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(October 09, 2025)Trump says Israel and Hamas accept Gaza Peace Plan to begin ending war. L.A. County considers emergency declaration to fight against ICE raids. Think that empty airplane seat is fair game? Think again. Something weird is happening with Halloween chocolate.
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The show kicks off with a sardonic take on turf wars between delivery drivers—yes, really—before diving into third-quarter market returns, investor behavior, and asset class performance. Don and Tom remind listeners (again) that sticking with a diversified portfolio beats timing markets or following headline noise. Listeners call in about Social Security strategies, inheritance accounts for minors, and what to do with large sums of cash in retirement. The show wraps with a smart look at ETF-to-mutual fund conversions and why the old-school fund industry is getting left in the dust. 0:11 Delivery turf wars joke and quarter-end reflections 1:40 Fears vs. reality: inflation, jobs, and trade wars 2:16 Q3 returns: U.S. stocks +8%, EM +9.6%, silver tops, cocoa flops 3:09 What you had to do to earn those returns: be invested, diversified, and ignore noise 5:13 Don scolds investors still avoiding value and international stocks 6:11 Chocolate aside, it's been a strong year for stocks and bonds 7:42 Promo: Why guessing isn't a retirement plan 7:51 Don recovers from a cough; Tom lists worst Q3 performers (lean hogs!) 9:13 Listener Chad argues for claiming Social Security early if you can earn 3% 11:08 Don crunches the math: break-even at age 81–82 if invested at 3% 12:57 Survivor benefits and why waiting helps your spouse 13:57 Don jokes about his wife stealing his life force and living to 112 14:54 Vaccine banter and intro to next caller 15:56 Caller Michael from Burien sells a condo, asks where to put $300k 19:07 Don and Tom suggest municipal bonds like VTEB for tax-free yield 20:20 Michael quotes a great retirement planning aphorism 20:29 Shift to ETF inflows and the downfall of mutual funds 29:13 Vanguard's tax-free conversion model and Dimensional's exemptive relief 30:49 What this shift means for investors with taxable accounts 31:17 Mutual funds may soon be the next buggy whips 32:22 Listener Connie asks: do you really get back Social Security withheld when working before FRA? 33:14 Tom and Don clarify: benefit adjusted later, but no “refund” 34:37 Caller Susan from Connecticut: what to do with $250k in cash 36:52 Don: You don't need more products—you need a real financial plan 39:17 Flat-fee plans and how to find a true fiduciary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What's that smell?!? Mmmmmmm....chocolate (week)!!! Join Wendy, Jayme and Greg in admiring, imagining, and savoring the wonder that is Chocolate Week with Chocolate Mousse Cups, a variety of technical white chocolate ganache tarts and towering chocolate fondue displays! Some bakers really came out smelling sweet, and others fell into a bitter pit of baker's chocolate. Leave feedback at podcastica.com, we'd love to hear from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Em novembro de 2024, o paraíso dos mochileiros se transformou em manchete internacional. Seis turistas morreram após uma noite de festa — e um mistério surgiu: como o álcool virou veneno em um dos destinos mais populares da Ásia?Produção: Crimes e Mistérios BrasilNarração: Tatiana DaignaultEdição: Tatiana DaignaultPesquisa e Roteiro: Tatiana Daignault Fotos e fontes sobre o caso você encontra aquiO Café Crime e Chocolate é um podcast brasileiro que conta casos de crimes reais acontecidos no mundo inteiro com pesquisas detalhadas, narrado com respeito e foco nas vítimas.Não esqueça de se inscrever no podcast pela sua plataforma preferida, assim você não perde nenhum episódio. Siga-nos também em nossas redes sociais:Instagram Facebook X AVISO: A escolha dos casos a serem contados não refletem preferência ou crítica por qualquer posição política, religião, grupo étnico, clube, organização, empresa ou indivíduo. _______________________________________________________________
The RH Factor's Hard Groove might sound uncontroversial to modern ears, but in the early 2000s it was revolutionary. With this record, Roy Hargrove broke away from the straight-ahead jazz revival of the Young Lions era and created something entirely new. Hard Groove blended Roy's trumpet with the voices of R&B and soul heavyweights like D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, and Common, artists whose platinum-selling albums (Voodoo, Mama's Gun, Like Water for Chocolate) already featured Roy's melodic horn playing and orchestral arrangements.With Hard Groove, Roy flipped the script: instead of lending his sound to the hip hop and neo-soul world, he invited those artists into a jazz record. The result was a landmark project that blurred genres and redefined what jazz could be in the 21st century.You'll Hear It has been nominated for a Listener's Choice award for Best Music Podcast at the Signal Awards. Vote for us here: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2025/shows/genre/musicWant more neo-soul? Check out our Voodoo episode: https://youtu.be/AYqmFNF2s0U Watch the documentary "Hargrove": https://youtu.be/liK1u6DQQ4M?si=SZ83SNHazZX2JMImStart your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs: https://osjazz.link/yhi
Chocolate Week turned up the heat in the tent! From mousse cups that struggled to set, to a tricky white chocolate tart technical, and indulgent fondue displays in the showstopper, the bakers had plenty to prove. We break down the highs, the stumbles, and reveal who took home Star Baker — and who had to say goodbye in this bittersweet week.
Send us a fun message...But if you want a response contact us at SwingerUniversity.comWhy does a piece of chocolate trigger the same brain chemical as meeting someone new at a swinger party?This episode reveals the surprising neuroscience behind New Relationship Energy, dopamine addiction, and why the swinging lifestyle can feel impossible to walk away from. Ed and Phoebe break down the science of pleasure—from that 55% dopamine spike you get from chocolate to the 1000% surge from harder substances—and explain why novelty in the lifestyle hijacks your brain's reward system exactly like a drug.In this episode of Swinger University, we explore the powerful connection between dopamine, addiction, and ethical non-monogamy, discussing why NRE feels so intoxicating, how constant stimulation affects your mental health, and practical strategies for maintaining balance in the lifestyle. Whether you're new to the swinging lifestyle, experienced in ethical non-monogamy, or simply curious about the brain chemistry behind attraction and novelty-seeking, this conversation will help you understand what's really happening in your head when you can't stop thinking about that new connection.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The exact dopamine percentages: chocolate (55%), sex (100%), nicotine (150%), cocaine (225%), and amphetamines (1000%)Why New Relationship Energy creates thoughts and feelings you can't control—and how long it typically lastsThe "pleasure paradox": how constant dopamine hits from social media, food, and the lifestyle create chronic deficit statesReal stories of NRE intensity, FOMO at swinger events, and why some people need breaks from the lifestyleHow novelty, secrecy, quantity, and access all amplify your brain's reward responsePractical strategies for seeking balance: recognizing addiction patterns, pacing yourself, and knowing when to step backWhy comparison is killing your enjoyment and how to focus on your own experience
Tony Xu, founder of DoorDash, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Tony updates Guy on his latest ventures: expanding into grocery and retail delivery - and taking on international markets.First, we hear from Ron in Portland, who's wondering about the right time to expand his product line - from kitchen knives to cutting boards.Then Kathryn in Raleigh, North Carolina asks if it's time to raise outside money to expand her line of date sweetened dark Chocolate bars. Finally, Yori in Stanford, Connecticut - wants to know the best way to educate customers about the benefits of buying grass raised beef. Thanks to the founders of Steelport Knife Company, Spring and Mulberry and Route 22 Meats for being a part of our show.If you'd like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you'd like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Doordash's founding story, as told by Tony on the show in 2018.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Darryl dials in from Melbourne to discuss his #1 Crowded House show; 2 December 2008 at The Forum in Melbourne. The audio is stellar from this show, in part due to Darryl's labour of love remastering a bunch of underappreciated Finn shows. This episode is part 1 of 2. Performances include World where you live, Isolation, Pineapple head, Amsterdam, Bernards magic shop & Chocolate cake. Your humble host's band Cowboy Dan also just dropped their debut album Dreams That Feel Like Falling last week. Streaming on the usual platforms or available to purchase on vinyl or digital over here: https://cowboydanmusic.bandcamp.com/album/dreams-that-feel-like-fallingYou can significantly support the continuation of the 240 podcast for a donation of just a couple dollars per month. This goes directly towards covering the monthly cost of buzzsprout hosting fees, riverside video chat platform, editing software & cloud space. Big thank yous if you are in a position to help. Head over here to: http://patreon.com/240neilfinn
Steven Bernstein has spent a career proving that risk and creativity go hand in hand. The award-winning director and cinematographer behind Decoding Annie Parker, Monster, and Like Water for Chocolate has shot nearly 50 films and written projects that have drawn actors like Rhys Ifans, John Malkovich, and Samantha Morton. In this conversation with Ryan, he shares how radical honesty drives trust on set, why character always comes before plot, and how his unorthodox process led to his latest novel-turned-film GRQ / Get Rich Quick. His message is simple: stop waiting to be ready, finish the work, and put it into the world.
