Podcast appearances and mentions of chris shank

Segment 1 with Chris Shank starts at 0:00.What are the key issues facing small businesses this year?Chris Shank is the Vice President of Retail-to-Business (R2B) Sales for Verizon Business, overseeing operations across 28 states with a team of over 450 employees that generates $1,042M in annual revenue.  He is responsible for driving sales and financial performance, enhancing the customer experience, fostering a strong organizational culture, and leading strategic planning efforts.We talk about AI adoption, cybersecurity, and SaaS application consolidation.Segment 2 with Rich Carr starts at 16:14.How can we reduce training time while improving retention in small businesses?Rich Carr is a pioneering expert in cognitive learning neuroscience and founder of Brain-centric Design (BcD). With decades of experience spanning media, marketing, and education, Rich has revolutionized how information is presented and retained by developing methodologies aligned with how the brain naturally processes information.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-small-business-radio-show--3306444/support.

Chris Shank has been on sabbatical since January, so he's had a lot of time to think deeply about the web platform. On this episode, Jerod & KBall pick Chris' brain to answer questions like, what does a post-component paradigm look like? What would it look like if the browser had primitives for building spatial canvases? How can we make it easier to make “folk interfaces” on the web?

Chris Shank has been on sabbatical since January, so he's had a lot of time to think deeply about the web platform. On this episode, Jerod & KBall pick Chris' brain to answer questions like, what does a post-component paradigm look like? What would it look like if the browser had primitives for building spatial canvases? How can we make it easier to make “folk interfaces” on the web?

Today's podcast episode is an interview that Logan did with Chris Shank on the Rocket Your Business For Trade Contractors Podcast! Join us as we explore the strategies that trade businesses can employ to construct a more unified and captivating marketing blueprint. While many companies are eager to dive straight into the "attraction" phase of their marketing plan, Logan offers his insights on why prioritizing service excellence and forging a powerful brand foundation are critical prerequisites for any triumphant marketing strategy. We'll dive into the pitfalls of getting the Be-Look-Attract sequence out of order and the potentially disastrous consequences it can have on your company's time and financial resources.  If you want to learn how we can help grow your own business, visit our website at www.contractorgrowthnetwork.com  Check out the Rocket Your Business For Trade Contractors Podcast! https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/rocket-your-business-for-trade-contractors/id1509468497    

Shank arrives back in Manchester following a pair of Division III head coaching stints, most recently at Eastern Nazarene College. Shank guided the Lions to a 62-45-1 (.579) record over four seasons, including the pandemic-shortened 2020 and 2021 campaigns. Shank, who won 20 games in each of his two full seasons, led ENC to a 26-14 mark and a spot in the New England College Conference (NECC) championship game in 2023. The 26 wins set a new single-season program record, while it was the first time ever the Lions had advanced to the conference title game. 

The guest is Chris Shank, new head coach of the three-time defending NCAA East Region Champion SNHU Penmen. Shank previously  coached at Eastern Nazarene College, guiding the Lions to a 62-45-1 record over four seasons.

In Plain Sight is a Cybercrime Magazine podcast series brought to you by Conceal. In this episode, host Charlie Osborne is joined by Chris Rowlands, Director of Sales at Conceal, and Chris Shank, Consultant at Conceal and Former Senior Advisor to MD Gov. Larry Hogan. Together, they discuss the widespread government concerns over social media app TikTok, whether state bans are justified, and more. Conceal is a zero-trust network privacy and security company that disguises and protects your enterprise's online presence and privacy. To learn more about our sponsor, visit https://conceal.io

Its not hard to build a business but its hard to maintain. Have a listen to the best in the business Chris Shank. He's a brilliant mind when it comes to adding value. Support the showYou can find me on Social media weekly IG: _The_Real_Splash_ TikTok : _The_Real_Splash_ Twitter ; _TheRealSplash_ Youtube : _TheRealSplash_ Join the Facebook Group : Blue-Collar Tribe Email the Show : splachcopro@gmail.com Call the Show and leave a message : coming soon

Logan is joined by Chris Shank of Estimate Rocket! A very powerful platform designed to reduce costs, close more sales, & make MORE money Check out Estimate Rocket! https://estimaterocket.com Enjoy this convo filled with golden nuggets!   Schedule a call with us! - https://share.hsforms.com/1v3gp-unnSNqQXzWVdJTgFgbr9id?__hstc=103926239.2ed580b339b26c0d003dca0dcadc8b39.1635876640137.1643036096909.1643293234858.125&__hssc=103926239.2.1643293234858&__hsfp=2234910243&hsCtaTracking=e497f09d-32d2-4ef5-a16d-a73af844f59c%7C52b043a3-e9e6-411f-a6a6-3cd643fefd86   Website - contractorgrowthnetwork.com   Join our Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/commonsensecontracting   Instagram - instagram.com/contractorgrowthnetwork1

