on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Take a screenshot of your review. Email the screenshot and one reason why you'd like to win to podcast@cynthiathurlow.com (You must live in the U.S. to enter.)
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)
Welcome to the Young Dad Podcast—whether you're mowing the lawn, grilling dinner, juggling dirty diapers, or just stealing five minutes for yourself—we're glad you're here. Grab your juice box, grab a snack, and let's jump into today's real and honest conversation.Our guest today is Austin Davis, a visionary leader in teen behavioral health and addiction recovery. He's the founder and CEO of Clearfork Academy, the go-to residential treatment center in Texas for teens battling mental health challenges and substance use. With over 15 years of hands-on experience, Austin combines counseling, ministry, and faith to guide teens and families toward healing and hope.If you're a parent, educator, or someone who cares about the next generation—this episode is for you.Visit ClearforkAcademy.com to learn more about their mission, programs, and how they're transforming lives through faith, structure, and care. If you're a parent or educator seeking support—this is the place to start.Visit the website for interactive activity guides and everything YDP- www.youngdadpod.com Click the link for YDP deals (Triad Math, Forefathers, and more) - https://linktr.ee/youngdadpod Interested in being a guest on the Young Dad Podcast? Reach out to Jey Young through PodMatch at this link: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/youngdadLastly,consider making a monetary donation to support the Pod, https://buymeacoffee.com/youngdadpod.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Teen Behavioral Health01:03 Austin's Journey into Counseling03:42 Integrating Faith and Counseling08:43 Clear Fork Academy's Unique Approach11:29 Understanding Family Dynamics15:53 The Identity Crisis in Teens19:58 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Self-Perception24:53 Understanding Personal Accountability26:28 Recognizing Signs of Distress in Teens29:16 The Importance of Parental Involvement31:52 Success Stories from Clear Fork Academy36:30 The Journey of Healing and Identity39:19 A Call to Action for Families40:24 Lighthearted Moments in the Dad Zone
What does 2026 hold for indie authors and the publishing industry? I give my thoughts on trends and predictions for the year ahead. In the intro, Quitting the right stuff; how to edit your author business in 2026; Is SubStack Good for Indie Authors?; Business for Authors webinars. If you'd like to join my community and support the show every month, you'll get access to my growing list of Patron videos and audio on all aspects of the author business — for the price of a black coffee (or two) a month. Join us at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn. Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. (1) More indie authors will sell direct through Shopify, Kickstarter, and local in-person events (2) AI-powered search will start to shift elements of book discoverability (3) The start of Agentic Commerce (4) AI-assisted audiobook narration will go mainstream (5) AI-assisted translation will start to take off beyond the early adopters (6) AI video becomes ubiquitous. ‘Live selling' becomes the next trend in social sales. (7) AI will create, run, and optimise ads without the need for human intervention (8) 1000 True Fans becomes more important than ever You can find all my books as J.F. Penn and Joanna Penn on your favourite online store in all the usual formats, or order from your local library or bookstore. You can also buy direct from me at CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com. I'm not really active on social media, but you can always see my photos at Instagram @jfpennauthor. 2026 Trends and Predictions for Indie Authors and Book Publishing (1) More indie authors will sell direct through Shopify, Kickstarter, and local in-person events — and more companies like BookVault will offer even more beautiful physical books and products to support this. This trend will not be a surprise to most of you! Selling direct has been a trend for the last few years, but in 2026, it will continue to grow as a way that independent authors become even more independent. The recent Written Word Media survey from Dec 2025 noted that 30% of authors surveyed are selling direct already and 30% say they plan to start in 2026. Among authors earning over $10,000 per month, roughly half sell direct. In my opinion, selling direct is an advanced author strategy, meaning that you have multiple books and you understand book marketing and have an email list already or some guaranteed way to reach readers. In fact, Kindlepreneur reports that 66% of authors selling direct have more than 5 books, and 46% have more than 10 books. Of course, you can start with the something small, like a table at a local event with a limited number of books for sale, but if you want to consistently sell direct for years to come, you need to consider all the business aspects. Selling direct is not a silver bullet. It's much harder work to sell direct than it is to just upload an ebook to Amazon, whether you choose a Kickstarter campaign, or Shopify/Payhip or other online stores, or regular in-person sales at events/conferences/fairs. You need a business mindset and business practices, for example, you need to pay upfront for setup as well as ongoing management, and bulk printing in some cases. You need to manage taxes and cashflow. You need to be a lot more proactive about marketing, as you won't sell anything if you don't bring readers to your books/products. But selling direct also brings advantages. It sets you apart from the bulk of digital only authors who still only upload ebooks to Amazon, or maybe add a print on demand book, and in an era of AI rapid creation, that number is growing all the time. If you sell direct, you get your customer data and you can reach those customers next time, through your email list. If you don't know who bought your books and don't have a guaranteed way to reach them, you will more easily be disrupted when things change — and they always change eventually. Kindlepreneur notes that “45% of the successful direct selling authors had over 1,000 subscribers on their email lists,” with “a clear, positive correlation between email list size and monthly direct sales income — with authors having an email list of over 15,000 subscribers earning 20X more than authors with email lists under 100 subscribers.” Selling direct means faster money, sometimes the same day or the same week in many cases, or a few weeks after a campaign finishes, as with Kickstarter. And remember, you don't have to sell all your formats directly. You can keep your ebooks in KU, do whatever you like with audiobooks, and just have premium print products direct, or start with a very basic Kickstarter campaign, or a table at a local fair. Lots more tips for Shopify and Kickstarter at https://www.thecreativepenn.com/selldirectresources/ I also recommend the Novel Marketing Podcast on The Shopify Trap: Why authors keep losing money as it is a great counterpoint to my positive endorsement of selling direct on Shopify! Among other things, Thomas notes that a fixed monthly fee for a store doesn't match how most authors make money from books which is more in spikes, the complexity and hassle eats time and can cost more money if you pay for help, and it can reduce sales on Amazon and weaken your ranking. Basically, if you haven't figured out marketing direct to your store, it can hurt you.All true for some authors, for some genres, and for some people's lifestyle. But for authors who don't want to be on the hamster wheel of the Amazon algorithm and who want more diversity and control in income, as well as the incredible creative benefits of what you can do selling direct, then I would say, consider your options in 2025, even if that is trying out a low-financial-goal Kickstarter campaign, or selling some print books at a local fair. Interestingly, traditional publishers are also experimenting with direct sales. Kate Elton, the new CEO of Harper Collins