Today on Breaking Bread Nick Stoller joins us at the table! You know him from making every funny movie ever, but today we get a peak into the real Nick Stoller: the insanely talented baker. Sally from Sally's Baking Addiction, please step aside. We might just end the podcast here, it will be nearly impossible to top. Enjoy! Check out Nick Stoller's show, PLATONIC. Season 2 now streaming on Apple TV + . Also follow Nick on Instagram for more baking content @nicholasstoller. Text PAPA to 64000 to get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. As an exclusive offer, our listeners can get free protein in every Butcher Box for a year PLUS $20 off your first box when you go to ButcherBox.com/PAPA. -------------- 0:00:00 Cold Open 0:00:29 Tour & Nambe Shoutout 0:02:04 Nick Stoller Intro 0:04:04 Diving into baking 0:08:45 Croissants & Sally's baking addiction 0:11:00 Nick brought many treats 0:17:00 Baking conference in Japan 0:18:56 Growing up in Miami 0:19:16 Chocolate croissants 0:20:42 Growing up obsessed with comedy 0:25:15 NY to LA, getting an agent 0:26:56 Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel relationships 0:31:39 IQ Bar Ad 0:33:52 Butcher Box Ad 0:35:40 First time directing 0:39:45 Nick's Babka 0:42:50 Platonic, working with Seth Rogen 0:48:33 Comedy stars yelling 0:50:18 Awards shows, state of comedy 0:52:07 Nick's creative process 0:55:20 Bad Magic 0:59:01 Uncomfortable moment 1:00:33 Being decisive, writing is therapy 1:06:40 Privilege and criticism 1:11:19 Perfect comedy movies 1:13:27 Booking Japan trip and bread & comedy -------------- Tom Papa is a celebrated stand-up comedian with over 20 years in the industry. Watch Tom's new special "Home Free" out NOW on Netflix! Patreon - Patreon.com/BreakingBreadWithTomPapa Radio, Podcasts and more: https://linktr.ee/tompapa/ Website - http://tompapa.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tompapa Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@tompapa Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/comediantompapa Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/tompapa #tompapa #breakingbread #comedy #standup #standupcomedy #bread #nickstoller #baking #croissant Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I was joined by the wonderful Tiffany Gonzalez (@tiffanyconlibros) to talk about what to read for Latine/Hispanic Heritage month! Books Mentioned: A Sunny Place for Shady People: Stories by Mariana Enriquez (translated by Megan McDowell) Things We Lost in the Fire: Stories by Mariana Enriquez (translated by Megan McDowell) What Happened to Ruthie Ramirez by Claire Jimenez The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Cañas Candelaria by Melissa Lozada-Olivia Dreaming of You: A Novel in Verse by Melissa Lozada-Olivia Goddess of Filth by V. Castro The Queen of Cicadas by V. Castro Tiny Threads by Lilliam Rivera Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk (translated by Heather Cleary) Monstrillio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Rachel Vasquez Gililand House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica (translated by Sarah Moses) The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica (translated by Sarah Moses) Through the Night Like a Snake: Latin American Horror Stories edited by Sarah Coolidge Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent by Julia Alvarez The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez Loteria by Cynthia Pelayo Somebody is Walking On Your Grave by Mariana Enriquez (translated by Megan McDowell) Jawbone by Monica Ojeda (translated by Sarah Booker) Feebleminded by Ariana Harwicz (translated by Carolina Orloff and Annie McDermott) You Glow in the Dark by Liliana Colanzi (translated by Chris Andrews) Five Midnights by Ana Davila Cardinal Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez (translated by Megan McDowell) anything by Charco press Check out the final girl songs here! Merch is finally available! Join the Reading Challenge! How to support Books in the Freezer We are on Patreon! Check us out! There's a lot of fun going on in the Patreon community. At the Final Girl level you can get episodes early and find out about topics and guests beforehand. Axe-Wielding Maniacs get to be part of a Voxer group chat and join in Netflix movie nights. Malevolent Spirits get everything that's been mentioned and bonus episodes!
Iryna deixou seu turno de trabalho e pegou o trem de sempre, sem imaginar que não chegaria em casa naquela noite. Um encontro aleatório, um ato de violência brutal e uma história sobre destino, falhas do sistema e a tênue linha entre saúde mental e tragédia.Produção: Crimes e Mistérios BrasilNarração: Tatiana DaignaultEdição: Tatiana DaignaultPesquisa e Roteiro: Tatiana Daignault Fotos e fontes sobre o caso você encontra aquiO Café Crime e Chocolate é um podcast brasileiro que conta casos de crimes reais acontecidos no mundo inteiro com pesquisas detalhadas, narrado com respeito e foco nas vítimas.Não esqueça de se inscrever no podcast pela sua plataforma preferida, assim você não perde nenhum episódio. Siga-nos também em nossas redes sociais:Instagram Facebook X AVISO: A escolha dos casos a serem contados não refletem preferência ou crítica por qualquer posição política, religião, grupo étnico, clube, organização, empresa ou indivíduo.
In this episode of 'Your Daily Chocolate,' Patty welcomes Brian and Sally Krichbaum, owners of Gilbert Chocolates, a 125-year-old chocolate manufacturing and retailing establishment in Michigan. Brian, an engineer with a background in the automotive industry, and Sally, a published writer with a love for chocolate, share their journey of taking over Gilbert Chocolates and tripling its size. They discuss the difference between mass-produced and gourmet chocolate, the unique qualities of their products, and the history of Gilbert Chocolates. They also touch on new trends in the chocolate industry and their plans for future expansion. Find More About Gilbert Chocolates:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P308wEpkCi4Website: https://www.gilbertchocolates.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankrichbaum/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gilbertchocolateEpisode Highlights:00:00 Introduction to the Podcast00:10 Meet the Christbaums: Owners of Gilbert Chocolates02:13 Brian's Journey from Engineering to Chocolate Making04:04 Sally's Convincing Chocolate Experience04:43 The Evolution of Gilbert Chocolates05:51 What Makes Gilbert Chocolates Unique12:21 Maintaining Tradition with Modern Touches14:26 Expanding the Business16:24 Sweet Stories from the Store16:49 Charming Candy Shop Anecdotes18:04 The Reality of Chocolate Production20:23 Developing a Chocolate Palate21:35 New Trends in Chocolate22:51 Expanding Gilbert Chocolates25:53 Rapid Fire Questions27:48 Podcast Conclusion and Next Episode Teaser
Which chocolate milk is best? Chocolate milk is an odd beverage for us because there was a large stretch of our lives where we drank it nearly every day, but have seldom drank it since. Today we are going to dive back into chocolate milk to determine which brand is best, and if it deserves a place in our current lives. This week's contenders are Fairlife, Hershey, Nesquick, and Yoohoo. Please like and subscribe and if you have any suggestions, let us know by tweeting us @tastetestdummies or email us at nickandjohnpodcast@gmail.com. SPOILER! Below is a list of which milk corresponds to each numbered glass it was in: 1. Nesquick 2. Yoohoo 3. Fairlife 4. Hershey's
Steven Bernstein, ASC, DGA, WGA is an award-winning feature film director and screenwriter, shaping some of the most visually striking films of the past 40 years. His work on the Academy Award-winning film Monster and on Like Water for Chocolate has earned global recognition. He is a recipient of the American Film Institute Award, the Sloan Award (for writing and directing), the Cannes Golden Lion (for commercials), and is an ASC nominee for outstanding cinematography. He has worked on over 50 feature films. He wrote and directed several groundbreaking feature films with major talent (John Malkovich, Samantha Morton, Helen Hunt and many more). His podcast Filmmakerandfans, about the creative process in film production, is listened to by millions.