Morgan is joined by Estimate Rocket's Chris Shank, The Education Guy. Chris is an old friend of the Pro Painter Network and was with us at the start, even shepherding so much of the Roadmap to Profit. Together Morgan and Chris explore the nature of learning as a lifelong pursuit and what it truly means […] The post You Get What You Give | S5E2 | Pro Painter Podcast appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

Hosted by Nick May w/ guest Chris Shank We're back again for another episode of the Pro Painter Podcast! Sit back and relax while Nick May and our bud Chris Shank have a comfy chat over a few beers. Cheers! For those who've been asleep for the past few months, Chris is a former member of […] The post Estimate Rocket's Chris Shank & Nick May at Pro Painter Network's Crankstart Denver! | S3E4 | Pro Painter Podcast appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

Hosted by Nick May w/ guests Kathy Droste and Chris Shank Howdy! Welcome back to the Pro Painter Podcast. This week, Nick brings on our old friends Kathy Droste and Chris Shank from Estimate Rocket! Kathy helped develop Estimate Rocket, a cloud-based system that helps service contractors improve their budgeting workflow in their projects. While the […] The post Estimate Rocket's Kathy Droste and Their Newest Education Guy and PPN Alumni Chris Shank | S2E6 | Pro Painter Podcast appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

Tom Droste, CEO and founder of Estimate Rocket and Chris Shank, Education Manager talk about techniques for dealing with stress as a business owner crew, how stress differs from anxiety, how it affects your business and how to stay out of the spiral of doom.

We are so pleased to share with you one of our newest team members, Chris Shank. Chris recently worked for the Painting Contractors Association (PCA), and as soon as he became a free agent, we knew we needed him on the team at Estimate Rocket. Kathy and Chris talk about their long working relationship, how Chris is going to bring knowledge and expertise to the Estimate Rocket Community, and how Estimate Rocket is building a suite of educational offerings that will not only make our clients smarter, but more successful.In the coming months, be on the lookout for RiVal (called SOAR in this podcast, but we're moving so fast we've already renamed it), our series called Stress Less Success and The Vision Conference (working title). Estimate Rocket's goal is to bring our knowledge to your business. We want to move beyond giving you tools that can increase your revenue and move into sharing knowledge that will make a difference in your life. And Chris Shank is leading the way.Listen now to find out more about Estimate Rocket's educational offerings and how our commitment to our community is just getting started.

Hosted by Chris Shank w/ guests Nick May, Will Reyes, and Tommy Welch In this week's Pro Painter Podcast, Nick May from Walls By Design (Denver, CO), Will Reyes from Battle Born Painting (Reno, NV), and Tommy Welch from 1st Class Painting & Restoration (Charleston, SC), discuss their process of hiring the right people.   Nick, […] The post Hiring Made Easy w/ Nick May, Will Reyes, and Tommy Welch | S1E4 | Pro Painter Podcast appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

This week on The Business Brush presented by Pro Painter Network, co-host Chris Shank is joined by Rick Mulkins where they talk about being enthusiastic and having a vision. He talks about how knowing your closing rate can help you make more money and giving your client something to hold onto like paint swatches or […] The post Enthusiasm and Vision in Your Paint Business with Rick Mulkins | S11E11 | THE BUSINESS BRUSH appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

Today on The Business Brush, Zack Kenney joins Chris Shank as they talk about Instagram marketing. Zach has made a name for himself in the paint industry as a social media guru. He will be speaking on social media marketing and give more details than those he gives on the show today! Broad-strokes include: focus […] The post Instagram Marketing for Painters with Zach Kenney | S11E8 | THE BUSINESS BRUSH appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

Today on The Business Brush presented by Pro Painter Network, we bring you an Always Be Marketing (ABM) episode! Your hosts Nick May and Chris Shank talk about marketing your paint business and how you can use it in other areas of your business. Broad-strokes include: marketing to a specific target client, how to market […] The post Always Be Marketing Your Painting Business With Nick & Chris | S11E2 | THE BUSINESS BRUSH appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

Bookkeeping: easy to leave for another day, but that can come with added stress and hardship. To end this season, Danny Mullins with Bookkeeping Express joins Chris Shank on The Business Brush as Danny tells the importance of having your finances in order. Broad-strokes include: common bookkeeping mistakes, bank errors, what they're doing for PPN […] The post Pro Painter Network Bookkeeping Partner Danny Mullins | S10E12 | THE BUSINESS BRUSH appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

On today's Cage Fight episode of The Business Brush, Nick May, Nick LoGrasso, and Nick Slavik join Chris Shank as they talk about hiring and the PPP loan in their painting businesses.  Broad-strokes include: Hiring, staying busy in winter, opinions on the PPP loan – and much more! Pro Painter Network Roadmap to Profit course […] The post Hacks on Hiring & Effects of the PPP Loan for Paint Contractors | S10E11 | THE BUSINESS BRUSH appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

In this week's Business Brush, Nick May and Chris Shank sit down with Charles Boston from AH Painting. Join them as they discuss hirings, whether you should hire a painter and teach them sales or hire a salesperson and teach them painting. Ready to live the life you love? Join the Pro Painter Network Learn […] The post Like a Charles | S10E9 | THE BUSINESS BRUSH PODCAST appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