notes in The Bookseller's 2026 trend article, “we are seeing global success with responsive, reader-driven publishing, subscription boxes and TikTok Shop and – crucially – developing strategies that are founded on a comprehensive understanding of the reader.” She also notes, “AI enables us to dramatically change the way we interact with and grow audiences. The opportunities are genuinely exciting – finding new ways to help readers discover books they will love, innovating in the ways we market and reach audiences, building new channels and adapting to new methods of consuming content.” (2) AI-powered search will start to shift elements of book discoverability From LinkedIn's 2026 Big Ideas: “Generative engine optimization (GEO) is set to replace search engine optimization (SEO) as the way brands get discovered in the year ahead. As consumers turn to AI chatbots, agentic workflows and answer engines, appearing prominently in generative outputs will matter more than ranking in search engines.” Google has been rolling out AI Mode with its AI Overviews and is beginning to push it within Google.com itself in some countries, which means the start of a fundamental change in how people discover content online. I first posted about GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) and AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) in 2023, and it's going to change how readers find books. For years, we've talked about the long tail of search. Now, with AI-powered search, that tail is getting even longer and more nuanced. AI can understand complex, conversational queries that traditional search engines struggled with. Someone might ask, “What's a good thriller set in a small town with a female protagonist who's a journalist investigating a cold case?” and get highly specific recommendations. This means your book metadata, your website content, and your online presence need to be more detailed and conversational. AI search engines understand context in ways that go far beyond simple keywords. The authors who win in this new landscape will be those who create rich, authentic content about their books and themselves, not just promotional copy. As economist Tyler Cowen has said, “Consider the AIs as part of your audience. Because they are already reading your words and listening to your voice.” We're in the ‘organic' traffic phase right now, where these AI engines are surfacing content for ‘free,' but paid ads are inevitably on the way, and even rumoured to be coming this year to ChatGPT. By the end of 2026, I expect some authors and publishers to be paying for AI traffic, rather than blocking and protesting them. For now, I recommend checking that your author name/s and your books are surfaced when you search on ChatGPT.com as well as Google.com AI Mode (powered by Gemini). You want to make sure your work comes up in some way. I found that Joanna Penn and J.F. Penn searches brought up my Shopify stores, my website, podcast, Instagram, LinkedIn, and even my Patreon page, but did not bring up links to Amazon. If you only have an author presence on Amazon, does it appear in AI search at all? Do you need to improve anything about what the AI search brings up? Traditional publishers are also looking at this, with PublishersWeekly doing webinars on various aspects of AI in early 2026, including sessions on GEO and how book sales are changing, AI agents, and book marketing. In a 2026 predictions article on The Bookseller, the CEO of Bloomsbury Publishing noted, “The boundaries of artificial intelligence will become clearer, enabling publishers to harness its benefits while seeking to safeguard the intellectual property rights of authors, illustrators and publishers.” “AI will be deeply embedded in our workflows, automating tasks such as metadata tagging, freeing teams to focus on creativity and strategy. Challenges will persist. Generative AI threatens traditional web traffic and ad revenue models, making metadata optimisation and SEO critical for visibility as we adjust to this new reality online.” (3) The start of Agentic Commerce AI researches what you want to buy and may even buy on your behalf. Plus, I predict that Amazon does a commerce deal with OpenAI for shopping within ChatGPT by the end of 2026. In September 2025, ChatGPT launched Instant Checkout and the Agentic Commerce Protocol, which will enable bots to buy on websites in the background if authorised by the human with the credit card. VISA is getting on board with this, so is PayPal, with no doubt more payment options to come. In the USA, ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Free users can now buy directly from US Etsy sellers inside the chat interface, with over a million Shopify merchants coming soon. Shopify and OpenAI have also announced a partnership to bring commerce to ChatGPT. I am insanely excited about this as it could represent the first time we have been able to more easily find and surface books in a much more nuanced way than the 7 keywords and 3 categories we have relied on for so long! I've been using ChatGPT for at least the last year to find fiction and non-fiction books as I find the Amazon interface is ‘polluted' by ads. I've discovered fascinating books from authors I've never heard of, most in very long tail areas. For example, Slashed Beauties by A. Rushby, recommended by ChatGPT as I am interested in medical anatomy and anatomical Venuses, and The Macabre by Kosoko Jackson, recommended as I like art history and the supernatural. I don't think I would have found either of these within a nuanced discussion with ChatGPT. Even without these direct purchase integrations, ChatGPT now has Shopping Research, which I have found links directly to my Shopify store when I search for my books specifically. Walmart has partnered with OpenAI to create AI-first shopping experiences, and you have to wonder what Amazon might be doing? In Nov 2025, Amazon signed a “strategic partnership” with OpenAI, and even though it's focused on the technical side of AI, those two companies in a room together might also be working on other plans … I'm calling it for 2026. I think Amazon will sign a commerce agreement with OpenAI sometime before the end of the year. This will enable at least recommendation and shopping links into Amazon stores (presumably using an OpenAI affiliate link), or perhaps even Instant Checkout with ChatGPT for Amazon. It will also enable a new marketing angle, especially if paid ads arrive in ChatGPT, perhaps even integrating with Amazon Ads in some way as part of any possible agreement, since ads are such a good revenue stream for Amazon anyway. The line between discovery, engagement, and purchase is collapsing. Someone could be having a conversation with an AI about what to read next, and within that same conversation, purchase a bookwithout ever leaving the chat interface. This already happens within TikTok and social commerce clearly works for many authors. It's possible that the next development for book discoverability and sales might be within AI chats. This will likely stratify the already fragmented book eco-system even more. Some readers will continue to live only within the Amazon ecosystem and (maybe) use their Rufus chatbot to buy, and others will be much wider in their exploration of how to find and discover books (and other products and services). If you haven't tried it yet, try ChatGPT.com Shopping Research for a book. You can do this on the free tier. Use the drop down in the main chat box and select Shopping Research. It doesn't have to be for your book. It can be any book or product, for example, our microwave died just before Christmas so I used it to find a new one. But do a really nuanced search with multiple requirements. Go far beyond what you would search for on Amazon. In the results, notice that (at the time of writing) it does not generally link to Amazon, but to independent sites and stores. As above, I think this will change by the end of 2026, as some kind of commerce deal with Amazon seems inevitable. (4) AI-assisted audiobook narration will go mainstream I've been talking about AI narration of audiobooks since 2019, and over the years, I've tried various different options. In 2025, the