Steven Bernstein, ASC, DGA, WGA is an award-winning feature film director and screenwriter, shaping some of the most visually striking films of the past 40 years. His work on the Academy Award-winning film Monster and on Like Water for Chocolate has earned global recognition. He is a recipient of the American Film Institute Award, the Sloan Award (for writing and directing), the Cannes Golden Lion (for commercials), and is an ASC nominee for outstanding cinematography. He has worked on over 50 feature films. He wrote and directed several groundbreaking feature films with major talent (John Malkovich, Samantha Morton, Helen Hunt and many more). His podcast Filmmakerandfans, about the creative process in film production, is listened to by millions.
How TikTok reshaped the trend cycle. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. A young woman holding an iced matcha latte. Photo by Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A round-up of the main headlines in Sweden on September 26th 2025. You can hear more reports on our homepage www.radiosweden.se, or in the app Sveriges Radio. Presenter/Producer: Kris Boswell.
Paul, Noah, and Kody discuss WWE's ESPN debut with Wrestlepalooza, AEW All Out, EMF Blockers, and the big wrestling news of the week like “Who is Jazymin Nyx” and what remains for John Cena? All of this and getting your haircut at McDonalds!Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and make sure to follow us on socials! All of that and more can be found at www.fatalfourpod.comSupport the show and subscribe to the Patreon at www.patreon.com/fatalfourpod and for only $3 you'll get Ad Free episodes, bonus content, and access to the exclusive Discord. Or check out Fatal Four Plus! $5/mo gets you access to everything in the $3 tier, plus extra podcasts from the Fatal Four! New ad free bonus shows will drop monthly exclusive to the Fatal Four Plus tier.
The greatest candy bar of all time, the Kimmel mess, the wussification of football, fun and games at the UN and Trump goes to Bethpage.https://mydeals.page/q7j8
More on lithium orotate for Alzheimer's diseaseMy sister had cow valve surgery and has to take Jardiance. Are there other alternatives?I'm taking BHRT for hot flashes. Are there any other drugs I should consider taking?
What can help a woman in her mid-40s with breast calcifications? Would taking supplements and enzymes help?My husband suffered from hospital delirium and seven months later is still strugglingIs milk thistle beneficial to take? I read an article that curcumin is highly toxic to the liver. What say you?
This week, the ladies from That Gaming Server jump onto the show with us. We had an absolute blast getting to know Okami and Courtney. We also learned some more interesting facts about Bug. She just surprises us each episode with some sort of greatness. Tonight was another lesson in the world of Bug. We touched on TGS (That Gaming Server) and some of the details around this awesome Discord that the girls run. We jumped into some of what they have been playing, touching on Dead by Daylight, Peak, and a bit about the last Marvel Rivals tournament. Oh, Nip and Fluffy also played some more Borderlands 4. It was a great show and we cannot wait to get the ladies back on another episode. Check out our merch and support the show! https://potatothumbspodcast.threadless.com/ OMG we have a Discord! https://discord.gg/SYvh5jvsSH Email Us PotatoThumbsPodcast@Gmail.com IG https://www.instagram.com/fluffyfingersmd Spotify Playlists Day 1 Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3u37PzeFv04b3z6Uq5voCO?si=3c52ad41c94348a1 Day 2 Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/65jrMS8NSxNW5I9IG27drM?si=500a009043b74a17 Day 3 Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2B3PydCdAhKvhdKfqssRIK?si=6d9adeba01d946eb Day 4 Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3R7SI6NNuWw1UPJ2bwN0sk?si=644ac043acb34d7b Day 5 Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/27acHFnmTbgDoHbXdTLeV8?si=5aa06b2715904062 Day 6 Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6pUxt7PbnD66Y2J3btQLKQ?si=1a9db41f2f754481
We The Growers sits down with Bill, aka Chocolate, and Tyler from Hytek Detroit. Recently, the guys won the Best Overall and Best Tasting categories at Zalympix Michigan 2025.In this episode, Chocolate and Tyler talk about how they produce their cup winning flower. What media they are using, what Athena products they are using, and how they are running their facility as a whole. We also talk about both of their stories coming up in the Detroit Cannabis Industry.Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/5VrbpGbAE9JYn3I0Vo8zSy?si=5fe5deab1b454569Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-the-growers/id1620427747Follow Hytek Detroit: https://www.instagram.com/hytek.detroit?igsh=azFhb2F1bTNob3ZzProduced by the Athena Ag Team. We The Growers Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wethegrowerspodcast/ Athena Ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athena.ag/ Visit our Website: https://www.athenaag.com#WeTheGrowers #AthenaAg #ForTheCulture
It'a my birthday episode! I'm getting totally real about turning 46 and looking back at everything that's changed—business, life, mindset, all of it—since I was 36. I'm spilling the tea on the wild ride of the last decade, from saying goodbye to my sweet dog Chocolate and selling my house, to finally finding the confidence to own my skills as a coach and entrepreneur. I break down the eight biggest lessons I've learned, especially about letting go of old stories, building strength (hello, heavy lifting!), and making decisions that set me free—financially and personally. If you're just starting out or dreaming of launching your own thing, this episode is full of real talk and encouragement. I want you to feel empowered to shake off the “shoulds,” embrace your potential, and start building a business and lifestyle that lights you up. Tune in for honest stories, some laughs, and permission to create your own version of success. Let's grow, glow, and celebrate the next chapter—because it's never too late to make big moves! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Follow Katerina: Instagram: @Katerina.Kormas Website: www.katerinakormas.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready to BECOME the woman who has all that she desires? The BECOMING Quarterly Journal and Planner is an all-in-one tool designed to help women bring their vision to life. This planner includes a dream journal to help you connect with your future self, along with goal-setting pages that break down your yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily priorities. With dedicated sections for monthly, weekly, and daily reflection, you can cultivate a positive mindset and stay focused on your journey toward becoming the woman you are meant to be. This journal is a comprehensive guide to help you plan, reflect, and grow, all within a single beautiful space. Ready to make a big transformation in your life, career and business? Let's jump on a complimentary 30 minute Momentum Call where we will chat about your big vision, what's holding you back, and create powerful, life changing next steps for you! Did you hear something you loved today? Leave a review, so others know what to expect from the show! And don't forget to Subscribe so you receive the latest episodes right when they launch!
Ken Jackson/Leadership Gwinnett Leadership Gwinnett is a leadership nonprofit that educates, equips, and engages leaders from across every industry including business, government, education, nonprofits, and much more. Leadership Gwinnett has been around for over 40 years and now has a thriving network of alumni who are actively shaping Gwinnett's future. Through its flagship nine-month program, […] The post Ken Jackson with Leadership Gwinnett and Ray Bitzel with Bitzel’s Chocolate appeared first on Business RadioX ®.