In this week's The Business Brush, Chris Shank sits down with Randy Fornoff discussing the importance of Job Costing. Randy talks about how he sets up his Quickbooks, the importance of categorizing every cost, and calculating and applying Overhead Costs. Ready to live the life you love? Join the Pro Painter Network Learn how to create […] The post High Caliber Estimating with Randy Fornoff | S10E8 | THE BUSINESS BRUSH appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

Operations managers serve an important role in a painting business. On today's episode of The Business Brush, Chris Shank is joined by Dustin Parr (Walls By Design), Bill Curtindale (SKIS Painting) and Katie Hedges (FORJAK Industrial). They discuss how their employees are performing their duties among the covid restrictions and how they have turned to […] The post Shank Tank: Operations Managers with Chris Shank | S10E7 | THE BUSINESS BRUSH appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

Today on The Business Brush, we bring you an episode on marketing. Your hosts Nick May and Chris Shank call painting companies and critique business's messages when potential clients call. Ready to live the life you love? Join the Pro Painter Network Learn how to create systems, processes, and improve your marketing with Roadmap to […] The post Phone Marketing & Pointers on Voice Messages | S10E6 | THE BUSINESS BRUSH appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

On this week's bonus episode, Chris Shank sits down with Matt Rowe on The Business Brush as they discuss the ins and outs of sales. In our previous episode, Matt discussed his approach to sales before the sales call. He now describes his actions during the call. His empathy with the client helps him make […] The post Bonus! Action in Sales With Matt Rowe | THE BUSINESS BRUSH PODCAST appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

Cheesy, sleazy and slick are adjectives commonly used to describe sales people. Our salesman's approach to sales is on the opposite end of the spectrum. Today on The Business Brush, co-host Chris Shank is joined by Matt Rowe of iMay Media. His approach to sales starts with identity and mindset, not just going through the […] The post Sales with Our Very Own Matt Rowe | S10E4 | THE BUSINESS BRUSH appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

1:20 - Ryan introduces Chris Shank 4:50 - Chris takes us back to the start of her training journey 12:00 - Chris explains that her new education and skills were difficult to transfer to her own pets 13:25 - Ryan asks about what valuable learning opportunities occurred from Chris’s time working with dolphins in the US and in Germany. 16:45 - Chris is honest and brave about sharing her experience regarding her introduction to breeding birds and the impact to her life. 20:45 - Ryan asks about the switch in Chris’s life regarding training techniques with birds 23:20 - Chris shares her face book and email details. 24:00 - Ryan asks about the activities and events at Cockatoo Downs. 28:25 - Ryan asks Chris to discuss free-flying parrots. 40:45 - Chris expands how she discusses with people about free-flying their pet parrots as it is often controversial. 45:10 - Ryan asks if having a frank conversation about consequences about free- flying their parrots with clients help. Chris describes an example of how it can go drastically wrong. 47:45 - Ryan asks about training with parent-raised birds and chicks. 54:00 - Chris shares her final comments on the training world at this time. 55:50 - Ryan thanks Chris and wraps up the episode.

We have revamped The Business Brush for this season – new intro, new music, new format and new co-host: Chris Shank! Nick and Shank are joined by Chris Mole of Mr. Mole's Painting and it turns into more of a mentoring session. A member of The Business Brush Group, Chris Mole has learned from Nick […] The post Bonus: Always Be Marketing With Chris Mole | THE BUSINESS BRUSH PODCAST appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

We have revamped The Business Brush for this season – new intro, new music, new format and new co-host: Chris Shank! Nick and Shank are joined by Chris Mole of Mr. Mole's Painting and it turns into more of a mentoring session. A member of The Business Brush Group, Chris Mole has learned from Nick […] The post From Jailbird to Paint Contractor: Chris Mole | S10E1 | THE BUSINESS BRUSH appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

One of iMay Media's newest members, Chris Shank joins Nick today on The Business Brush where they discuss what the team has been working on behind the scenes. Chris Shank comes with vast knowledge and experience in webinars, big events and educational materials. Broad-strokes include: introduction of Roadmap to Profit, burning out in business, and […] The post Chris Shank, Newest Addition to iMay Media | S9E12 | THE BUSINESS BRUSH appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

One of the few people in the world who loves change, everyone meet Chris Shank. Sure, you may have heard him host the Paint ED Podcast, but in this show he's sitting in the other seat and in a new role. Formerly with the PCA, Chris is now with iMay Media and ready to change it up. He's bringing a new perspective and outlook on how to view business right now and what you should be spending your time on.

We're not done with PCA Expo yet. This time Nick May is joined again by Chris Shank, as well as Nick Lograsso and Nick Slavik. (Chris & The Nicks is the name of their jam band, they're here all week.) In addition to excitement for the expo at large, the boys take a step back […] The post PCA Expo Special: PT. 3 | S9E2 | THE BUSINESS BRUSH appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

The Business Brush is back, baby! Pt. 1 Way back in the halcyon days of February 2020, four intrepid paint professionals got together and made a podcast at the PCA Expo. Join Nick May, Chris Shank, Gina Koert, and Andrew Dwyer as they tease their talks, cover the pregame, share their excitement and just goof […] The post PCA Expo Special: Pregame Pt. 1 & 2 | S9E1 | THE BUSINESS BRUSH appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

This weeks episode features our Offensive Line Coach, Chris Shank. The coaches discuss what is looked for in O-linemen, developing the position, different skills of the line and more.       Music: Bensound.com

It's a very fancy episode this week on the Brush, as Nick takes a break from his duties @ Crank to sit down with three of the biggest characters in the industry, Nick Slavic, Jason Paris and Chris Shank. Ready to live the life you love? Join the Pro Painter Network Learn how to create […] The post Hilarity Ensues @ Fall Crank '19… Nick Meets Nick Slavic, Jason Paris and Chris Shank | S8E9 | THE BUSINESS BRUSH appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

In this episode coach Matsakis and Lynn Groll review the bye-week that the yellow jackets just had. The two talk about what was being done during this period as they start to get ready for the game against the Franklin Grizzlies. Also, special guest Chris Shank comes on the show to recap the recruiting that was done during the bye-week.   Music: Bensound.com

On this episode of Paint ED, just a normal guy—Chris Shank—talking to a normal guy—Rick Smith of Nashville House Painters in Nashville, Tennessee—about being in the biz. Rick is about as authentic as they come. He’s honest about the negative messages that business owners face in the painting industry, and he’s doing what he can to amplify the good vibes that are also out there. Everyone needs encouragement from time to time, not merely because running a business is hard, but because we all need to be reminded that we’re trying to do something great. It may be hard, but is it worth it? If it’s worth it, then the pain is part of the gain. Let’s all keep spreading those good vibes, shall we? You never know who’s listening to your message of positivity and encouragement.

On this episode of Paint ED, Chris Shank and Heather Yocum--the Education Director and Content Manager here at the Painting Contractors Association--discuss ways that people can become involved in amplifying PDCA’s voice in the industry. We are looking for business owners from residential, commercial, and industrial segments of the industry to tell their stories and share their expertise with contractors all over the world. We can re-share your pictures and stories in the form of social media posts or blogs, or you can become a specialist on the Ask-A-Peer network to assist other contractors with their questions and projects, or you could be a guest on this very podcast! From something as simple as sharing a picture, to something as rewarding as submitting a Team Meeting outline or even volunteering on a leadership committee, we have ways for you to build on your pride and passion as a leader in the industry and connect with other people like you who will challenge you to get to the next level in your business. Let us know you’re interested, and we'll help you find your calling at the Painting Contractors Association. We’re pretty serious about this, and we’re good at it.

Christopher Shank is a surviving sibling of Cpl. Jeremy Shank, who lost his life in Iraq in September 2006. Christopher is a filmmaker and is currently working for Tragedy Assistance […] The post Chris Shank: Military Loss: The Ultimate Sacrifice appeared first on Open to Hope.

The PDC What? Today on The Brush, Nick is joined by Chris Shank of the PDCA! He's their education director as well as a deep thinker and overall excellent human being who is here today to break down his philosophy at the PDCA. The Painting Contractors Association, or PDCA, is our industry's membership organization whose […] The post All About the PDCA ith Chris Shank | S3E7 | THE BUSINESS BRUSH appeared first on Pro Painter Network.

This week Tom sits down with Chris Shank, the education manager at Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA). Chris and PDCA help painting and decorating contractors take their business to the next level by providing them with the tools, knowledge and support that they need to help grow their business with lasting change. In this episode we discuss... What PDCA is what they do Education in the painting and contracting industry Changing and growing as an individual and a company How to get involved with PDCA Links to resources: https://pdca.org/ Want to stop sucking the life out of your contracting business? Join the Contractor Sales Academy and take command of your entire sales process! CSA is a game changer for your business.

Are you getting the most out of your PDCA membership or are you curious about the benefits of being a PDCA member? The Education Team at PDCA will sit down each month to discuss upcoming education trainings and PDCA tools that you should be using! This month, Chris Shank and Christine O'Connell discuss roundtable calls, Paint Ed exclusive episodes, and the April Biz Blitz series. For more information on PDCA and how to utilize PDCA tools call (314) 514-7322 or email coconnell@pdca.org

Pika in a time of Climate Change The Rocky Mountains are known around the world as a great place to spot wildlife.  Although most visitors to the area are looking for iconic animals like elk, bighorn sheep and bears, some of our tinier residents can be equally exciting. One of the more fascinating alpine animals is the pika.  If you’ve never seen a pika —relax, you’re not alone.  I remember my first sighting.  I was nearing the summit of Nigel Pass in Banff Park, when all of a sudden I started hearing some strange sounds.  They could only be described as a sort of bleating ‘Eeenk’. I would have quickly discounted them as a ground squirrel or marmot had they not come from the middle of a large, seemingly lifeless rock slide.  Somewhere within this maze of boulders was an invisible animal. The problem was only compounded when I moved in for a closer look.  That single ‘Eeenk’ suddenly became several —I was surrounded.  I assured myself that I wasn't going crazy and became determined to discover the maker of these strange noises. As I watched and listened, I was astounded at how the sound of a single call seemed to come from all directions—almost like a ventriloquist throwing his voice.  This must work very well to confuse predators; after all, it confused me.  After about ten minutes, I resigned to the fact that I wasn’t going to find my strange beast. I struggled on with my pack and was about to continue down the trail when a flash of movement caught my eye.  About thirty metres away was a small gray animal.  It resembled a guinea pig and blended in so well with the limestone that I almost lost it in the rocks.  Out came the binoculars for a closer look.   It was hunched on a rock and I could see that it was about 20 cm long with short rounded ears and no visible tail. When I finally returned home to my field guides, I flipped through the pages until, right after the rabbits, I found him.  He was a pika and was part of the order Lagomorpha.  This meant that they weren’t rodents, as I had suspected, but were more closely related to the snowshoe hare (who is also a member of this group). Unlike most other small members of the alpine community, the pika does not hibernate. It spends most of the summer months collecting plants and building large hay piles (some of which may be as large as a bushel) and leaving them to season, much like a farmer leaving out his bales.  It will be these stores that will get it through the eight or nine months of winter. Often, it must leave the security of its rock or talus slope in order to collect these plants.  Recognizing its vulnerability, it spends as little time in the meadow as possible.  Quickly gathering plants, it places them cross-ways in its mouth and returns to the talus. Being related to hares and rabbits makes the pika a hindgut fermenter. Like all herbivores, the digestion of cellulose is done by bacteria in the gut. Unlike animals like elk, moose, and deer, which sport a four-chambered digestive system means that the fermentation process takes place prior to reaching the actual stomach. This also means that they need to essentially cough up their partly digested meals and re-chew them to help further break them down and allow for additional digestion. Unfortunately for animals like snowshoe hares and pikas, the fermentation process takes place beyond the stomach, in the Cecum. They will also have an intestinal tract that can be up to 13 times the length of their body. Once the food passes through the stomach, the fermentation takes place in the cecum and the large intestine before being coated with mucus and being excreted. These are referred to as cecotropes and are eaten again to allow the food to pass through the digestive system a second time to absorb additional nutrients. After this second passing, so to speak, they produce the hard pellets that we would normally associate with animals like rabbits, hares, and pikas. Regardless of which system vegetarians have to deal with, for me, I'm just happy to be a carnivore and not need to chew my cud or my - you know what. Cellulose be damned - give me a juicy steak! Pikas are very carefully tied to the environmental conditions in their homes. They have a fairly high body temperature (around 40 C) and a rise of just a few degrees can be fatal.  This narrow range forces them to live in cooler areas, usually at elevations above 2000 metres. The prospect of warming climates and changing weather patterns are likely to have some very detrimental impacts on animals like the pika. In fact, research done in the Yukon in 2011 by Dr. David Hik of the University of Alberta looked at populations of collared pika in Kluane National Park, in the Yukon. The collared pika is closely related to the American pika that is so common through the Canadian Rockies and has been experiencing some of these climate-related challenges. The fact that pikas don't hibernate means that they rely on several things to make it through the winter, as well as to have reproductive successes. Believe it or not, they need good snowpacks. Snow is a blanket. It never gets cold beneath the snow. If you doubt this, just ask anyone who has spent a night in an igloo or snow cave. For pikas, warm winters with little snowpack mean population declines. The cold is able to penetrate into their subnivean or under the snow world leading to population declines. In the Alberta Rockies, another study done by the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute in 2014 found that the American pika was the second most vulnerable animal. Pika live on mountaintops. This means that their homes are isolated from populations on adjacent mountaintops. They can't simply migrate into new habitats when the conditions in their home range change in such a way that it's no longer suitable. As an example, if you think about Lake Louise. Pika found around Lake Agnes cannot simply get to Mount Fairview, even though it is just on the other side of Lake Louise. To do so would involve a long migration into low elevation habitats prior to making their way up to the alpine zone of Mount Fairview. Pika live in the alpine because they cannot tolerate the warmer temperatures in the lower, warmer subalpine. Pikas are limited to survive in the habitats they have…as the saying goes: "there's no place like home". Unfortunately for them, it's also the only place that's home.  They may be able to see a new potential home, but they won't be able to get there. Despite this, a report by Chris Shank entitled: Understanding and Respecting the Effects of Climate Change on Alberta’s Biodiversity indicated that they may not be at risk in the near future, at least in Alberta. This belief comes with many conditions, unfortunately, some of them requiring a reduction in greenhouse gases. With the current environmental situation south of our border, as well as Canada's slow pace of change, this seems unlikely to occur. It also assumes that snowpacks continue to be sufficient to support strong pika populations, that meadow plant populations remain consistent, those summer temperatures remain cool enough, and that loose rock, or talus slopes, that the pika call home also remains constant. With warming climates, the forests of the subalpine are beginning to migrate upwards into the alpine. The alpine is a finite habitat. Eventually, you run out of mountain. As long as meadows migrate upwards along with forests, and snow packs migrate uphill as well, and so on, our pikas may be able to stick around. While pikas are on the frying pan locally, they are slipping into the fire in more southerly populations. The further south you go, climate changes are resulting in the two things that make it difficult for pikas to survive - reduced snowpacks and an upward migration of the subalpine. If you travel south to California's Sierra Nevada mountains, pikas have completely disappeared from a 425 km2 portion of their range. Currently, this is the largest area of local extinction or extirpation, so far recorded. In California, the problem has been warmer summer temperatures, resulting in these very heat sensitive pikas overheating. When it's too hot, the pikas seek the shade. When they are in the shade, they're not collecting plants to add to their winter larder. While pika do still exist in areas adjacent to this study, forecasts predict a drop of 97% in pika numbers around Lake Tahoe by 2050. There is one light at the end of this very dark tunnel. For pika, there are very few options in a world of warming climates and reduced snow packs: move, adapt, acclimate, or die! In a recent study in Frontiers of Ecology and the Environment, biologists looked at over 200 studies looking into how amphibians, birds, fish, invertebrates, mammals, and reptiles responded to warming climates. Behavioural responses can occur in much shorter time spans then physiological ones. According to this study, some individual pika populations have managed to adapt to changes by varying their foraging habits, calling new environments home, and finding novel ways to prevent overheating. Pika are found over a huge territory, but individuals don’t tent do move more than a kilometre from the rock pile that they were born. Lack of movement means that individual populations remain isolated from each other, meaning each population may adopt different strategies to dealing with warming temperatures. Some have sought out new micro-environments, taking advantage of deadfall logs, logging debris and forests. If the location is cool enough in the summer, and the snowpack deep enough, they may be able to survive. Some isolated populations in the Columbia River Gorge have managed to obtain as much as 63% of their calories from mosses, which are plentiful both winter and summer. This allows them to be less rigorous in terms of building haypiles during the summer months. Behavioural flexibility may be the catchword for the 21st century. If plants, animals, and birds cannot adapt physiologically to the rapid changes in their ranges then behavioural adaptation is their only option. At least a few populations of pika are taking the challenge and beating the odds. I don't ever want to find myself wandering the loose rock talus slopes of the mountains in summer and not be challenged to find these most perfectly camouflaged critters. Ancient Aspirin I spend a lot of time showing visitors to the mountains signs of animals recorded in the landscape and plant life. Most animals are not designed to be seen. They're designed to blend into the mountain landscape and so, to untrained eyes, they often remain invisible. One thing they can't hide though is the signs that they leave behind. This may be tracks, scats, bits of hair, or even signs of feeding. If you take a look at any trembling aspen tree in the central Rockies and you'll notice that the lower portions of the trunk are heavily scarred. This is due to the fact that the scarring represents mouth level for an elk standing on snow. During the lean winter months, aspen bark is a famine food for elk and they'll peel strips of bark off the lower portions of the trunk. If you look higher up the trunk, you may get a surprise. Sometimes you can find additional marks ascending the trunk, and upon closer inspection, you may find claw marks from a black bear or two that climbed the tree in previous years. Aspen and poplar bark is very easily scarred. Once a bear climbs the tree, the tree will bear the scars for the rest of its life. Once you find a bear-climbed aspen, you'll take special notice as you wander the mountain landscapes looking for additional trees with similar scars. Looking for animal signs helps to make us more aware of the wildlife that is around us but often hidden from view. Our first nations also used the bark of the aspen tree. They would use the inner bark as a medicine, and they would take that for everything from headaches to tummy aches. When we non-natives arrived on the landscape, we scoffed at their heathen witch doctor medicine - heck, they didn't even know what it was good for. They took it for everything. Well today we know that the bark of aspen trees, and its relatives in the willow family, contain a chemical called Salicylic Acid. To us non- natives, we refer to this chemical as aspirin. They were taking it long before we ever rediscovered its medical magic. Modern aspirin can be traced back to Edward Stone, an 18th-century clergyman who wrote that a powdered mixture of willow bark helped 50 patients with malaria-like diseases as well as other illnesses. The modern aspirin we use can be traced back to 1899 when Felix Hoffmann, a chemist at Bayer in Germany used acetylsalicylic acid to help treat his father's rheumatism. I've been telling my guests that first nations have used it for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years before modern medicine caught on. Willow bark was taken by ancient Egyptians to treat aches and pains and even the great Greek physician Hippocrates mentioned its use. Well a new study takes its use way back, and I mean waaaaaaay back - to several Neanderthal skeletons dated from between 42,000 and 50,000 years ago. As it turns out, Neanderthals didn't have great dental hygiene. For archaeologists, this has always been good news. In time, plaque accumulating on teeth will harden into something called calculus, a hard surface made up of minerals and the remains of bacteria along with other microorganisms. Calculus can accumulate, layer upon layer, offering a time capsule of Neanderthal diets. Previous studies of Neanderthal teeth showed that humans and Neanderthals interbred. They also showed that localized populations dined on dramatically different menus. Some were Ward friendly with a high meat diet including animals like reindeer, woolly mammoths, and woolly rhinoceros, while others dined at restaurants that I would never frequent - offering a mostly plant-based menu. Recently a group of scientists analyzed the DNA in the calculus of four European Neanderthals. Two were from Belgium, and two from Spain. They varied in age from 42,000 to 50,000 years old. The tests confirmed that the Belgian Neanderthal was my kind of caveman - dining mostly on woolly rhinoceros, wild sheep, and wild mushrooms. The Spanish Neanderthal were more vegan, eating primarily pine nuts, moss, mushrooms and tree bark. The most interesting result came from one of the skulls from El Sidrón cave in Spain. His teeth showed that he had signs of salicylic acid. Now, this was one sickly Neanderthal. He had dental abscesses and DNA analysis showed that he would have suffered from severe diarrhea from intestinal parasites. If he only had something stronger, like penicillin! This miracle drug was only discovered accidentally in September of 1928 by Dr. Alexander Fleming. After returning from vacation he encountered a messy lab and the mold Penicillium notatum had contaminated some of his Petri dishes. While the rest is history, it's the prehistory that is fascinating in terms of this story. This same 48,000-year-old Neanderthal had traces of Penicillium mold. This means that hominids that predate humans were taking versions of Penicillin at least 48,000 years ago, and likely much longer. This story is a combination of daily guiding meeting podcast curiosity. It's common knowledge in local guiding literature that our First Nations used aspen bark as medicine. However, had I not started this podcast, I wouldn't have been on the constant quest for new scientific studies to share with listeners like you. Aspirin and Penicillin are usually considered "modern" medicines, but this one skull from a cave in Spain has helped us to realize that everything new is old again! Mining our Rivers Way back in episode 15, I talked about the importance of gravel-bed rivers in the Canadian Rockies. You can listen to the episode at mountainnaturepodcast.com/ep015. It's a really cool story and it's worth checking out the show notes or taking a listen prior to continuing this episode if you'd like to get the background material. Recent studies by Dr. Richard Hauer, a professor at the University of Montana, have focused on the unique ecology of gravel-bed rivers in the Rocky Mountains. Hauer recognized that streams in mountain valleys are NOT limited to the narrow channel at the bottom of wide U-shaped glacial valleys. In fact, the actual channel of the river extends from valley bottom to valley bottom, with water percolating across the valley through the gravels. Over millennia, the river has been moving back and forth across its valley, eroding here and depositing sediments there, but never staying the same. If you could take an x-ray of the valley bottom, you would see a mosaic of sediments including cobbles, gravels, and finer sediments. Above ground, the valley shows various levels of succession with flowing channels, ponds, old and new channels, dry gravel beds and vegetation varying from mountain avens flowers to old-growth spruce. Water though, does not see these boundaries, and flows from one side of the valley to the other, quietly flowing between the cobbles and other sediments, allowing for an entire ecosystem of aquatic life to persist far away from today's river channel. The mountain ecology around us has been built by 10,000 or more years of rivers changing, migrating, eroding and depositing. It's this change that is the dynamic lifeblood of the river valley ecosystem Now what might happen if you decide to mine that gravel-bed river? If we accept that a gravel-bed river IS really an entire valley and not just a river, then the consequences of disrupting any part of that ecosystem can be significant. In a story in Alberta Views Magazine, former Banff Park Superintendent Kevin Van Tighem talks about a well drilled a kilometre away from the Flathead River in Montana. It wasn't surprising that it produced beautifully clean water, but what was surprising was that it also produced stoneflies. These aquatic insects are found in fast-flowing mountain streams, but they were not expected this far from the river. Well as Dr. Hauer has shown, rivers are not a channel, but a valley-wide ecosystem. The stoneflies lived in the gravels, a long way from the active channel. So let's take a more detailed look at the Bow River Valley as an example. The Bow River occupies just a narrow ribbon in the centre of the valley. On either side, the valley stretches from Silvertip to Quarry Lake. Is the river just the river? Not at all. The river is the valley. Anything we do to the gravels of the valley will affect the river itself. In fact, there's far more water in the gravel then there is in the river channel. Just because it looks like land, it doesn't mean that it IS land. Unfortunately, in Alberta, gravel is a commodity. As far as industry is concerned, gravel is known as "aggregate" and it is a hugely valuable commodity. Gravel mining companies employ lobbyists who extol the benefits of cheap gravel to ill-informed politicians, who look at campaign donations, and, well you get the story. According to Van Tieghen's article, prior to 2011, Alberta regulators rarely approved gravel mines on floodplains, however the provincial Conservatives approved the Alberta Surface Water Body Aggregate Policy in January of 2011. This new policy signaled open season on gravel pit mining in the province. The floods of 2013 really helped to bring the folly of gravel pit mining to the forefront. Water flows, it's unrelenting and continuous. Add additional flow to the channel, and water will also percolate throughout the entire gravel river ecosystem. Three common problems that gravel-river mines cause include depletion of aquifers, losses to the fishery, and in particular, "pit capture". If you dig a gravel pit near to a gravel river channel, the river will tend to be drawn towards the gravel pit with the potential of essentially 'capturing' the pit. This can end up cutting a new channel causing unexpected erosion, destruction of property, and the loss of fish stocks. Essentially, if you build it, it may come! You can see how inchannel gravel mining ant pit capture works. At one mine on the North Saskatchewan River, operated by Mixcor, a company whose website boasts of "a history of caring", their Dahm gravel pit on the North Saskatchewan River was inundated during the 2013 floods. This flood was fast and relentless, just as it was through the Bow River Valley. As the groundwater inundated the mine, followed by the surface water until the entire river course was drawn towards the mine. Very quickly, mine machinery was buried and toxins from the mine began to leach into the 'new' river channel. Along with the toxins, the excessive sediment drowned spawning beds and damage the gills of adult fish. Fish stocks declined by up to 50% from this one case of pit capture. Keith Rae, the owner of Get Hooked Fishing Adventures carefully documents his companies catch rates. Before the flood, he recorded 2,851 catches, but after the flood, he only recorded 1,197. In 2014, it was even worse with only 1,305. Upstream from the pit capture, the numbers remained consistent. As Van Tighen relates in his story, glaciers were great purveyors of gravel, distributing vast amounts in areas far from gravel-bed rivers. The problem is that it is more expensive to mine. As Kevin states: "Glaciers left lots of upland gravel in Alberta. There is no need to steal it from our rivers. The only reason mining river floodplains is profitable is because gravel operators don’t pay for the dead fish, depleted water wells, diverted river channels and downstream siltation. We do." So far the provinces NDP government has not moved to change the regulations. Alberta is glacier country. It's full of gravel. Let's just start to take it from areas outside of these underground channels. That's what we used to do prior to 2011. Water is the issue of the 21st century. Scientists like Dr. Hauer are helping us to better understand the delicate ecosystems that we call home. Naturalists like Kevin Van Tighem have also been helping visitors to the Canadian Rockies understand and experience the mountains for some 30 years. His newest book entitled Our Place: Changing the Nature of Alberta is now available from Rocky Mountain Books. You can also order it from Amazon.ca at the following link: http://amzn.to/2xQlA3Y. And with that, it's time to wrap this episode up. Don't forget that Ward Cameron Enterprises is YOUR source for step-on, hiking, and snowshoe guides as well as workshop facilitators and keynote speakers focusing on all things related to the mountain west. If you'd like to reach out personally, you can contact me through the contact link on this page or hit me up on Twitter @wardcameron. You can also visit our Facebook page at Facebook.com/wardcameronenterprises. If you'd like to check out the shown notes at www.mountainnature.com/ep048, you can find additional links as well as videos that help illustrate the concept of mining gravel-bed rivers. And with that said, I'm off to Churchill to guide polar bear viewing trips for the next few weeks. I'll be really busy with the bears between the 23rd of October and November 10th so please bear with me if you don't see an episode for a few weeks. This podcast is here to stay so I'll post as my time permits but be back full-time upon my return in November. And with that said, it's an awesome day today so I'm off to go hiking.

No one is more used to the word "change" than painting contractors. Even the medium of paint is emblematic of the change that people want to see in their lives, and that goes for both painting business owners AND their customers. In this episode of Paint ED, Brandon Lewis from the Academy for Professional Painting Contractors interviews Chris Shank of PDCA Education about what he has gathered from interviewing people in the painting industry on Paint ED. The tables have turned, and Chris gets to talk about what he thinks is foremost on the minds of painting contractors in 2017. CHANGE!

Chris Shank interviews PDCA Estimating Legend Bob Cusumano about the Top Ten Estimating Mistakes and his upcoming webinar, Paint Failures and How To Avoid Them.

Chris Shank with the PDCA talks with Tom Reber of Motor Group about how contractors sometimes need to take back control of their business by being honest with themselves, acknowledging their baggage, and dealing with the crap.

Liz Hughes of Patrick Lencioni's Table Group joins Jeremy Brinning and Chris Shank of PDCA for the inaugural PaintEd Podcast.

Maryland State Senator Christopher Shank (District 2, Washington County) was appointed by Gov.-Elect Larry Hogan to be the new executive director of the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention, creating a vacancy for a Senate seat in Washington County. Ryan Miner, host of A Miner Detail, speculates on possible contenders to replace Senator Shank in District 2 and the Washington County Republican Central Committee Process! 

Chris Shank from PDCA, Emily and Andrew reminisce about some of the best moments at the PDCA Expo last week in Savannah.