technology reached a level of emotional nuance that made it much easier to create satisfying fiction audio as well as non-fiction. It also super-charges accessibility, making audio available in more languages and more accents than ever before. Of course, human narration remains the gold standard, but the cost makes it prohibitive for many authors, and indeed many small traditional publishers, for all books. If it costs $2000 – $10,000 to create an audiobook, you have to sell a lot to make a profit, and the dominance of subscription models have made it harder to recoup the costs. Famous narrators and voice artists who have an audience may still be worth investing in, as well as premium production, but require an even higher upfront cost and therefore higher sales and streams in return. AI voice/audio models are continuing to improve, and even as this goes out, there are rumours on TechCrunch that OpenAI's new device, designed by Jony Ive who designed the iPhone, will be audio first and OpenAI are improving their voice models even more in preparation for that launch. In 2026, I think AI-narrated audio will go mainstream with far-reaching adoption across publishing and the indie author world in many different languages and accents. This will mean a further stratification of audiobooks, with high quality, high production, high cost human narrated audio for a small percentage of books, and then mass market, affordable AI-narrated audio for the rest. AI-narrated audiobooks will make audio ubiquitous, and just as (almost) every print book has an ebook format, in 2026, they will also have an audio format. I straddle both these worlds, as I am still a human audiobook narrator for my own work. I human-narrated Successful Self-Publishing Fourth Edition (free audiobook) and The Buried and the Drowned, my short story collection. I also use AI narration for some books. ElevenLabs remains my preferred service and in 2025, I used my J.F. Penn voice clone for Death Valley and also Blood Vintage, while using a male voice for Catacomb. I clearly label my AI-narration in the sales description and also on the cover, which I think is important, although it is not always required by the various services. You can distribute ElevenLabs narrated audiobooks on Spotify, Kobo Writing Life, YouTube, ElevenReader, and of course your own store if you use Shopify with Bookfunnel. There are many other services springing up all the time, so make sure you check the rights you have over the finished audio, as well as where you can sell and distribute the final files. If they are just using ElevenLabs models in the back-end, then why not just do that directly? (Most services will be using someone's model in the back-end, since most companies do not train their own models.) Of course, you can use Amazon's own narration. While Amazon originally launched Audible audiobooks with Virtual Voice (AVV) in November 2023, it was rolled out to more authors and territories in 2025. If your book is eligible, the option to create an audiobook will appear on your KDP dashboard. With just a few clicks, you can create an audiobook from a range of voices and accents, and publish it on Amazon and Audible. However, the files are not yours. They are exclusive to Amazon and you cannot use them on other platforms or sell them direct yourself. But they are also free, so of course, many authors, especially those in KU, will use this option. I have done some for my mum's sweet romance books as Penny Appleton and I will likely use them for my books in translation when the option becomes available. Traditional publishers are experimenting with AI-assisted audiobook narration as well. MacMillan is selling digital audiobooks read by AI directly on their store. PublishersWeekly reports that PRH Audio “has experimented with artificial voice in specific instances, such as entrepreneur Ely Callaway's posthumous memoir The Unconquerable Game,” when an “authorized voice replica” was created for the audiobook. The article also notes that PRH Audio “embrace artificial intelligence across business operations—my entire department [PRH Audio] is using AI for business applications.” And while indie authors can't use AI voices on ACX right now, Audible have over 100 voices available to selected publishing partnerships, as reported by The Guardian with “two options for publishers wishing to make use of the technology: “Audible-managed” production, or “self-service” whereby publishers produce their own audiobooks with the help of Audible's AI technology.” In 2026, it's likely that more traditional publishers — as well as indie authors — will get their backlist into audio with AI narration. (5) AI-assisted translation will start to take off beyond the early adopters Over the years, I've done translation deals with traditional publishers in different languages (German, French, Spanish, Korean, Italian) for some fiction and non-fiction books. But of course, to get these kinds of deals, you have to be proactive about pitching, or work with an agent for foreign rights only, and those are few and far between! There are also lots of languages and territories worldwide, and most deals are for the bigger markets, leaving a LOT of blue water for books in translation, even if you have licensed some of the bigger markets. I did my first partially AI-translated books in 2019 when I used Deepl.com for the first draft and then worked with a German editor to do 3 non-fiction books in German. While the first draft was cheap, the editing was pretty expensive, so I stopped after only doing a couple. I have made the money back now, but it took years. In 2025, AI Translation began to take off with ScribeShadow, GlobeScribe.ai, and more recently, in November 2025, Kindle Translate boosting the number of translated books available. Kindle Translate is (currently) only available to US authors for English into Spanish and also German into English, but in 2026, this will likely roll out to more languages and more authors, making it easier than ever to produce translations for free. Of course, once again, the gold standard is human translation, or at least human-edited translations, but the cost is prohibitive even just for proof-reading, and if there is a cheap or even free option, like Kindle Translate, then of course, authors are going to try it. If the translation gets bad reviews, they can just un-publish. There are many anecdotal stories of indie success in 2025 with AI-translated genre fiction sales (in series) in under-served markets like Italian, French, and Spanish, as well as more mainstream adoption in German. I was around in the Kindle gold-rush days of 2009-2012 and the AI-translation energy right now feels like that. There are hardly any Kindle ebooks in many of these languages compared to how many there are in English, so inevitably, the rush is on to fill the void, especially in genres that are under-served by traditional publishers in those markets. Yes, some of these AI translated books will be ‘AI-slop,' but readers are not stupid. Those books will get bad reviews and thus will sink to the bottom of the store, never to be seen again. The AI translation models are also improving rapidly, and Amazon's Kindle Translate may improve faster than most, for books specifically, since they will be able to get feedback in terms of page reads. Amazon is also a major investor in Anthropic, which makes Claude.ai, widely considered the best quality for creative writing and translation, so it's likely that is used somewhere in the mix. Some traditional publishers are also experimenting with AI-assisted translation, with Harlequin France reportedly using AI translation and human proofreaders, as reported by the European Council of Literary Translators' Associations in December 2025. Academic publisher Taylor and Francis is also using AI for book translation, noting: “Following a program of rigorous testing, Taylor & Francis has announced plans to use AI translation tools to publish books that would otherwise be unavailable to English-language readers, bringing the latest knowledge to a vastly expanded readership.” “Until now, the time and resources required to translate books has meant that the majority remained accessible only