Pruning To Prosper - Clutter, Money, Meals and Mindset for the Catholic Mom
Amy Brooks, creator of Prayer, Wine, Chocolate and Co-Founder of Catholics Online joins us today to declutter her home office which is in a corner of her bedroom. Tune in to get an idea of what an hour of declutter coaching with me would entail. Amy is like so many Catholic moms who try to juggle running a small business while still managing the household. Things get messy! Oh and let's not forget, we need to nourish our marriages too! It's a lot for us women. Let's help Amy declutter her bedroom office space to create a relaxing place to retire at the end of the day. If you would like to sign up for Amy's Prayer, Wine, Chocolate Retreat on November 15th in Philadelphia, please follow the link on her website here: https://www.prayerwinechocolate.com If you were inspired by this episode to work with me to virtually coach you through a decluttering session, you can book a session here: 1:1 Declutter Coaching with Gina Join the private Pruning To Prosper Facebook group here: Facebook Group Instagram For any other in-person decluttering or inquiries, please email me at: tightshipmama@gmail.com
Building successful businesses often requires embracing opportunities that find you rather than forcing predetermined plans. In this episode of Building Texas Business, I sit down with Gregg Thompson, who runs multiple ventures with his brothers including landscape operations, nurseries, and the beloved Tiny Boxwoods and Milk & Cookies restaurants. We talk about how their family business evolved from a high school lawn mowing operation into a diversified enterprise spanning Houston and Austin. Gregg shares how their restaurant concept emerged accidentally when customers kept lingering at their West Alabama nursery, leading to an "accidental" expansion into hospitality. He explains their approach to hiring entrepreneurial people and giving them autonomy, plus how they've built robust back-office systems that support everything from landscape project management to baking croissants. The conversation reveals how measuring margins and sharing financial data across divisions creates a culture where creative people start thinking about gross margins. His philosophy centers on being in the "yes business" rather than automatically rejecting new ideas, combined with the belief that there's no limit to what you can accomplish when you don't know what you're doing. This mindset helped them navigate from municipal bonds to nurseries to restaurants without getting paralyzed by industry expertise they didn't possess. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS Sometimes the best business opportunities come from customers eating sandwiches in your nursery at lunchtime, leading to "accidental" restaurant concepts that nobody planned. Giving employees autonomy to try new things without permission first creates innovation - even when it occasionally surprises leadership with what they're attempting. The difference between a good business and a bad business is the back office - if you can't measure it, you can't fix it. Being in the "yes business" means not automatically saying no to employee ideas, since people bringing suggestions are stepping outside their comfort zones. There's no limit to what you can do when you don't know what you're doing, because you don't see the barriers that "experts" assume exist. Family businesses work when siblings have completely different skill sets that complement rather than compete - finance, construction, and wholesale trading each requiring distinct talents. LINKSShow Notes Previous Episodes About BoyarMiller About Thompson+Hanson GUESTS Gregg ThompsonAbout Gregg TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Chris: Hey Greg, I want to welcome you to Building Texas Business. Thanks for taking the time to come in. Gregg: Yeah, my pleasure. I'm really excited about this. Chris: Well, you've got a great story to tell. I can't wait to hear more of the details. So let's start. Just tell us about your businesses. I know there's more than one and kind of what it is that you're doing out there and what you feel like those businesses are known for. Gregg: So I work with two of my brothers and I work with a great partner on the restaurant side. And we have, I think, an interesting little business. I was asked about a year ago to do a little speaking engagement about our company and landscape architecture. That's how it all started. And they asked me to do a quick recap of our company, the history, kind of like this. And I started jotting down timelines and I thought, this is dry. There's really more to how it started. That's all I thought. What was really the genesis of it? How did we get here? And so I call it my dad's lawnmower story and I'm 61 and I had three brothers and we all grew up just working around the house and mowing yards and doing chores and getting allowance and all that stuff. And I think that's how we evolved to where we are today in terms of just being willing to get out and work. And my older brother Lance officially started our landscape company when he was in high school. We all had Chris: Really, Gregg: We all had jobs and chores and I worked at Baskin Robbins. I had one brother that worked at a gas station and Lance was always the most successful entrepreneur. Mowing yards. Well, yeah. So we all mowed the yard and we all got our little allowance and that was great. You get the satisfaction of mowing the yard and finishing and then you get a little economic reward from your dad In the form of an allowance. But Lance was always just really good at making money When we were kids. He bought a new motorcycle when we were kids and I bought a used one. He bought a brand new car when he was in high school, 10th grade off the showroom floor and then traded that in and bought another one. This was like 1980. And so he just was very scrappy and entrepreneurial and was working at a nursery not too far from here over on a sacket. And a lady came in Mrs. Presler and bought a bunch of plants and asked if he could come by and plant them over the weekend. And so he did it. And that was officially his first client. She lived around the corner from us and I'm sure Lance did a good job and she loved having this guy around planting and stuff. And she told some friends and we just evolved and he was wrapping up high school and started making a little bit of money. And by the time he graduated he had some people that wanted projects and he's a really interesting guy. He had really bad dyslexia when he was growing up, still has it. And so school didn't come easy for him, but he had dyslexia and a DD, all those things can be really secret weapons if you know how to work around them. And he just had the ability to visualize things. He's always been into aesthetics and building. And so I think that really gave him some tools to just keep going with this landscape Chris: Thing. And then you ended up joining them at some point. Gregg: And so I went off and did the whole college finance thing and got into the municipal bond business and did that for a few years and I'd helped him with his books, a little glorified bookkeeper when he was starting. And in the early nineties we had talked about he was still growing and had a few employees and a few trucks and moved to some different locations and we just talked about me coming over or getting somebody else in to be the CFO and operations person. And it really wasn't that big at the time. And so I left my job in 94 and joined them and we were just around the corner over on Edlo. We leased some space over there and started a little bitty nursery as well as landscaping. And it was an accidental nursery. It was really a holding yard, and we would get all these plants delivered, we'd buy direct from growers and get all these plants delivered and put 'em in the holding yard and it looked like a nursery. And so people would stop in and want to buy plants and we thought, you know what? Let's see if we can open a nursery. And so that's how the retail nursery Chris: Started. Sometimes you find the business Gregg: And sometimes they find Chris: You. Gregg: Yeah, I call it the accidental nursery. And it was a great location and we were able to secure the real estate and buy it. And then we had some real estate trades that allowed us to move and grow a little bit. And so that was 94. And then that growth occurred throughout the nineties and in late I think 98, we sold that land and moved to the current location on west Alabama. And then we also moved our crews and our administrative offices over to West Park in six 10. And we opened a wholesale nursery there. We bought about eight acres of land there. And that's become the biggest part of our business on the landscape and nursery side is the wholesale. So we sell to other landscapers and over the years we've just grown and we have these divisions. We opened an office in Austin, Lance lives in Austin now. He moved in about 2000. And so we operate out of both cities. We have nurseries in both cities. And then probably our most visible business to the public is the restaurant side. Tiny box woods and milk and cookies. Chris: It keeps me fed. Gregg: Yeah. Well, I wish I could say it was a master plan, but it's been a fun plan. Chris: So I've always been curious how did you go from a nursery and landscaping into the restaurant business? Gregg: So that's I think a fun story too. So nursery people are kind of like book people, book people go and hang out at libraries and bookstores and they just want to be there around things that they love. Plant people are the same way. And our little retail nursery on West Alabama is a really beautiful place and people would just come and hang out. They would come over and on Saturdays there would be three or four people that were there every Saturday just walking around. They'd buy a few things, but they just wanted to be there. A little bit of an oasis. It is. And a lot of the mom and pop nurseries have gone by the wayside over the years. And so it was just a real pleasant space. It's the best patio in Houston. Well, thank you. And so one day, this lady was over there at about noon and she was walking around and she was eating a sandwich and we'd always joked about how people wanted to just be there and hang out and move in. And we got a lot of comments like that. And I saw this lady eating a sandwich just walking around. And so I just imagined that she was there on her lunch break and just wanted to hang out there. And so I called my brother Lance, and we talked probably six or seven times a day. We're always just calling and checking on things and riffing a little bit. And I said, we need to think about Dale coffee shop or restaurant. We've got this beautiful space and people want to be here, so we've got the captive audience and we have a place where they want to be. Let's sell the sandwich or a cup of coffee. We talked about a coffee shopper