to those who could read them in the original language. Books that were translated often only became available after a significant delay. Today, with the development of sophisticated AI translation tools, it has become possible to make these important texts available to a broad readership at speed, without compromising on accuracy.” (6) AI video becomes ubiquitous. ‘Live selling' becomes the next trend in social sales. In 2025, short form AI-generated video became very high quality. OpenAI released Sora 2, and YouTube announced new Shorts creation tools with Veo 3, which you can also use directly within Gemini. There are tons of different AI video apps now, including those within the social media sites themselves. There is more video than ever and it's much easier to create. I am not a fan of short form video! I don't make it and I don't consume it, but I do love making book trailers for my Kickstarter campaigns and for adding to my book pages and using on social media. I made a trailer for The Buried and the Drowned using Midjourney for images and then animation of those images, and Canva to put them together along with ElevenLabs to generate the music. But despite the AI tools getting so much easier to use, you still have to prompt them with exactly what you want. I can't just upload my book and say, “Make a book trailer,” or “Make a short film.” This may change with generative video ads, which are likely to become more common in 2026, as video turns specifically commercial. Video ads may even be generated specifically for the user, with an audience of one, maybe even holding your book in their hands (using something like Cameos on Sora), in the same way that some AI-powered clothing stores do virtual try-ons. This might also up-end the way we discover and buy things, as the AI for eCommerce and Amazon Sellers newsletter says about OpenAI's Sora app, “OpenAI isn't just trying to build a TikTok competitor. They're building a complete reimagining of how we discover and buy things …” “The combination of ChatGPT's research capabilities and Sora's potential for emotional manipulation—I mean, “engagement”—could create something we've never seen before: an AI ecosystem that might eventually guide you through every type of purchase, from the most considered to the most impulsive.” In 2026, there will be A LOT more AI-generated video, but that also leads to the human trend of more live video. While you can use an AI avatar that looks and sounds like you using tools like HeyGen or Synthesia, live video has all the imperfect human elements that make it stand-out, plus the scarcity element which leads to the purchase decision within a countdown period. Live video is nothing new in terms of brand building and content in general, but it seems that live events primarily for direct sales might be a thing in 2026. Kim Kardashian hosted Kimsmas Live in December 2025 with a 45 minute live shopping event with special guests, described as entertainment but designed to be a sales extravaganza. Indie authors are doing a similar thing on TikTok with their books, so this is a trend to watch in 2026, especially if you feel that live selling might fit with your personality and author business goals. It's certainly not for everyone, but I suspect it will suit a different kind of creator to those who prefer ‘no face' video, or no video at all! On other aspects of the human side of social media, Adam Mosseri the CEO of Instagram put a post on Threads called Authenticity after Abundance. He said, “Everything that made creators matter—the ability to be real, to connect, to have a voice that couldn't be faked—is now suddenly accessible to anyone with the right tools.” “Deepfakes are getting better and better. AI is generating photographs and videos indistinguishable from captured media. The feeds are starting to fill up with synthetic everything. And in that world, here's what I think happens.Creators matter more.” It's a long article so just to pick a few things from it: “We like to talk about “AI slop,” but there is a lot of amazing AI content … we are going to start to see more and more realistic AI content.” I've talked to my Patreon Community about this ‘tsunami of excellence' as these tools are just getting better and better and the word ‘slop' can also be applied to purely human output, too. If you think that AI content is ‘worse' than wholly human content, in 2026, you are wrong. It is now very very good, especially in the hands of people who can drive the AI tools. Back to Adam's post: “Authenticity is fast becoming a scarce resource, …The creators who succeed will be those who figure out how to maintain their authenticity [even when it can be simulated] …” “The bar is going to shift from “can you create?” to “can you make something that only you could create?” He talks about how the personal content on Instagram now is: “unpolished; it's blurry photos and shaky videos of people's daily experiences … flattering imagery is cheap to produce and boring to consume. People want content that feels real… Savvy creators are going to lean into explicitly unproduced and unflattering images of themselves. In a world where everything can be perfected, imperfection becomes a signal. Rawness isn't just aesthetic preference anymore—it's proof. It's defensive. A way of saying: this is real because it's imperfect.” While I partially love this, and I really hope it's true, as in I hope we don't need to look good for the camera anymore I would also challenge Adam on this, because pretty much every woman I know on social media has been sent sexual messages, and/or told they are ugly and/or fat when posting anything unflattering. I've certainly had both even for the same content, but I don't expect Adam has been the target for such posting! But I get his point. He goes on:“Labeling content as authentic or AI-generated is only part of the solution though. We, as an industry, are going to need to surface much more context about not only the media on our platforms, but the accounts that are sharing it in order for people to be able to make informed decisions about what to believe. Where is the account? When was it created? What else have they posted?” This is exactly what I've been saying for a while under my double down on being human focus. I use my Instagram @jfpennauthor as evidence of humanity, not as a sales channel. You can do both of course, but increasingly, you need to make sure your accounts at places have longevity and trust, even by the platforms themselves. Adam finishes: “In a world of infinite abundance and infinite doubt, the creators who can maintain trust and signal authenticity—by being real, transparent, and consistent—will stand out.” For other marketing trends for 2026, I recommend publicist Kathleen Schmidt's SubStack which is mostly focused on traditional publishing but still interesting for indies. In her 2026 article, she notes: “We have reached a social media saturation point where going viral can be meaningless and should not be the goal; authenticity and creativity should. She also says, “In-person events are important again,” and, “Social media marketing takes a nosedive… we have reached a saturation point … What publishers must figure out is how to make their social media campaigns stand out. If they remain somewhat uninspired, the money spent on social ads won't convert into book sales.” I think this is part of the rise of live selling as above, which can stand out above more ‘produced' videos. Kathleen also talks about AI usage. “AI can help lighten the burden of publicity and marketing.” “A lot of AI tools are coming to market to lessen the load: they can write pitches, create media lists for you, send pitches for you, and more. I know the industry is grappling with all things AI, but some of these tools are huge time savers and may help a book more than hurt it.” On that note … (7) AI will create, run, and optimise ads without the need for human intervention Many authors will be very happy about this as marketing is often the bane of our author business lives! As I noted in my 2026 goals, I would love to outsource more marketing tasks to AI. I want an “AI book marketing assistant” where I can upload a book and specify a budget and say, ‘Go market this,' then the AI will action the marketing, without me having to cobble together workflows between systems. Of course, it will present plans for me to approve but it will do the work itself on the various platforms and monitor and optimize things for me. I really hope 2026 is the year this becomes possible, because we are on the edge of it already in some areas. Amazon Ads launched a new agentic AI tool in September 2025 that creates professional-quality ads. I've also been working with Claude in Chrome browser to help me analyse my Amazon Ad data and suggest which keywords/products to turn off and what to put more budget into. I'll do a Patreon video on that soon. Meta announced it will enable AI ad creation by the end of 2026 for Facebook and Instagram. For authors who find ad creation overwhelming or time-consuming, this could be a game-changer. Of course, you will still need a budget! (8) 1000 True Fans becomes more important than ever Lots of authors and publishers are moaning about the difficulty of reaching readers in an era of ‘AI slop' but there is no shortage of excellent content created by humans, or humans using AI tools. As ever, our competition is less about other authors, or even authors using AI-assisted creation, we're competing against everything else that jostles for people's attention, and the volume of that is also growing exponentially. I've never been a fan of rapid release, and have said for years that you can't keep up with the pace of the machines. So play a different game. As Kevin Kelly wrote in 2008, If you have 1000 true fans, (also known as super fans), “you can make a living — if you are content to make a living but not a fortune.” [Kevin Kelly was on this show in 2023 talking about Excellent Advice for Living.] Many authors and the publishing industry are stuck in the old model of aiming to sell huge volumes of books at a low profit margin to a massive number of readers, many of them releasing ever faster to try and keep the algorithms moving. But the maths can work for the smaller audience of more invested readers and fans. If you only make $2 profit on an ebook, you need to sell 500 ebooks to make $1000, and then do it again next month. Or you can have a small community like my patreon.com/thecreativepenn where people pay $2 (or more) a month, so even a small revenue per person results in a better outcome over the year, as it is consistent monthly income with no advertising. But what if you could make $20 profit per book? That is entirely possible if you're producing high quality hardbacks on Kickstarter, or bundle deals of audiobooks, or whole series of ebooks. You would only need to sell to 50 people to make $1000. What about $100 profit per sale, which you can do with a small course or live event? You only need 10 people to make $1000, and this in-person focus also amplifies trust and fosters human connection. I've found the intimacy of my live Patreon Office Hours and also my webinars have been rewarding personally, but also financially, and are far more memorable — and potentially transformative — than a pre-recorded video or even another book. From the LinkedIn 2026 Big Ideas article: “In an AI-optimized world, intentional human connection will become the ultimate luxury.” The 1000 True Fans model is about serving a smaller, more personal audience with higher value products (and maybe services if that's your thing). As ever, its about niche and where you fit in the long long long long long tail. It's also about trust. Because there is definitely a shortage of that in so many areas, and as Adam Mosseri of Instagram has said, trust will be increasingly important. Trust takes time to build, but if you focus on serving your audience consistently, and delivering a high quality, and being authentic, this emerges as part of being human. In an echo of what happened when online commerce first took off, we are back to talking about trust. Back in 2010, I read Trust Agents: by Julien Smith and Chris Brogan, which clearly needs a comeback. There was a 10th anniversary edition published in 2020, so that's worth a read/listen. Chris Brogan was also on this show in 2017 when we talked about finding and serving your niche for the long term. That interview is still relevant, here's a quick excerpt, where I have (lightly edited) his response to my question on this topic back in 2017: Jo: The principle of know, like, and trust, why is that still important or perhaps even more important these days? Chris: There are a few things that at play there, Joanna. One is that the same tools that make it so easy for any of us to start and run a business also allow certain elements to decide whether or not they want to do something dubious. And with all new technologies that come, you know, there's nothing unique about these new technologies. In the 1800s, anyone could put anything in a bottle and sell it to you and say, this is gonna cure everything. Cancer — gone. And the bottle could have nothing in. You know, it could be Kool-Aid. And so, the idea of trying to understand what's behind the business though, one beautiful thing that's come is that we can see in much more dimensions who we're dealing with. We can understand better who's the face behind the brand. I really want people to try their best to be a lot clearer on what they stand for or what they say. And I don't really mean a tagline. I mean, humans don't really talk like that. They don't throw some sentence out as often as they can that you remember them for that phrase. But I would say that, we have so many media available to us — the plural of mediums — where we can be more of ourselves. And I think that there's a great opportunity to share the ‘you' behind the scenes, and some people get immediately terrified about this, ‘Ah, the last thing I want is for people to know more about me,' but I think we have such an opportunity. We have such an opportunity to voice our thoughts on something, to talk about the story that goes behind the product. We were all raised on overly produced material, but I think we don't want that anymore. We really want clarity, brevity, simplicity. We want the ability for what we feel is connection and then access. And so I think it's vital that we connect and show people our accessibility, not so that they can pester us with strange questions, but more so that you can say, this person stands with their product and their service and this person believes these things, and I feel something when I hear them and I wanna be part of that.” That's from Chris Brogan's interview here in 2017, and he is still blogging and speaking at writing at ChrisBrogan.com and I'm going to re-listen to the audiobook of Trust Agents again myself as I think it's more relevant than ever. The original quote comes from Bob Burg in his 1994 book, Endless Referrals, “All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust.” That still applies, and absolutely fits with the 1000 True Fans model of aiming to serve a smaller audience. As Kevin Kelly says in 1000 True Fans, “Instead of trying to reach the narrow and unlikely peaks of platinum bestseller hits, blockbusters, and celebrity status, you can aim for direct connection with a thousand true fans.” “On your way, no matter how many fans you actually succeed in gaining, you'll be surrounded not by faddish infatuation, but by genuine and true appreciation. It's a much saner destiny to hope for. And you are much more likely to actually arrive there.” In 2026, I hope that more authors (including me!) let go of ego goals and vanity metrics like ranking, gross sales (income before you take away costs), subscribers, followers, and likes, and consider important business numbers like profit (which is the money you have after costs like marketing are taken out), as well as number of true fans — and also lifestyle elements like number of weekends off, or days spent enjoying life and not just working! OK, that's my list of trends and predictions for 2026. Let me know what you think in the comments. Do you agree? Am I wrong? What have I missed? The post 2026 Trends And Predictions For Indie Authors And The Book Publishing Industry with Joanna Penn first appeared on The Creative Penn.