and we didn't really have a vision. And he said, that's the worst idea. That's a terrible idea. And I was putting this pitch on him. We've got the land, we had the building where I thought we could do it, and we were just using that for storage and mostly for Christmas trees. We sell Christmas trees once a year and we storm in there for about 30 days and otherwise just building was just storage. And I said, we've got the real estate and we can find somebody to cook. I had no idea what I was talking about. And I said, we've got an HR department, we've got the back, we've got all that stuff that's really hard for first time entrepreneurs. We didn't have to sign a lease, we didn't have to learn about hiring people and firing all that sort of administrative stuff. That can be really challenging if you're just a chef and you don't know all that. So we had that in place and we thought, or I thought there wasn't a lot of downside, give it a whirl and if it doesn't work, it's not the end of the world. And he was like, no, that's a terrible idea. Terrible idea. And so I thought, okay, he's probably right. Little Chris: Motivation to prove him wrong. Gregg: Yeah. And so he called me the next day we were talking about stuff. He said, we could probably figure it out. We could probably find somebody to help with the kitchen. And we've got the back office. So he's putting the sales pitch back on me that I was putting on him. And we just decided we had a place where people want to be and they like being there and we're already selling products. Our products just happen to be plants And we could figure out the food part of it. Again, we're pretty naive about it. And so we just started working on it. We hired an architect, we know how to build things and renovate spaces, and we thought we could make it a real pleasant patio and we thought we could do all that pretty stuff. And then we got just incredibly fortunate and found this. He was a young man at the time. He's still pretty young, but I think he's 25 at the time. He's our partner. His name's Bardo, and he's just been the best partner imaginable. And he came in and he was a little bit like us. He grew up mowing the yard and he had a bunch of siblings, but really had this love of hospitality, really outgoing, loves to cook and loves to feed people. And we met him through a client of ours who would come by our nursery and she asked, what are y'all doing over there? And we told her and she said, I've got the perfect guy for you. Chris: How about that? Gregg: And so we think, we still talk about what a miracle all this stuff is, just how things lined up. But Chris: Well, a lot of entrepreneurs will say that being naive in the beginning was a blessing because had they known what they were getting into and all the reality of it, they probably wouldn't have done it. Gregg: Yeah. I call that there's no limit to what you can do when you don't know what you're doing because you're not. That's a good one. You don't know the barriers that are there and you're naive. And if you knew all the stuff that's involved, you would probably be not always. It's tough to think through everything, especially when you don't know what you're doing Chris: Well, and I say just put your head down if you're passionate about it, which you all clearly are. Put your head down and just keep going and you figure it out as you go. Gregg: Yeah. And we did a lot of that, a lot of problem solving and figuring it out. And Baron was just amazing. He learned a lot of skills as we were building this building and he learned how construction works and he learned how software works and he had a really interesting sort of chefy background, but had never been run a restaurant and built one. So it was great. We all developed great tools and we called Lightning in a bottle with the first restaurant. So that's Tiny Boxwood. That's tiny boxwood. And then, let's see, and then in 2010, another one of those little bitty miracles happened and we were able to buy the old JMH grocery Chris: Store in Gregg: West University just through happenstance. I was out walking my dog one night and ran into this guy and he told me about it might be for sale. And so we opened that restaurant up and turned it on in 2011 and operated that for about five years. And we had this little bitty space in the middle between, there's a bank in there, and then we had the restaurant and then there was about 1700 square feet in the middle, and we just held that We wanted to see how everything worked with the neighborhood. We wanted to be good neighbors and see how the traffic flows. Parking's such a big deal in any retail establishment. And we just wanted to see how everything flows. And we didn't really have a vision for that space, but we spent a lot of time talking about it and we designed different things and had different ideas. And then about not quite, it's coming up on 10 years, I think, eight or nine years, we opened milk and cookies. We designed that around the concession stand over in West University, that little baseball walkup window. We didn't have enough parking to allow us to have a restaurant where you walk in and have seats. So really out of necessity, we did the walkup window that we thought was really charming, But we couldn't even if we wanted to, we didn't have the parking Chris: Right. And everyone loves it. Gregg: And everybody loved it. And so that has really developed into just a really fun and interesting part of our business and very visible. And people love it. It's like a little bitty Disney world. Everybody kind of shows up happy and leaves happy and the tickets aren't big tickets. And we've made some fun connections with people. And we've opened three of those in Houston and one in Austin. And then we're opening one in the Heights right now. It's under construction. Chris: I saw something about that in the little area there in the Heights. And they've got some other shops and things around there. Gregg: Yeah, we've got these Chris: Milking cookies. I was there this morning, so it's too close. It's dangerous. Gregg: Yeah, it's been an interesting business. Chris: I don't know how my youngest daughter would've made it through high school without being able to go to milking cookies on the way. But my biggest question is who came up with the chocolate chip recipe? Chocolate cookie recipe. Gregg: So I would love to take credit for that. I had nothing to do with it. That was my brother, Lance and Baron. And Lance has just always been a cookie guy. He's chocolate chip cookie. The greatest thing. Wasn't a real big cookie guy, but he's like, I want to have the best cookie. It just got to be off the chart. And he's one of those guys that everything's got to be the best. It's like he has these visions of things and he just wanted it to be the best. Chris: Well, he succeeded. If people haven't had it, they need to go try it. Gregg: Yeah, thank you. Chris: Hands down the best. Gregg: They've become popular. They've taken on a life of their own. And so he and Baron worked on just these different iterations of different ingredients and recipes and processes. And I got the benefit of taste testing for about six months and then stumbled into a little recipe and process. It seemed to work. That's great. And we've stuck with it and it's been really fun and successful. And we built the milk and cookies was really born out of the cookie. We sold the cookies of the restaurants and we'd get a lot of people that would come. They would pick up their kids at school and come and have milk and cookies that they'd sit at the bar in the restaurants. And Baron, to his credit, thought we could build a little business around pastries and the cookie. And we started doing ice cream and coffee. And so we made it what it is today, but it was really born out of that little cookie. Chris: Yeah, that's amazing. So three different businesses, you can't do that. You can't even do a business, no alone. Three different concepts without a good team. So what have you learned over the years that's helped y'all hire the right people? What kind of processes? What's been the learning and the journey around that? So critical to Gregg: Success? Yeah, it is. People are everything. It's a cliche, but it's true. People are everything. Hiring is anybody can hire. You need to know when to fire, getting the right people. I'm not a great manager of people, so I tend to delegate a lot. And I like to hire people that are entrepreneurial themselves and I like the back office and the numbers and the analysis, and I like to be involved in a lot of discussions and problem solving, but I like to delegate a lot. Give Chris: 'em autonomy. Gregg: Yeah, I give 'em a lot of autonomy. We have another saying that if you're not making mistakes, you're not trying hard enough. It's like when y'all were doing this, you made mistakes, I'm sure, and you figured stuff out. Oh sure. And you don't repeat and learning what not to do, it's just as important as learning what to do. And so that's how I operate. It's probably not the best form of management. And over the years we've gotten just some amazing people. We've got this one guy that operates our maintenance division. His name's Bill Dixon. He joined us over 30 years ago and he's created a little business within our business and it's great. He's had a great career and it's helped us build our landscape brand. And we've got some architects that are doing the same thing. We've got one coming up on 30 years. And then our back office, I think the back office, I've always said the difference between a good office or a good business and a bad business is the back office. You got to be able to count, you got to be able to report, and you got to be able to analyze and know if you can't measure it, you can't fix it. And so we've got a great back office and it's pretty robust for the, we do a lot of different things too. We do everything from landscape project management, building pools and fences and walls, and then baking croissants. We've got this whole range of accounting needs and back office needs. Chris: And is it all consolidated to kind of in the one back office space? We have Gregg: Space, what we call shared services, and it's really where we consolidate all of our accounting and we have different heads of different departments and different software for the restaurant side and payroll side, and then the landscape retail side. And that's been a lot of optimization and evolution that continues today. We just engaged a company to come and advise us on how AI can work within our existing software platform. Chris: Yeah, let's talk about that, just kind of innovation. What are some of the things you think y'all have done to innovate and keep the business progressive that's helped fuel the success? Gregg: I think a lot of it comes from the back office being able to report to our divisions. We have landscape maintenance, Houston, we have one in Austin. We have construction divisions, we