The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 248 features Andy Seavers, co-founder and CEO of Case Status, a leading client-communication platform used by law firms across the country. In this episode, Andy shares his path from playing in a band to entering the legal industry through tech and entrepreneurship - after identifying a major gap in how law firms communicate with their clients.
Worried about money in American politics? We are too, and Jeff Clements is offering up a solution. Jeff is CEO of American Promise, a non-partisan organization dedicated to passing the For Our Freedom amendment to the Constitution, which would differentiate between people and corporations, and allow states to pass their own campaign finance laws. In this episode, he breaks down the history of campaign finance laws, key moments, such as the Citizens United Case, that have brought us to where we are now, and the steps his team have already taken to help add another amendment to the US Constitution. If you want to sign the Citizen Pledge or just learn more about American Promise, make sure to check out AmericanPromise.net. This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.
It's hard to believe we're already into 2026. If last year felt fast, this year is moving even quicker. As we settle into the rhythm of a new year, I found myself looking back at some of the most impactful conversations we've had on the show—specifically those that help us navigate the "new year pressure" without the burnout. That's why today, we're revisiting a fan-favorite conversation from the archives with Chris Wang, CEO and co-founder of Shimmer. Even though this originally aired at the start of 2025, the strategies Chris shares are more relevant than ever. We dive deep into: Process-oriented goal setting (focusing on the "how" rather than just the "what"). The power of community in maintaining momentum. Living in alignment with your core values to avoid "productivity for productivity's sake." Chris brings a wealth of actionable advice to the table. Whether you're currently looking into ADHD coaching or you're just trying to figure out how to make your plans stick for the rest of 2026, this episode is packed with gems. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/207 This Episode's Top Tips Work on setting process-oriented goals where your focus is on the actions you can control, like "exercise 3 times a week," rather than outcome-based goals like "lose 10 pounds." Make sure you are specific and write your to-do lists with clear, actionable steps to avoid overwhelm and decision paralysis. You want to know exactly what your next step is when looking at your to-do list. Leverage your support systems. You can use community and coaching to provide accountability, remove roadblocks, and refine your systems. Remember there is no gold star for toughing it out by yourself and it's okay to get help.
This week Topher and Jeff talk with Andries de Villiers, founder and CEO of Titan BattleGear. His company is making waves in the hockey community with their innovative cut-resistant base layers and neck guards. In this episode we talk about: — How currently only a few neck guards on the market today are actually cut-resistant — The story behind Titan BattleGear and its design that makes players actually love to wear it — The importance of the neck guard mandate AND SO MUCH MORE! TITAN BATTLEGEAR HAGENS' HELPERS CHARITY Thank you to our title sponsor IceHockeySystems.com, as well as Train-Heroic, Helios Hockey, and Crossbar! And thank you to our AMAZING LISTENERS; We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites! JOIN HTTU TODAY! HTT MERCH Follow us: IG: @HockeyThinkTank X (Twitter): @HockeyThinkTank TikTok: @HockeyThinkTank Facebook: TheHockeyThinkTank Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey welcome Pieter Slegers back to the show. Pieter is the founder of Compounding Quality, an investment newsletter that boasts more than 507,000 subscribers. Pieter kicks things off by discussing how AI and market momentum are doing well. However, he says that "classical" companies are currently struggling. He then talks about the need to have a tangible long-term goal in investing and shares his own investing goal and what it would do for his portfolio. And he explains the benefits of removing yourself from your normal environment to gain perspective and how to use that mindset for investing. (0:00) Next, Pieter shares how he views AI and its impact on the companies that he analyzes. He also adds how he personally uses AI in stock research. Pieter stresses the importance of doing your own reading, both in investing and in your personal life. He says that this not only ensures that you don't miss any details in financial reports but also helps you find new investment ideas in unexpected places. (20:33) Finally, Pieter details one company that he's excited about over the next 10 years. He found multiple reasons to love it, but after some skepticism, he drove to Germany to meet the CEO. The discussion solidified his optimism for the company. Pieter expressed how talking with the CEOs of smaller companies can provide some information that most people don't have. (39:43)
What if the key to building generational wealth isn't just what you invest in, but how you run your business? As we kick off the second week of 2026, many of us are still looking at our goals and wondering if we have the "right" plan. Gary Harper, CEO of Sharper Business Solutions and creator of the RISE Business Framework, shares his incredible journey—from a troubled youth and corporate executive to losing it all in the 2008 crash and battling a life-threatening illness. Through these trials, Gary discovered that business success isn't just about profit; it's about a vision-driven life rooted in purpose, accountability, and the "three Ps": Passion, Product, and Profit.In the first half of the interview, Gary and Corwyn dive deep into the spiritual and mental foundations of a successful entrepreneur. Gary opens up about his "rock bottom" moments and explains why most people fail because they are chasing someone else's vision rather than their own.Don't miss Part 2, where Gary dives into overcoming fear, finding your true calling through his three pillars of purpose, and mastering the oxygen mask principle—why you can't lead others until you lead yourself.Key Takeaways:0:16 – Why building generational wealth goes beyond investments and starts with running your business strategically.4:41 – Gary's early journey in real estate and lessons from starting out with minimal resources.6:44 – Lessons from financial setbacks, bankruptcy, and staying true to integrity in business.9:47 – How vision creates purpose, purpose creates passion, and passion drives success.11:47 – The power of self-accountability and its role in achieving both personal and business goals.15:11 – Gary's KPI framework: Key Purpose Indicator → Profit Indicators → Performance → Process, and how it translates from health goals to business success.17:59 – How to define your purpose and financial freedom mark to guide business decisions and personal growth.Connect with Gary:Website: https://sharperbusiness.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/official_garyharper/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gary.harperiiLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-harper-37148967/Connect 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: Country Boy HomesYou served your country with pride. Now it's time someone serves you. At Country Boy Homes, we believe every veteran deserves a safe, beautiful and affordable place to call home.We proudly offer VA loan friendly, manufactured and modular homes built with integrity, quality and your family and mine. Whether you're retiring to the peaceful low country or starting fresh with your family, we're here to build the future you've earned. Give us a call today, 843-574-8979.Country Boy Homes, Built to Honor, Built to Last.
Austin shares 7 networking tips that are so effective, they will help you get in with any CEO, founder, or VIP that you want to connect with!Time Stamped Show Notes:[0:30] - Networking is important but hard![1:30] - Advice recognition & The advice triangle[4:18] - Engage with their content & Ask to interview them[6:33] - Set up a speaking engagement & Recognize them for a career change[8:15] - Make a helpful introductionWant To Level Up Your Job Search?Click here to learn more about 1:1 career coaching to help you land your dream job without applying online.Check out Austin's courses and, as a thank you for listening to the show, use the code PODCAST to get 5% off any digital course:The Interview Preparation System - Austin's proven, all-in-one process for turning your next job interview into a job offer.Value Validation Project Starter Kit - Everything you need to create a job-winning VVP that will blow hiring managers away and set you apart from the competition.No Experience, No Problem - Austin's proven framework for building the skills and experience you need to break into a new industry (even if you have *zero* experience right now).Try Austin's Job Search ToolsResyBuild.io - Build a beautiful, job-winning resume in minutes.ResyMatch.io - Score your resume vs. your target job description and get feedback.ResyBullet.io - Learn how to write attention grabbing resume bullets.Mailscoop.io - Find anyone's professional email in seconds.Connect with Austin for daily job search content:Cultivated CultureLinkedInTwitterThanks for listening!
Today's show features: - Scott Pharr, COO/Partner of P4 Automotive - Stephane Ferri, CEO of Car Wars - Micah Westrum, General Manager of Ramsey Mazda This episode is brought to you by: Stream Companies – Stream Companies is a full-service, fully integrated, tech-enabled advertising agency that drives measurable results through performance marketing, creative and content development, and proprietary AdTech solutions. Our innovative platforms, including the Retail Ready platform and Integrated Marketing Cloud, empower brands to optimize performance and accelerate growth. To learn more, visit StreamCompanies.com. Dealer Video Excellence Challenge, presented by Covideo – enter the contest by submitting your videos for your chance to win $1,000 and 3 months of Covideo access here: https://2tqce38uozv.typeform.com/to/KEOuOixJ — Check out Car Dealership Guy's stuff: CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/ CDG News ➤ https://news.dealershipguy.com/ CDG Jobs ➤ https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/ CDG Recruiting ➤ https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/ My Socials: X ➤ https://www.twitter.com/GuyDealership Instagram ➤ https://www.instagram.com/cardealershipguy/ TikTok ➤ https://www.tiktok.com/@guydealership LinkedIn ➤ https://www.linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy/ Threads ➤ https://www.threads.net/@cardealershipguy Facebook ➤ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683 Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
I have interviewed 1,000 entrepreneurs over 10 years. Nik Storonsky and our guest today are the two best that I have interviewed. Joining the show today; Alan Chang, Co-Founder and CEO of Fuse Energy. Alan has scaled Fuse Energy from $2M in revenue in the first year, to $20M the second year to now $400M in the third year. Like Netflix beat incumbents to own media, Revolut beat incumbents to own banking, Fuse will beat incumbents to own energy. Prior to founding Fuse, Alan was one of the first three hires at Revolut where he played a crucial role alongside Nik (Founder) in scaling the company to over $75BN valuation. AGENDA: 00:04:00 — The interview process that led to the $150M pay packet 00:05:05 — The moment I knew Revolut was going to be a $TRN company 00:06:10 — How Revolut drove speed and urgency in their teams 00:07:35 — Biggest lesson from Nik Storonsky @ Revolut 00:09:40 — If you want to build a generational company, you cannot have work-life balance 00:11:40 — What I disagreed with Nik @ Revolut on most 00:13:35 — Is Nik right that Revolut should have got a banking licence earlier? 00:15:05 — The green movement and the idea of "using less" is BS 00:22:55 — Why China is the shining light for regulation to follow 00:33:00 — What Nik at Revolut taught me about ownership and excuses 00:34:50 — The signs of truly top performing people in a team 00:36:55 — We do not have enough ambitious founders — we need to do more, not focus 00:39:55 — You need to work weekends to win 00:43:50 — Every single year we 10x revenue — now at ~$400M 00:44:35 — Why Eastern European engineers are the best Items Mentioned in Today's Show: Try NEXOS.AI for yourself with a 14-day free trial: https://nexos.ai/20vc