have a retail division, a wholesale division. We have warehouse distribution. So we have all these different divisions. And I like the numbers piece and I like sharing that. And it's fun to see people that aren't real numbers. People look at 'em and make the connection between what they do during the day to how it translates into commerce and what does that mean in margins. And you see these really creative people that don't think of themselves as numbers people, and they start talking about gross margins and vice versa. We have a joke with Cindy Keen, who is our CFO. She's super great accountant and manager and does a lot more than just accounting, but she's pretty creative. And we've got these numbers, people that probably never thought of themselves as creative that really are. And so it's fun to see all that, but we rely a lot on software and accounting and reporting and trying to measure things where we can. And it's just a continual optimization. Chris: It sounds like you created a culture around focusing on the numbers and the margin, the details of how do you drive Gregg: Profitability Chris: In everything you do, right? No matter what role you have, that's part of the culture Gregg: You've created. So at the end of the day, if we're not making a profit, nothing else matters. We can talk about all this Nice pretty stuff, but if you're not retaining earnings and making money, you can't give raises. You can't get bonuses, you can't do the things you want to do. You can't try new things. And so we have a robust reporting and accounting and we keep optimizing. We can just change some tools last two or three months and how we account for labor, not account for it, but how we manage it within the restaurants or the restaurants are. It's funny, I was listening to the p Terry's podcast that you did, and the stories he tells really resonate with me because every day you're getting out and you're managing, you're hyper managing everything from cost to sales to labor to time to percentages. And so we just continue to optimize and haggle and we have a lot of different skill sets in our meetings. And so it's a continual, I like to think of it as just an optimization. Chris: Yeah. So you mentioned just a minute ago that you don't fancy yourself as a manager of people. I probably begged to differ, but when it comes to leadership, how would you describe your leadership style and how do you think that's evolved over the last several decades of you doing this? Gregg: Well, well, thank you for saying that. My style is to be encouraging and be open. I try to be in the yes business, I call it the yes business where I don't just automatically say no to things and be open. And if somebody brings you an idea, they're really maybe stepping out of their comfort zone a little bit, something that they think might be worth it, or they may just try it on their own. It's funny, some people within our organization now just try stuff without even bringing it to me, which I love. And sometimes I'm surprised to hear they're doing it Chris: Within certain Gregg: Boundaries, right? Yeah. There's usually some boundaries. Sometimes they're like, okay, you could have talked to me about that. So I think hopefully my leadership style is encouraging and I've been accused of being too positive. People from my office that are listening to this will know what it's talking about. I'm usually overly optimistic on a lot of projections. And my accounting department has a bad habit of proving me wrong on more than one occasion. But I love the people we work with. I love getting to know 'em and see 'em grow, especially on the restaurant side. It's been really, the restaurant business was so alien to me. I didn't know all the components that would go along with it, but some of the really fun pieces have just been getting to know the people that work there Are, I don't know if you've ever worked in a restaurant, but I have. Yeah, they're hard worker. The back of the house, the dish guys, it's a hard job. And then you have the front of the house where a lot of, for some people it's career and it's hospitality, and that's their mindset and that's their personality and they're wonderful. And then you get a lot of people that are working their way through college or school or just want to work and make a little money. And so we've had people go through college and we've had some come and a couple have come and work in our accounting department. They went to U of H and got a degree in accounting and just had breakfast with a guy a couple of weeks ago that's wrapping up his accounting degree. And he wanted to know if there are any opportunities and just getting to see people grow. And Baron who runs the restaurant side, is really good about developing young people in general around what he wants. Chris: Well, I just know from experience on the restaurant side, your retention is remarkable. The same people, I've been a loyal patriot for years, and it's a lot of the same people there, which says something about what you're doing something really right. Gregg: Well, so what I did was stumble across Barron, and I would love to say that, but I've learned a lot from him and what he expects, he has really high expectations and loves. He would've been a great football coach. He loves to coach people. And he has these meetings where he talks about culture and words to use and how to present yourself and how to stand up, just really blocking and tackling around interpersonal skills and then the culture of service and hospitality. And he just does a tremendous job. And it's been fun for me to see that and see these young people develop and become more confident. And we've been doing it long enough now where some of the people that work for us when we started, or in their thirties and mid thirties and speak very fondly of their work experience. Chris: That's great. Let's switch gears a little bit. It's a family business and those aren't always easy. What have you and your brothers done to get along on video and make sure there's no real conflict? And how have y'all shared responsibilities or divided responsibilities? Because not every family business is really easy or successful. So anything that you can share in that Gregg: Regard? Yeah, that's a great question. And for me, I think it's pretty easy answer. We all do different things. My skill's a lot different than Lance. Lance. He's not intimidated by building anything. I've learned a lot about building and construction, landscaping, even the restaurant side of it, but my skills are more around the office finance management and really administration. And so we don't really step on each other's toes. Hopefully we compliment each other. I think we do, and we talk a lot and every day. And then my younger brother, Brad is really interesting too. He runs our wholesale division, which is really big division that we're not known for because it sells to the trade. And he's got a completely different skillset too. He's buying millions of dollars worth of plants and trees, and he's almost like an oil and gas trader. He's taken positions on these perishable products and moving 'em to other landscapers and manages a lot of people too. And he's doing over the counter sales. And we have salespeople that work with them. So we've all got different skills and we all contribute differently. And that's, I think really been the key to making it work. And we occasionally bristle and step on each other's toes, but it's pretty rare, thankfully. Chris: Well, it'd be odd if you didn't from time to time, but it sounds like one, you have different skill sets that y'all recognize and appreciate, and two, there's no Gregg: Ego Chris: Because that gets in the way of whether it's family or not. If you have partners in a business and there's some egos in the room that can lead to, and we've seen it here. I call 'em business divorces and they get ugly. I can Gregg: Imagine. We just have different skill sets, hopefully. I know Lance and Brad both very humble. Hopefully I am too. And we just love what we do. Lance is he loves to say, and I'm the same way. I'll never plan to retire. I want to be able to retire. I don't want to retire. There's a difference. There's a difference. One's a little more freeing and we've just got probably overuse the word fun, but we've got a fun business and we work with great, creative, scrappy, entrepreneurial, hardworking people and who we admire and respect and it's great. Chris: So you started in Houston, obviously and grown here that you've expanded out. Has having a business based in and expanding within the state of Texas you think been an advantage for you Gregg: Texas? So I listen to this guy, I don't know if you've ever heard a guy named Peter Zhan. He talks about geographics and geography and demographics and why some states and cities are successful and some countries, and it's been fascinating, but he says Texas is the greatest state in the world to do business. He says Houston is the greatest city. And he goes on to explain why. And Austin's right up there too. Texas is just, it has his reputation for being wide open and scrappy and entrepreneurial. That's true. It's a great place to start a business. The barriers to entry are pretty low. They're getting a little more, I say burdensome, but it's still pretty easy to just fire up a business. And there's a good labor force here. There's good distribution in the form of imports and exports from the ports. We've got one of the greatest ports in the world for sure. We've got I 10 running through here so you can distribute in and out of there. We've got low cost of energy, we've got low cost of food, we've got a ton of real estate, so it's a great place to do business. And Austin has exploded over the last 10 years and it's gotten a little more expensive to operate out of there. They've taken over the world too with tech and opportunities, and you've got this intellectual knowledge base there. And so Texas is just a great place to do business. We're looking to expand some of our little stores to other cities in Texas. Chris: That's great. Yeah, I agree with you. I think of Houston, especially as a city of opportunity. You see entrepreneurial spirited people everywhere and other entrepreneurs willing to support those starting out, which is the whole reason we started this podcast is to share knowledge, pass something on. And when you think about that, if you were to say something, one or two tidbits to an aspiring entrepreneur who may be listening, what would be your advice about taking that first step or something to maybe watch out for that may be around the corner? Gregg: Yeah. Yeah. So my overly optimistic personality would say, do it, measure the downside. Can you handle if it doesn't work? Worst case scenario, can you handle that? And if you can, the upside will hopefully take care of itself. But I say, go for it. I love to talk to young people that are thinking about starting a business or want to know how you do it. And I love to talk to them. And it's never too late. I love to had a lot of great conversations with older people that have retired or become empty nesters and started a little jewelry business, and then other people that have started wildly successful, much bigger public companies. And so businesses, it's such a creative endeavor and there's a gillion ways to make a living and to start businesses and to try things. And you never know what you can do until you give it a world. Yeah, I love, Chris: I'm always amazed at how the different things people do to actually have a business or make an income, it's fascinating. Some of 'em are obvious, and then there's so many that you're like, wow, I had no idea that someone would've a business around that. Gregg: It's really remarkable. And the more you drill down and get into it, and the more you discover how people have just built great businesses, wildly successful financially and big and small, and yeah, it's great. I love entrepreneurship and I love people that think about it and want to give it a whirl. Chris: Yeah. Well, it's obvious because y'all have been wildly successful yourself and been cool to see how it's evolved from just a nursery to, like I said, a restaurant. I mean people that are passionate about restaurants and can fail at 'em. And it's cool to see someone knew nothing about it, but have it be so successful. Gregg: Yeah. I'm probably a little too capricious about saying, we got really lucky with some of the people and we went into it not knowing, Chris: Well, no sub super hard work. Right? Gregg: Yeah. Chris: So all that to say, then you got all this going on, what do you do to just rest and recharge and find some time for yourself? Gregg: Well, so when my youngest, who's same age as your oldest went off to college, we became official empty nesters. And I had a couple, a little more time on my hands and I wanted to fill it. I'm not good with time on my hands. And so I was trying to decide between, I used to fly airplanes and I was trying to decide between flying or taking up golf. And thankfully I took up golf. It's a little easier to do every day. Chris: Tends to be safer on life expectancy Gregg: Too. If you fall out of the golf cart, it's not fatal. And so I play a lot. I've just become really passionate about golf. I love golf. And so I enjoy that. And Carol and I are traveling a little bit. We got a little place in Florida where we go to, and I still stay pretty busy with work. We are going back and forth to Austin a lot. Catherine, my youngest is still there, so I stay pretty busy. Chris: Good Gregg: Doing stuff I like to do Chris: And well, they say, right, you love it and passionate about them until work. Gregg: Yeah. Yeah. Chris: That's great. Alright, so last question is, do you prefer Tex-Mex or barbecue? Gregg: Oh, that's so tough because I was just at our little shop and somebody who works there who knows I'm into certain types of foods and ingredients and stuff, she gave me these great, because she knows I love chips. And she's like, oh, I got these, they're seed oil free and all this stuff and you got to try. I'm like, oh man, I'm going to have something to snack on. So I love chips, I love Tex-Mex and I love barbecue. But if I were to choose, I would probably choose Tex-Mex. Okay. Some of my early fondest food memories are Tex-Mex. Chris: Yeah. So it's funny, it's the hardest question that I ask on the podcast for everybody, and it's a hard one for me to answer, but I go to, when I've been gone traveling for a while, what's the first thing I want when I come back? And as much as I love barbecue, the answer text Gregg: Message. Yeah, it's our comfort food. I literally remember the first time I had chips and queso the day I remember where it was, where I was. And it just changed my life. Chris: Well, maybe there's a new restaurant concept for y'all to go after. It could be, yeah. Although there's a lot of competition here, right? Gregg: I know there's good competition. Yeah. Chris: Well, Greg, thanks so much for coming on. Love your story. Congratulations to you and your brothers and your whole team there for what y'all do. And again, from a personal standpoint, I love it. I take advantage of it being just two blocks away more times during the week than I care to admit. Gregg: Yeah. Well thank you and congratulations to you on your podcast. I just love that you're doing this. It's very entrepreneurial. It's like this, the definition of an entrepreneur is Chris: Trying something. Well, I appreciate that. We consider ourselves here. We talk about it all the time within our partnership that we're entrepreneurs. For sure. And to your point, we look for people that have that ownership mindset to work here because we think that's what makes this firm successful. And it helps us with our clients because our clients are entrepreneurs. And so I think we're, those connections help form deep Gregg: Relationships for sure Chris: With the clients that we have. And we think that's part of why we 35 years and going strong. Gregg: Yeah. That's great. Chris: Thanks again for coming. Appreciate you taking time. My pleasure. Take care of Hello. Gregg: I will. Thank you. Alright. Special Guest: Gregg Thompson.
Today, we're unwrapping the truth about chocolate. For many of us, chocolate is a guilty pleasure. But what if I told you that you didn't need to feel guilty? Because it turns out that not all chocolate is created equal. And by changing the type of chocolate you eat, you can support your health instead of harming it. In this episode, I'm joined by chocolate expert Spencer Hyman and Sarah Berry to show you how to enjoy chocolate with a clear conscience.
Tiffany tinha apenas 18 anos quando saiu de casa e desapareceu na escuridão.Horas depois, seu corpo foi encontrado nos trilhos de um trem.Acidente, suicídio… ou algo muito mais sombrio?Produção: Crimes e Mistérios BrasilNarração: Tatiana DaignaultEdição: Tatiana DaignaultPesquisa e Roteiro: Tatiana Daignault Fotos e fontes sobre o caso você encontra aquiO Café Crime e Chocolate é um podcast brasileiro que conta casos de crimes reais acontecidos no mundo inteiro com pesquisas detalhadas, narrado com respeito e foco nas vítimas.Não esqueça de se inscrever no podcast pela sua plataforma preferida, assim você não perde nenhum episódio. Siga-nos também em nossas redes sociais:Instagram Facebook X AVISO: A escolha dos casos a serem contados não refletem preferência ou crítica por qualquer posição política, religião, grupo étnico, clube, organização, empresa ou indivíduo.
Comer chocolate em direto na rádio nunca foi tão BOM!
RecipeChocolate cracknell 150g golden syrup 75g butter chopped 30g cocoa powder 100g chopped dark chocolate 150g cornflakes Line a cake tin with parchment paper. Place the syrup, butter and cocoa in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the chocolate and turn off the heat. Stir until the chocolate is melted and mix in the cornflakes until completely coated. Press into the cake tin and level off the top. Cool and then chill to set. Remove from tin and cut into pieces.Whiskey custard cream 300ml whole milk 50ml whiskey 3 egg yolks 100g castor sugar 10g plain flour 15g cornflour Place the milk and whiskey in a saucepan and heat until simmering. Whisk the yolks with the sugar, flour and cornflour until well combined. Pour half the milk mixture onto the yolk mixture and whisk well. Pour back into the remaining milk and stir gently over low heat, constantly until the mixture thickens. Pour into a clean bowl and cover the surface with cling or parchment paper. Cool and then chill.250ml double cream Whisk the cream to stiff peaks and fold into the chilled custard. Spoon or pipe onto the cracknel.
Mr. Beast Biography Flash a weekly Biography.In the past few days, Mr Beast — real name Jimmy Donaldson — has faced scrutiny and headlines over his **data collection and advertising practices targeting children**. According to Cybernews and the Children's Advertising Review Unit, CARU, MrBeast's YouTube channel and his Feastables chocolate brand were flagged for potentially collecting personal data from children without parental consent and for blurring the lines between content and advertising. The watchdog found that some video descriptions and pinned comments were not clearly labeled as advertising, which could mislead younger viewers. CARU also highlighted issues with Feastables' sweepstakes, noting that free methods of entry weren't adequately disclosed, age gates were missing, and there was sales pressure via countdown timers. In response, MrBeast stated he appreciates CARU's mission but doesn't fully agree with all of their conclusions. He promised to take their concerns seriously in future campaigns, and reportedly has already updated his data collection practices.MrBeast's **chocolate venture, Feastables**, remained in the headlines not only for its past advertising slip-ups but also for its remarkable revenue. In 2024 alone, Feastables reportedly generated over $215 million, making it one of the breakout food brands closely watched by industry insiders.On the business front, while the viral headline from Parade that MrBeast “bought the NFL” made waves recently, it's important to clarify that this was intended as an internet joke and not literal. No reliable sources report that MrBeast owns or is buying any stake in an NFL franchise at this time.A genuine news story that's capturing the entire entrepreneurial world involves MrBeast's **response to an online scam**. Erik Bergman, a prominent entrepreneur, shared that he was duped in a $1.25 million crypto scam after being added to a fake group chat that appeared to include MrBeast and other major names. When Bergman went public, MrBeast himself jumped in with a $100,000 reward for credible information leading to the scammers — a move that has further cemented his reputation for proactive, community-centered action. This story went viral with millions of views on X, formerly Twitter, and thousands of reposts. It's become an instant case study in influencer culture, online trust, and MrBeast's power as both a philanthropist and digital leader.On the social media side, apart from his viral reward offer related to the scam, MrBeast's posts continued their usual massive engagement, but nothing else in the last 24 hours eclipsed the scam reward story for reach and impact.For listeners seeking the essence of MrBeast's recent biography, what stands out is his ability to manage reputation under regulatory fire, drive massive business success, and instantly rally his audience for good causes — all while remaining a force of viral influence. Thank you for tuning into Mr Beast Biography Flash. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode and search the term Biography Flash for more great Biographies.Get the best deals https://amzn.to/4mMClBvThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
¿Quién puede resistirse al chocolate?
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Today's guest is Aleksandra Crapanzano—journalist, cookbook author, and screenwriter. Aleksandra grew up between New York and Paris, experiences that shaped her lifelong love of French food. She's the author of several books, including her forthcoming, “Chocolat: Parisian Desserts and Other Delights.”Aleksandra joins host Jessie Sheehan to share memories of her Parisian childhood (and the beloved crêperie she and her dog frequented after school), her serendipitous path into food writing, and what sets French and American home baking apart (such as using sugar as a seasoning to the rare use of vanilla). Plus, the duo walk through the Chocolate Madeleines recipe from her new book.Click here for Aleksandra's Chocolate Madeleines recipe. Thank you to California Prunes for their support. Get The Italy Issue here!Join the Jubilee L.A. waitlist hereVisit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, show transcripts, and tickets to upcoming events.More on Aleksandra: Instagram, website, “Chocolat” cookbookMore on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook
This episode unwraps the story behind Mycoday functional mushroom chocolate, the first Consumer Packaged Goods company spun out of the Mycopreneur network. We discuss the origins of the company, growing pains, triumphs, and insights from the front lines of building a premium functional mushroom chocolate product.Please rate and review this episode wherever you're listening ( : Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When your family owns a company older than the United States—founded in Paris in 1668 as chocolatier to King Louis XIV—you don't just make candy. You guard a legacy. Dan Abel Jr., CEO and “Chief Chocolate Officer,” carries forward Bissinger's centuries-old recipes while reinventing chocolate for a new age. From childhood Valentine's strawberry rushes to leading 150 employees today, Dan has lived inside the chocolate factory his whole life. But growth wasn't all sweet. A multimillion-dollar expansion pushed the company into high-volume contract work, only to discover that mass production drained its soul. Dan's decision to walk away from seven-figure deals restored the company's heart—and reignited its growth. Listen now to hear how a great, modern chocolatier leads craft and crisis, culture and commerce, family and future. See more @ MarkSpencerCook.com Discover the hidden truth of leadership that Dan learned the hard way: scaling without soul is failure, no matter the numbers. “Culture is the ingredient you can't fake.” “Hands-on leadership tastes better than corner-office theory.” “Losing millions is safer than losing your soul.” This is chocolate as calling, not candy. Questions Explored: • How do you run a company older than America? • What happens when growth steals a business's soul? • How do you scale artisan craft in a mass-production world? • What does a cocoa crisis teach about leadership and values? Lessons Learned: • Never compromise your recipe for profit. • Ideal clients restore morale and culture. • Hands-on leadership builds trust faster than strategy decks. • Data obsession fuels innovation—but only when tied to craft. Guest Links: Website: https://bissingers.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-abel-jr-15541765/ Host Links: Website: https://MarkSpencerCook.com Consulting: https://WindfallPartners.com YouTube: Bold Encounters, Mark Spencer Cook All Socials: @MarkSpencerCook Chapters: 00:00 From Paris to St. Louis 03:16 A family of modern candy makers 10:43 Why Dad risked everything to start fresh 19:48 Wholesale disruption and bold decisions 24:42 Losing soul in mass production 27:42 Walking away from seven-figure deals 33:49 Surviving the cocoa crisis 40:37 Why beans taste different around the globe 44:31 Chocolate tastings and the craft revival 49:44 The five-o'clock exit: family first 50:46 Advice for the next generation Keywords: Dan Abel Jr., Bissinger's, Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company, King Louis XIV, Paris chocolatier, cocoa crisis, artisan chocolate, family business, resilience, craft vs mass production, legacy leadership
Send us a textVictor, Evelyn, and Mark are joined this week by comedian Deja Fabro to discuss the life of a stand up, bombing on stage, being filipino, eating balut, Venmo etiquette, and some candy talk.
Welcome back to today's Friday Review where I'll be breaking down the best of the week! I'll be sharing specifics on these topics: Healthier Chocolate Alternatives (product review) Mini Movement "Snacks" (research) Birth Control & Cancer Risk (research) For all the details tune in to today's Cabral Concept 3507 – Enjoy the show and let me know what you thought! - - - For Everything Mentioned In Today's Show: StephenCabral.com/3507 - - - Get a FREE Copy of Dr. Cabral's Book: The Rain Barrel Effect - - - Join the Community & Get Your Questions Answered: CabralSupportGroup.com - - - Dr. Cabral's Most Popular At-Home Lab Tests: > Complete Minerals & Metals Test (Test for mineral imbalances & heavy metal toxicity) - - - > Complete Candida, Metabolic & Vitamins Test (Test for 75 biomarkers including yeast & bacterial gut overgrowth, as well as vitamin levels) - - - > Complete Stress, Mood & Metabolism Test (Discover your complete thyroid, adrenal, hormone, vitamin D & insulin levels) - - - > Complete Food Sensitivity Test (Find out your hidden food sensitivities) - - - > Complete Omega-3 & Inflammation Test (Discover your levels of inflammation related to your omega-6 to omega-3 levels) - - - Get Your Question Answered On An Upcoming HouseCall: StephenCabral.com/askcabral - - - Would You Take 30 Seconds To Rate & Review The Cabral Concept? The best way to help me spread our mission of true natural health is to pass on the good word, and I read and appreciate every review!
This week on Hysteria 51, we dive headfirst into a tale of sweet treats and savage scissors—because of course we do.First, from the “Why? Just… why?” files: A Kentucky man allegedly broke into his brother's home and stabbed him in the testicles with scissors. That's not sibling rivalry—that's Game of Thrones: Dollar Store Edition. Conspiracy Bot approves so you know it's bad.Then things take a gentler turn (thankfully) with the news that listening to a certain song can actually make chocolate taste sweeter. Science finally did something we care about. Is it witchcraft? Synesthesia? A long-lost Willy Wonka track?It's nuts, it's nougat, it's a rollercoaster of the bizarre. And yes, C-Bot's making a Spotify playlist to weaponize dessert.Listen now—before someone remixes your M&Ms with mayhem.Links & Resources
Raised by a zoologist in a house full of wild animals, this psychology professor's life has remained just as untamed: coaching junior roller derby, a stint making high-end chocolate, parenting a trans kid, and that's just for starters. Unpredictable but never aimless, her conversation with Gethard is just as wide-ranging as her life. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week's caller. Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to our 500th episode, recording live at Smodcastle Cinemas in New Jersey! Get early access to Gethard's special A Father and the Sun! Your first great love story is free when you sign up for a free 30-day trial at Audible.com/BEAUTIFUL. For a limited time, Wildgrain is offering our listeners $30 off the first box - PLUS free Croissants in every box - when you go to Wildgrain.com/BEAUTIFUL to start you subscription. Keep it classic and cool this fall—with long-lasting staples from Quince. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Text BEAUTIFUL to 64000 to get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. Whether you want to lose weight, grow thicker, fuller hair, or find relief for anxiety, Hers has you covered. Visit forhers.com/BEAUTIFUL to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.
We've got a sweet episode of Two Whats?! And a Wow! in store for you this week. You get to sort through the facts, the fiction AND the fudge — because it's all about CHOCOLATE! Want more WHATs and WOWs? Visit https://bit.ly/40hR1P0. Did you know you can watch full episodes of Two Whats?! And A Wow! on YouTube and YouTube Kids?! Visit https://bit.ly/3WlHLbk to start watching and WOWing with us!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.