What if the only thing standing between you and your next level of success is your willingness to be uncomfortable? In this powerful episode to kick off 2026, Daniela pulls back the curtain on her personal growth journey and shares why she's committing to a year of being "open" to opportunities that genuinely scare her. From speaking at a 500-person conference in Vegas to hosting intimate CEO intensives to manning a booth at the massive Javits Center trade show in New York, she's doing things that push every single one of her "I'd rather not" buttons. But here's why it matters for YOUR business: the spa owners who thrive in the next 3 to 5 years won't be the most experienced; they'll be the ones who adapt fastest, test boldly, and pivot when needed. Your business will only grow as much as you're willing to grow. In this episode, we discuss: Why choosing a single word (instead of resolutions) creates a powerful decision-making filter The difference between honoring boundaries and hiding behind them How in-person connections create ripple effects that virtual meetings can't replicate Why AI and rapid industry changes favor those who act with speed over those who wait The specific uncomfortable commitments Daniela is making in Q1 (and why they matter) How to identify the one thing you're avoiding that would genuinely move your business forward Keep the conversation going inside the Spa Marketing Made Easy Community by clicking here. IG / @addoaesthetics WEB / addoaesthetics.com YOUTUBE / @addoaesthetics LINKEDIN / @addoaesthetics About Your Host, Daniela Woerner Daniela Woerner is the founder of Addo Aesthetics and creator of the Growth Factor® Framework, a proven system that's helped hundreds of spa owners build profitable, systemized businesses. With nearly 20 years in the aesthetics industry, she transforms overworked aesthetic professionals into confident Spa CEOs through strategy, systems, and soul led support. Daniela is also the host of Spa Marketing Made Easy, a top ranked podcast with over 1 million downloads, where she shares real world strategies to help spa professionals grow with clarity and confidence.
In this episode of Elevating Drone Life, host Rob Burdick sits down with Teej Ragsdale, the visionary co-founder and CEO of RAAD, an innovative aerial intelligence network. Teej's journey from finance and crypto to renewable energy has uniquely positioned him to tackle the challenges in the drone services market. Together, we explore the significant frictions faced by drone pilots and how RAAD is revolutionizing the industry by prioritizing fair compensation, quality control, and trust-building with pilots. Discover how RAAD is preparing for the future of drone services, including adapting to regulatory changes and embracing new technologies. Teej shares his insights on the exciting opportunities ahead for pilots and the industry, emphasizing the importance of seamless client and pilot experiences. Tune in to learn about RAAD's unique approach to pilot engagement, the importance of quality control, and the future of drone operations. Want to Make Money Flying Drones? DroneU gives you the blueprint to start and grow a real drone business: FAA Part 107 prep 40+ courses on flight skills, real estate, mapping, and business Pricing guides, client acquisition, and weekly coaching Supportive community of top-tier drone pros Start here https://www.thedroneu.com Know someone ready to take the leap? Share this episode with them !! Stuck between a safe job and chasing your drone dream? Download our FREE Drone Pilot Starter Kit Includes: FAA checklist, pricing template, and plug-and-play proposal to help you land your first client with confidence. https://learn.thedroneu.com/bundles/drone-pilot-starter-kit Timestamps [00:00] Introduction to RAAD and Teej Ragsdale [02:57] The Journey to Founding RAAD [05:52] Understanding the Drone Services Market [09:02] RAAD's Unique Approach to Pilot Engagement [12:00] Building Trust with Pilots and Clients [14:58] The Importance of Quality Control [18:07] Pilot Onboarding and Reputation Management [21:02] The Future of RAAD and Pilot Opportunities [27:59] Client Expectations and Data Delivery [30:55] Pilot Quality and Feedback Mechanisms [32:46] Upskilling and Training for Pilots [35:27] Pilot Requirements and Insurance [37:55] Compensation Models for Pilots [39:48] Market Demand and Sector Insights [40:42] Emerging Technologies and Future Opportunities [42:50] Creative Opportunities in Drone Operations [45:44] Processing Data and Quality Control [49:38] The Joy of Drone Flying [51:01] Client Success Stories and Operational Excellence [54:20] Adapting to Market Demands and Technology Changes [58:01] Navigating Regulatory Challenges [01:04:02] Future Opportunities in the Drone Industry
What if an AI agent could negotiate your car deal while you keep your phone on silent? In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Zach Shefska, Co-Founder & CEO of CarEdge, a platform using data, software, and services to make car buying fair, fast, and transparent. Zach explains how CarEdge evolved from a YouTube channel with his veteran car-salesman father into a suite of tools—pricing data, a concierge team, and an AI negotiator—that level the playing field for buyers without trying to eliminate dealerships. He shares how the business model aligns incentives, why “human-in-the-loop” AI matters, and how trust and speed can beat opacity and pressure. Key Takeaways: → CarEdge began as a YouTube channel teaching people how to buy cars and has grown into a platform with millions of monthly viewers plus tools and services that support the entire purchase journey. → The company offers negotiation-ready data, an AI negotiator that engages dealers on your behalf, and a human concierge team made up of former dealership pros who can run the process end-to-end. → Zach designed the model to avoid dealer pay-to-play by charging consumers for help, which means dealerships receive educated, motivated buyers without subscription fees or low-quality lead churn. → The mission is not to destroy dealerships but to make transactions fairer and faster, which can still serve dealer interests by improving close rates and reducing negotiation friction. → Dealership profits are typically driven by finance and insurance products rather than the new-car sale itself, so CarEdge focuses on fair vehicle pricing while educating consumers on F&I decisions. Zach Shefska is the co-founder and CEO of CarEdge, a platform dedicated to reforming the automotive retail experience through radical transparency, consumer empowerment, and digital innovation. His journey from tech executive to mission-driven entrepreneur exemplifies a deep commitment to building purpose-driven solutions that challenge exploitative norms. Connect With Zach:Website: http://www.caredge.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mycaredge TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caredge Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mycaredge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices