Podcasts about colorado springs

A monsignor with decades of service in canon law, including work in Peru and the Diocese of Colorado Springs, was laicized just days before the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV. He claims it was not justice. It was retaliation.The monsignor alleges that false accusations, manipulated evidence, and irregular canonical procedures were used to destroy his reputation after he defended alleged abuse victims and publicly criticized influential Church leaders. He says he was never shown a formal decree of dismissal. He says due process was never afforded. He says the Church authorities who destroyed him relied on power, not law.At the center of his accusations: Pope Leo XIV, then Cardinal Robert Prevost, whom the monsignor accuses of covering up abuse and orchestrating his removal. He also names Bishop Michael Sheridan, Bishop James Golka, and Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò in his account of a system that punishes those who speak truth.Make the switch today to iCatholicMobile today!iCatholic Mobile—supporting the Catholic faith with every connection.https://www.facebook.com/icatholicmobile https://www.icatholicmobile.com/ HELP SUPPORT WORK LIKE THIS: https://give.lifesitenews.com/?utm_source=SOCIAL U.S. residents! Create a will with LifeSiteNews: https://www.mylegacywill.com/lifesitenews ****PROTECT Your Wealth with gold, silver, and precious metals: https://sjp.stjosephpartners.com/lifesitenews +++SHOP ALL YOUR FUN AND FAVORITE LIFESITE MERCH! https://shop.lifesitenews.com/ +++Connect with John-Henry Westen and all of LifeSiteNews on social media:LifeSite: https://linktr.ee/lifesitenewsJohn-Henry Westen: https://linktr.ee/jhwesten Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greg Cobble, owner of Manitou E-Bikes, talks with host Torie Giffin about helping people get back on bikes through the power of e-bikes. They discuss how to choose the right e-bike, battery care, e-bike classes, where you can ride, beginner lessons, test rides, rentals, and available rebates of up to $225.Also hear about Manitou E-Bikes' support of the Pikes Peak Cycling Hill Climb, including the Velotric Demo Day on August 2 and the Velotric E-Bike Giveaway on August 4.Like, subscribe, and keep pedaling!Host: Torie Giffin, Owner Buffalo Lodge Bicycle ResortGuest: Greg Cobble, owner of Manitou E-Bike Co.LEARN MORE:Pikes Peak Cycle to the Summit & Velotric Summit ll E-Bike GiveawayManitou E-Bike Co.Manitou SpringsRad Power BikeRed Rock Canyon Open SpaceGarden of the GodsGold Camp TunnelsManitou SpokesRampart Range RoadTrails End TaproomBike BrandsAventonAimaGazelleMacFoxUrtopiaVelotricZeusFollow Pedal The Springs for more stories from the people, places, and events that make Colorado Springs one of America's great cycling communities.Pedal the Springs is presented by the Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort, the only bicycle-themed lodging and must-stay for cyclists coming to Colorado. Check us out at bicycleresort.com for more information.Episodes are produced by Studio 809 Podcasts, and recorded in the community podcast studio at The Next Us.Find other great podcasts produced in and for the Pikes Peak Region - at studio809podcasts.com

Southgate Campus 

This video is about SundaysJoin us as we continue in our series "Camp Paul"Join us every Sunday online or in-person at 9:00am & 11:00am. 4005 Lee Vance Vw, Colorado Springs, CO 80918 Website: rockfamilychurch.com Connect Card: https://rfc.churchcenter.com/people/forms/528074 Prayer Requests: https://www.rockfamilychurch.com/prayer-request Start Serving: https://rfc.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/category/92573 Join a Small Group: https://rfc.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3287086 Facebook: facebook.com/rockfamilychurch Instagram: instagram.com/rockfamilychurch Tik Tok: tiktok.com/@rockfamilychurch Youtube: youtube.com/@RockFamilyOnline#ColoradoSpringsChurch #Faith #Jesus #Worship #ChurchOnline #SundayMessage

It's Friday, July 17th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Scottish man arrested for hate speech about pro-life politician's murder A 50-year-old man, pretending to be a woman, who works at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, publicly celebrated the murder of former British Member of Parliament Ann Widdecombe, reports LifeSiteNews.com. Herbert, an Aberdeen web developer, who prefers to be called “Heather,” wrote, “Some good news for once. I hope it was an extremely painful death” and “I hope she was handcuffed to the bed as she screamed in agony.” Widdecombe, a pro-life advocate, served in the Parliament from 1987 to 2010. She endeared herself to Britons with her surprisingly popular appearances on the television shows Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.  Herbert has now been charged for his bizarre hate speech as the investigation into her murder continues. Some have raised speculation that the arrest might be due less to Herbert's hate speech and more to do with what, if any, inside knowledge he might have about her murder. Widdecombe is the second murder of a high-profile pro-life politician in England this decade. Sir David Amess, who was a Member of Parliament for 38 years and Widdecombe's friend, was murdered at a local event in 2021 by Islamist Ali Harbi Ali. Arizona Senator admits to two extra-marital affairs U.S. Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona, a married man and a potential 2028 presidential candidate, engaged in sexual relationships with at least two House staffers, reports the New York Post. The 46-year-old lawmaker admitted to the two extramarital affairs. In Exodus 20:14, God gave Moses the seventh of the Ten Commandments: “You shall not commit adultery.” Man, who spewed racial epithet, charged black NBC Today co-host Andrew Truelove allegedly stormed NBC's "Today" show at 9:00am Eastern on July 16th, lunged at anchor Craig Melvin, a black man, and called him the N-word, reports NBC News. He is now facing a slew of hate crime charges. Truelove, who is white and was unarmed, had entered a stairwell and made his way backstage near the dressing room. The staff and security rushed in -- and the intruder was ultimately detained and arrested. The incident was not captured during the broadcast. Nobody was hurt. Roughly 15 minutes afterwards, both Craig Melvin and Al Roker were on air. Neither hinted at the drama. AG nominee open to roll back Biden's mail-order Abortion Kill Pill During his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on July 15th, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faced a range of questions from Republicans regarding the Abortion Kill Pill mifepristone, reports The Washington Stand. Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri asked about the Trump administration's perspective. HAWLEY: “Joe Biden took away President Trump's safety restrictions on this chemical abortion drug. He instituted a mail order abortion policy. So, my state went to court to try to defend our state's laws. A number of other states, Republican states, did this. And of course, in the meantime, the president changed, thank goodness. And now we have President Trump. “But that means that that now we have the state of Missouri, a Republican state, along with a number of other conservative Republican states, are in court against a Republican administration, fighting over Joe Biden's abortion policy.” BLANCHE: “I share your concerns, as does this entire administration. We have the most pro-life president in history, and you are one of the most pro-life senators in this body. “We are not defending what Biden did, and will not. The FDA has a process that takes a year. They've committed to do it in significantly less time than a year. President Trump's administration, in its entirety, will protect the life of the unborn.” HAWLEY: “Presumably, you have no issue with President Trump's earlier rule, which had common sense safety restrictions. You had to see a doctor, get a prescription. There had to be a follow-up visit to see if there was any hemorrhaging. Those were in place before Biden gutted them. “Presumably, there's no issue with any of those.” BLANCHE: “I anticipate the Department [of Justice] would defend those rules.” HAWLEY: “Why not, while the FDA is doing its review, why not put President Trump's rules in place? They're good rules. Why not do that rather than leave in place these rules?” BLANCHE: “We want to get to a good result, consistent with President Trump's administrative directive and priorities. And we very much believe that the Biden rules were wrong.” Psalm 127:3 says, “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him.” Senator Cruz: Comstock Act should prohibit Abortion Pill by mail And Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas also addressed the Abortion Kill Pill with Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche. CRUZ: “The Comstock Act provides that every article or thing designed or adapted or intended for producing abortion is declared to be non-mailable. I have to admit that statutory text to me looks quite straightforward. It is not subtle. It is not difficult. It is straightforward. “As you know, during the Biden administration, the Office of Legal Counsel issued an opinion concluding that those provisions generally do not prohibit mailing abortion drugs unless the sender intends them to be used unlawfully. Is that right?” BLANCHE: “Yes, that's correct.” CRUZ: “Now, [the] Office of Legal Counsel's opinions may be reconsidered when the Attorney General concludes they are inconsistent with the law. Is that right?” BLANCHE: “That is right.” CRUZ: “Will you commit to carefully reviewing that opinion to ensure that it faithfully reflects the actual statutory text that Congress enacted?” BLANCHE: “Yes.” CRUZ: “Will you commit that the Department [of Justice] will carefully evaluate every lawful action available to ensure the faithful enforcement of the Comstock Act and other federal pro-life acts?” BLANCHE: “Yes.” CRUZ: “I want to point out the real consequences of the Biden administration's lawless authorization of mail-order abortions. According to FDA reporting, the abortion pill has taken more than 3.7 million unborn lives, caused 24 maternal deaths -- moms are being killed -- and resulted in at least 4,195 adverse maternal reactions, including hemorrhage, excruciating abdominal pain, and severe, life-threatening infections. “The position of the Democrats now seems to be that women and teenage girls should be able to get mail-order abortions without a doctor being involved at all. And I will tell you, the death toll from that is horrific, and it needs to stop.” Once Blanche is voted out of the Judiciary Committee, he will need 51 votes of the 100 senators to be confirmed as President Trump's next U.S. Attorney General. Focus on the Family president Jim Daly to step down Nearly two decades after taking the helm of Focus on the Family following the departure of its founder, Jim Daly is preparing to hand the ministry to a new generation, reports The Christian Post. The president of one of America's most influential Evangelical groups announced this week that Focus has officially launched a nationwide search for its next leader, marking the beginning of what is expected to be an 18-month succession process ahead of the ministry's 50th anniversary in 2027. Unlike many recent leadership transitions in prominent Christian groups, this one is not being driven by scandal or internal upheaval. Rather, Focus on the Family is intentionally choosing to transition while it's healthy. Jim Daly said, "My core belief was it's good to get new faces, new energy, younger leadership in to speak to the 30-, 40-somethings about what they're facing with marriage and parenting. I'm going to be turning 65. It's time to start looking for the next-gen leadership. That's really the goal, and to do it well is the other goal." The search, being conducted with executive search firm FaithSearch Partners, will culminate in a vote by Focus' board of directors. Founded in 1977 by Christian psychologist and author Dr. James Dobson, Focus on the Family grew from a fledgling radio ministry into one of the most recognizable voices in American evangelicalism. Through its daily radio broadcasts, magazines, books, counseling services, and public policy advocacy, the Colorado Springs-based nonprofit became a defining force in conversations about marriage, parenting, religious liberty, and the sanctity of life. Today, the ministry reaches millions through radio, podcasts and digital media, employing roughly 750 people and overseeing an annual budget of $150 million. Worldview listeners weigh in from Texas and Alaska Liz Walker in Lubbock, Texas, wrote me and said, “I learned about your newscast from a Homeschool Mom blog. I love listening to it every weekday morning. I definitely get news that I would not get otherwise, including updates of the persecuted church and calls to action.  As a homeschool mom, I often want to do things, but feel like I am powerless.” And Thomas Williams in Wasilla, Alaska, wrote, “I just wanted to drop you a little note and say how much we value what you and your team are doing at The Worldview. My wife and I are raising eight kids -- six boys and two girls. We homeschool and use many items from Generations in our daily life. I pray that God continues to bless the work that you have begun.” 8 Worldview listeners gave $3,220 And finally, on Thursday night by 9:30pm Central, 8 Worldview listeners stepped up to the plate and invested their treasure to fund the six-member team behind The Worldview for another year. Our thanks to Karen in Hillsborough, North Carolina who gave $20 and Cathy in Fate, Texas who gave $50. We were touched by the generosity of Denise in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania who gave $200, Lin in Katy, Texas who gave $300, and Audrey in Otisville, New York who pledged $25/month for 12 months for a gift of $300. And we're grateful to God for Kristin and Josh in Ball Ground, Georgia who pledged $50/month for 12 months for a gift of $600, Jeremy and Meggan in Register, Georgia who gave $750, and Heather in Eagle, Idaho who gave $1,000. Those 8 gifts add up to $3,220. Ready for our new grand total? Drum roll please. (drum roll sound effect) $29,840 (sound effect of people cheering) That means we need to raise a whopping $26,725 to hit our $56,565 goal by tonight, Friday, July 17th, at 12 midnight! We need to find 8 Worldview listeners who will pledge $100/month for 12 months or give a one-time gift of $1,200, 14 folks who will pledge $50/month or give a one-time gift of $600, and 28 listeners who will pledge $25/month or give a one-time gift of $300. Please, go to TheWorldview.com, click on Give, select the dollar amount, and make sure to click on the “recurring” button if that's your wish.  Remember, if you want to continue your monthly pledge to The Worldview that you started in a previous year, please let me know so we can count your generous ongoing gift toward our total With God, all things are possible.  Ask Him what He would have you give toward funding this critical newscast for another year. Close And that's The Worldview on this Friday, July 17th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Coach Mark Misch joins Airey Bros Radio to discuss building one of the nation's premier NCAA Division II distance running programs at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS).Entering his 20th season leading the Mountain Lions Men's Cross Country program, Coach Misch has established UCCS as a perennial national contender, guiding the program to 11 NCAA Division II National Championship appearances while coaching NCAA Champions, All-Americans, Olympians, Olympic Trials qualifiers, national record holders, and some of the most accomplished distance runners in Division II history.In Episode 469, Coach Misch shares his coaching journey from growing up in southeast Kansas to building a nationally respected program in Colorado Springs. We discuss the philosophy behind developing championship distance runners, creating a culture centered around character and accountability, recruiting student-athletes from across the country, and helping runners thrive both academically and athletically.We also dive into what makes Colorado Springs one of the world's premier endurance training destinations, the advantages and challenges of altitude training, competing in the always competitive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), and preparing athletes to compete on the national stage year after year.We also discuss:• Building championship culture• NCAA Division II Cross Country recruiting• Altitude training & athlete development• Character-based coaching philosophy• Developing NCAA Champions & Olympians• Competing in the RMAC• Creating academic excellence within a championship program• Recruiting student-athletes from across the country• Leadership, accountability & team culture• Coaching through adversity and athlete development• Advice for aspiring collegiate runners and coachesDuring his tenure at UCCS, Coach Misch has helped establish one of the premier distance running cultures in NCAA Division II while mentoring generations of student-athletes who have gone on to become coaches, educators, professionals, and leaders.Program Highlights:

In this Lessons in Success episode of So You Want to Be a Real Estate Agent, host Meredith Fogle sits down with Kera Baggot, a rising star in the Pikes Peak region of Colorado Springs, whose success story proves that extraordinary results come from consistent action, strong systems, and a willingness to grow through life's challenges.Kera shares the pivotal lessons that helped her transition from balancing two careers to taking the leap into real estate full-time. She opens up about navigating personal challenges while continuing to move her business forward, the role coaching has played in accelerating her growth, and the systems that keep her focused on the activities that matter most.Kera also reveals the mindset shift that helped her become comfortable on video, sharing the simple but powerful self-talk that transformed one of her biggest fears into one of her greatest business-building tools.

Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email. On this episode of The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast, Jennie and Dianne wander back in time to the wild west days of Old Colorado City, Colorado, to share the story of how "the dirty little coward who shot Mr. Howard" played a small part in that city's politics in 1891. Resting in a tidy grave at Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs is Mr. John Henry Holt, who was once marshal of Old Colorado City and was presented with a very special badge by one Bob Ford, an infamous outlaw during the heyday of the western frontier. Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much here: https://oecemetery.etsy.comFamily Tales: A free printable is now available! Gather 'round the table and dig into your roots! This interactive family history game is perfect for holidays, reunions, or just because. Ask, listen, and laugh your way through generations of stories and secrets. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UT_R56qEwNTIxIBrTy8KFyVmGnFOe7g8/view?usp=sharingSupport the show

WHAT IFWhat if the very humility you were raised to wear like a badge of honor is the exact thing quietly capping your career? What if showing up, speaking up, and being seen isn't bragging. That's the whole game. Siri Swahari spent two decades unlearning that lesson, and now she's built an entire movement to make sure other women don't have to figure it out alone.SUMMARY & GUEST INTROSiri Swahari moved to the US at 23 with no network, no roadmap, and no one in her corner. She built her entire career from scratch, volunteer work at a Colorado Springs library to VP at one of the world's largest IT and business consulting firms. Along the way, she founded Women Executive Circle, a community of senior women leaders now active in 12 states and growing. I needed to have this conversation. Her message is one every woman in corporate America needs to hear right now: you were not taught to show up, speak up, and be seen. That ends today.INSIDE THE EPISODEThe Humility Trap. Siri grew up in India being told that announcing her achievements, even being class topper, was bragging. She breaks down the deep unlearning it took to realize that staying invisible when you're already delivering value isn't humility. It's counterproductive.Imposter Syndrome Is a Growth Signal. Siri reframes the thing most women dread: if you're feeling imposter syndrome, you're doing something new, something uncomfortable, something that means you're growing. She shares how a career rotation into an entirely unfamiliar business function transformed how she leads. She coaches others through it now.You Can't Be an NPC in Your Own Career. Siri borrows her son's gaming acronym. NPC, non-playing character. It's what happens when talented women stay silent and expect growth anyway. Advocacy, visibility, and speaking up aren't optional extras. They're the game itself.What Bad Leaders Teach You. Siri and Erica both share how their worst leadership experiences became their most formative ones: the bosses who didn't credit their work, the environments that made people feel disposable, and how those moments became the North Star for the leaders they chose to become.The Origin Story of Women Executive Circle. What started as a small lunch group in Raleigh, born out of a Christmas party that required 100 attendees to happen, became a 12-state community of senior women leaders. Siri tells the full story, including the parking lot moment that made her text her WhatsApp group that Thursday night and say: the world needs this. Let's go.The WEC Framework: Wins, Evolving, Challenges. Siri walks through the rose/bud/thorn icebreaker she adapted into WEC's signature framework. Going around a table and asking 'what's actually going on in your life' unlocks something no traditional networking event ever could. It's the reason a leader who hadn't gotten out of bed in three days showed up to happy hour. She left with a plan.Representation Is the Work. After a women-in-AI event, Brown women lined up to ask Siri how she was so comfortable speaking in public. Not the VP title, not the promotions. That moment is what drives her. Because you can't be what you can't see, and Siri is committed to being visible so others know it's possible.RESOURCES & LINKSWomen Executive Circle: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-executives-circle/LinkedIn: Siri Swahari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sirishaswahari/ RESOURCES & LINKSStart small with me inside HER Jumpstart:https://her-collective.mn.co/plans/1985289?bundle_token=60b2c61d62213cdbd16d437cdc0e4204&utm_source=manual

WHAT IFWhat if the very humility you were raised to wear like a badge of honor is the exact thing quietly capping your career? What if showing up, speaking up, and being seen isn't bragging. That's the whole game. Siri Swahari spent two decades unlearning that lesson, and now she's built an entire movement to make sure other women don't have to figure it out alone.SUMMARY & GUEST INTROSiri Swahari moved to the US at 23 with no network, no roadmap, and no one in her corner. She built her entire career from scratch, volunteer work at a Colorado Springs library to VP at one of the world's largest IT and business consulting firms. Along the way, she founded Women Executive Circle, a community of senior women leaders now active in 12 states and growing. I needed to have this conversation. Her message is one every woman in corporate America needs to hear right now: you were not taught to show up, speak up, and be seen. That ends today.INSIDE THE EPISODEThe Humility Trap. Siri grew up in India being told that announcing her achievements, even being class topper, was bragging. She breaks down the deep unlearning it took to realize that staying invisible when you're already delivering value isn't humility. It's counterproductive.Imposter Syndrome Is a Growth Signal. Siri reframes the thing most women dread: if you're feeling imposter syndrome, you're doing something new, something uncomfortable, something that means you're growing. She shares how a career rotation into an entirely unfamiliar business function transformed how she leads. She coaches others through it now.You Can't Be an NPC in Your Own Career. Siri borrows her son's gaming acronym. NPC, non-playing character. It's what happens when talented women stay silent and expect growth anyway. Advocacy, visibility, and speaking up aren't optional extras. They're the game itself.What Bad Leaders Teach You. Siri and Erica both share how their worst leadership experiences became their most formative ones: the bosses who didn't credit their work, the environments that made people feel disposable, and how those moments became the North Star for the leaders they chose to become.The Origin Story of Women Executive Circle. What started as a small lunch group in Raleigh, born out of a Christmas party that required 100 attendees to happen, became a 12-state community of senior women leaders. Siri tells the full story, including the parking lot moment that made her text her WhatsApp group that Thursday night and say: the world needs this. Let's go.The WEC Framework: Wins, Evolving, Challenges. Siri walks through the rose/bud/thorn icebreaker she adapted into WEC's signature framework. Going around a table and asking 'what's actually going on in your life' unlocks something no traditional networking event ever could. It's the reason a leader who hadn't gotten out of bed in three days showed up to happy hour. She left with a plan.Representation Is the Work. After a women-in-AI event, Brown women lined up to ask Siri how she was so comfortable speaking in public. Not the VP title, not the promotions. That moment is what drives her. Because you can't be what you can't see, and Siri is committed to being visible so others know it's possible.RESOURCES & LINKSWomen Executive Circle: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-executives-circle/LinkedIn: Siri Swahari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sirishaswahari/ RESOURCES & LINKSStart small with me inside HER Jumpstart:https://her-collective.mn.co/plans/1985289?bundle_token=60b2c61d62213cdbd16d437cdc0e4204&utm_source=manual

The Warehouses' Chef James Africano is renovating the venue space into a grocery store

What does it take to faithfully follow the call of God through every season of ministry?-----------For extended show notes - https://hacka.org/2026/07/16/229-ryan-neer-the-ministry-mindset-every-leader-needs/-----------In this episode, we are joined by Ryan Neer, Lead Pastor of Gateway Pentecostal Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Ryan shares his remarkable testimony—from addiction, brokenness and losing his father at a young age to becoming an evangelist and now pastor. But this conversation goes far beyond his story.We discuss why "mantles fall on moving targets," how to discern when God is saying "go" and when He's saying "stop," why a "no" from God may simply be an underdeveloped "now," and how God often develops His greatest leaders through seasons of weakness rather than strength.If you're pursuing God's calling, wrestling with unanswered prayers, or trying to understand the season you're in, this conversation will encourage, challenge and equip you to trust God's process.In this episode:- Ryan Neer's powerful testimony of salvation and transformation- Why mantles fall on moving targets- How to know when God is changing your season- Why God's "no" isn't always permanent- Receiving correction without becoming discouraged- Developing your gifting with humility- Understanding the fivefold ministry- Why God chooses weakness over self-confidence- Finding purpose in life's limitations- Letting patience prepare you for God's "suddenly"

Ed is your KRDO Pet of the Week from the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region! He is an eight-year-old tricolor Rottweiler mix who came into HSPPR as a stray   Want to know more about Ed? Visit hsppr.org or visit in person at 610 Abbot Lane in Colorado Springs. Adoption hours are 11 am – 5 pm weekdays and 11:00 am – 4:30 pm on weekends.   Visit our Pet of the Week webpage so you don't miss a featured pet! KRDO Pet of the Week

Ed is your KRDO Pet of the Week from the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region! He is an eight-year-old tricolor Rottweiler mix who came into HSPPR as a stray   Want to know more about Ed? Visit hsppr.org or visit in person at 610 Abbot Lane in Colorado Springs. Adoption hours are 11 am – 5 pm weekdays and 11:00 am – 4:30 pm on weekends.   Visit our Pet of the Week webpage so you don't miss a featured pet! KRDO Pet of the Week

Southgate Campus

For Eliza and John Hill, it was love at first arrow. Not Cupid's arrow, but the flying arrow of an archery dodgeball game. After trying this unique sport, the adventurous couple decided to open their own archery dodgeball venue right here in Colorado Springs. Tune in as they tell us all about their love for the game, what players can expect and why you'll want to give it a shot for your next group or family outing. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss our next episode! Send any questions or inquiries to Media@VisitCOS.com.  Episode links:  @SherwoodShowdown SherwoodShowdown.com United We Rock

Jesus came to seek and save the lost.In the opening week of Kingdom First, guest speaker Taylor Hunt walks through Luke 15 and the stories of the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son. Every story reveals the same truth: one more person matters to God.Taylor challenges us to remain amazed by grace, resist becoming comfortable, and remember that the Church is a rescue mission for people who desperately need hope. No matter what someone has done or how far they have run, the grace of Jesus is still for them.Taylor and his wife, Daylie, are planting City Hope Church in Denver, Colorado, with plans to launch in January 2027.Scripture References:Luke 19:10Luke 15:1-32Matthew 28:18-20John 10:10

The mayor of Colorado Springs, who's independent, hired the Republican he beat as his chief of staff. Today, a conversation about civility, service and even and submission with Yemi Mobolade and Wayne Williams. Then, we visit a fire camp for the Aspen Acres fire near Pueblo. Plus, an adobe labyrinth by the state's oldest church in the San Luis Valley. And a living kidney donor proves you can have a normal life after giving the gift of life. 

Chloe Dufresne is the newly appointed conductor and Musical Director of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. She also serves as Associate Artist of two other orchestras. She has conducted operas including Carmen and Don Giovanni, for Opéra Rouen, Opéra de Toulon, Opéra de Nice and Opéra National de Lorraine, as well as a production of Wagner's The Ring for children at the Helsinki Festival.   My featured song is “Ma Petite Fleur String Quartet”, my recent release. Spotify link. —------------------------------------ The Follow Your Dream Podcast:Top 1% of all podcasts with Listeners in 200 countries! Click here for Start Here Click here for All Episodes  Click here for Guest List  Click here for Guest Testimonials Click here for Pillars Click here for Robert's Project Grand Slam Click here to Subscribe  Click here to receive our Email Updates Click here to Rate and Review the podcast —---------------------------------------- CONNECT WITH CHLOE:www.chloedufresne.com —------------------------------------ ROBERT'S NEWEST RELEASE:“THE BUZZ” - Ft. Darius de Haas (vocals) and Dave Eggar (Celo). Short, Sweet and Totally Different CLICK HERE FOR OFFICIAL VIDEO CLICK HERE FOR ALL LINKS —-------------------------------------- Audio production: Jimmy RavenscroftKymera FilmsConnect with the Follow Your Dream Podcast:Website - www.followyourdreampodcast.comFollow Robert's band, Project Grand Slam, and his music:Website - www.projectgrandslam.com    

Episode Summary Cary sits down with Ryan Thompson, a Colorado real estate business owner who has gone from using AI to write blogs to building AI-powered systems that help run and grow his business. Ryan shares how he uses AI to create websites, generate leads, recruit real estate agents, manage marketing campaigns, research prospects, brainstorm new ideas, and build tools that work even when he is off the grid. The conversation also gets into the personal side of AI. Ryan talks about using it to explore health goals, build side projects around local events, create custom learning podcasts, and free up more time for biking, travel, friends, and the outdoors. His story is a great example of what can happen when curiosity starts with a simple question: "I wonder if AI can help me do this?" 3 Key Takeaways Start with one real problem, not the whole world of AI. Ryan's advice is simple: pick something important that you have been putting off and see how AI can help. You do not need to understand every tool or feature before getting started. AI can become much more than a writing assistant. Ryan uses AI-powered agents and systems to research prospects, send personalized outreach, generate real estate leads, support ad campaigns, build websites, and handle work while he is away. The time you save can create value outside of work. Ryan is using AI not just to grow his business, but to make more room for the things he cares about, including health, outdoor adventures, learning, friends, and new experiences. Episode Resources: How to get AI to write like me - Episode 21 How to use projects in ChatGPT- Episode 55 Talking to AI like a human - Episode 91 How to create a brainstorming partner - Episode 66 Is using AI cheating? - Episode 111 Talking to it with voice - Episode 12 Having two-way conversations - Episode 47 Start with one thing - Episode 98 About Ryan Thompson Ryan Thompson is a Colorado-based real estate business owner and the founder of The Assumable Guy, a real estate team focused on helping buyers access homes with assumable mortgages, including mortgages with lower interest rates than many current market options. Ryan describes himself as an ideas guy who loves exploring what is possible with AI. What started with using ChatGPT to write real estate blogs has grown into a much bigger set of tools and systems. He now uses AI for lead generation, agent recruiting, personalized outreach, website building, paid advertising support, research, brainstorming, and automation. Outside of his core real estate business, Ryan is an avid outdoors person who enjoys biking, exploring new places, and spending time in the mountains. He is also building side projects with AI, including a personalized health tool and HappeninCOS, a website designed to help people discover events and things to do around Colorado Springs based on their interests. Connect with Ryan and explore his work: The Assumable Guy: www.assumableguy.com HappeninCOS: www.happenincos.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanthomson111/ Cary offers customized one-on-one ChatGPT training in 60 minute sessions. Find out more information on the sessions, answers to frequent questions, and how to register at www.AmazingIntern.ai +++++++++ CONNECT WITH CARY ChatGPT Podcast Website: www.AmazingIntern.ai Marketing Podcast: www.PracticalMarketingShow.com Cary's Agency Website: www.CMWeston.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caryweston   MUSIC CREDITS The instrumental music used in this podcast is called "Curious" by Podington Bear". +++

Mayor Yemi Mobolade and his chief of staff, Wayne Williams, say their partnership is a return to American values, as the nation marks 250 years.

Watch this episode for FREE on YouTubeCome see Fandomonium LIVE in Colorado Springs on July 10th + August 14thIt's our live show from FanExpo Denver, our debut at a major convention. The theme of the convention was very much The Cast of The Lord of the Rings. So we decided to match their theme and make that the topic of our games. Longtime listeners know how much Middle Earth is a Fandomonium-favorite.Audra and Chris were joined on the panel by Johnny Wilson and Stephanie Fackler of The Teamup Playshow PodcastSupport our PlayersListen to The Teamup Playshow PodcastBuild a character at teamuprpg.comWe are an ad and listener supported podcast, but mainly listener supported. Consider supporting our production over at patreon.com/gateleapers. All supporters get ad-free audio episodes. Paid supporters get video recordings + our bonus monthly live comedy gameshow Slidesplitters!Do you have a suggestion for a fandom we've not yet covered? Are you a comedian, creative or performer who would like to be a guest on our show? Get in touch! gateleapers@gmail.comMusic: BoucheDag by Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com)Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fandomonium-a-fandom-comedy-game-show--5150861/support.

For most data leaders, governance feels like the thing standing between them and progress. Bharathi Rajan, Vice President of Digital, AI, and Data at Swire Coca-Cola, joins Cindi Howson to share how she built the data foundation powering a $3 billion supply chain operation. She breaks down how to turn data quality into a business accelerator, get ahead of demand signals, and build the foundation every AI initiative actually depends on. Key Moments: Building a Data Foundation Across a $3B Supply Chain (06:39): The starting point wasn't strategy. It was figuring out where the data was, who had it, and how to get it into the hands of actual decision-makers. Reframing Data Governance (10:22): Governance is the foundation that makes better decisions possible. Bharathi shares how education and relationship-building drove the mindset shift at Swire Coca-Cola. AI as an Enablement Factor (11:50): Bharathi reframes AI as a tool for operational efficiency and more impactful work, not a headcount threat. Building the Plant of the Future (14:41): A new $475 million Colorado facility gives Swire Coca-Cola a rare chance to design data and AI infrastructure from scratch. The Skills That Will Matter Most in an AI World (17:58): Bharathi breaks down what she tells young people and aspiring data leaders about building a career that AI can't replace. Key Quotes: “Governance is not red tape. It is important. If you want to make decisions with the right data, you need to have governance. You have to have that quality data flowing in.” - Bharathi Rajan “If you're passionate about something and then you know how to use technology to enable that, that makes the difference.” - Bharathi Rajan “AI, it's an enablement factor for us internally as to how can I help the enterprise really grow, create operational efficiencies, but also have people do more impactful work.” - Bharathi Rajan Mentions Swire Coca-Cola to Build $475 Million Bottling Plant in Colorado Springs, CO DataIQ100:  The most influential people in data and AI 2025 AI Women Power List Honorees The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins Guest Bio Bharathi Rajan is a results-driven and experienced Chief Data Officer and AI strategist.  In her current role as Vice President Digital, AI & Data at Swire Coca-Cola, USA, Bharathi has saved multi-millions by adopting new tech stack and bringing in capabilities critical for Enterprise growth and performance. While consistently leading innovation and enabling AI & data literacy, Bharathi consecutively drives data and systems architecture confluence across the enterprise. Prior to joining Swire Coca-Cola, USA, Bharathi operated as a Senior Director of Operations in Data and Infrastructre for three years, focusing on Enterprise Reporting and Analysis (ERA), where she was specifically hired for her distinctive capabilities in data strategy, cloud migration, and creative efficiencies.  Bharathi is currently ranked #3 DataIQ100 North America for 2026. She has attended several panel discussions, in Emory University, Women in Tech, AI & Manufacturing and DataIQ. In 2026, Bharathi delivered a keynote on Data Leader as the Transformation Architect at the DataIQ summit. Additionally, Bharathi has spoken at various summits like Microsoft Ignite, Databricks, AI&Data summit and Snowflake summit over the years. Bharathi is also a mentor with WLDA Ventures and Women Tech Council. Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by Duvo and Mirakl.In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:Walmart and Sam's Club are cutting prices on thousands of summer staples as part of a broad Rollback and member-savings push spanning grocery, household goods, outdoor living, toys, and apparel.Aldi is making its first move into Colorado, filing permits for two Denver-area locations as part of a plan to open 50 stores across the Denver and Colorado Springs markets over the next two years, backed by a new regional distribution center.Nordstrom is celebrating its 125th anniversary with its biggest-ever Anniversary Sale, running July 18 through Aug. 9 with over 100 brands, more than 50 new additions, and a multi-platform campaign kicking off with block parties in Chicago, Portland, and Seattle.The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail insights.

Send us Fan MailStorytelling in the anti-trafficking space carries a particular weight, where the urgency to communicate impact can pull against the responsibility to protect the very people whose stories are being told. Many nonprofit communicators working in this space are asking how to tell stories that move people to action without exploiting pain or compromising survivor safety.In this conversation, Preston Goff, Vice President of Global Communications at The Exodus Road, helps us explore what that balance looks like in practice. We discuss the organization's red lines around consent, why some of their most powerful stories involve months or years of waiting, and how holding firm boundaries with media partners can actually build deeper trust rather than cost opportunities. Preston shares real examples from this work, including a survivor's story that took shape only after she chose, unprompted, to share it herself.This episode is a grounded and honest look at what it means to communicate urgency without sensationalism, and what nonprofit storytellers can learn from an organization that has chosen protection over exposure, again and again.About Preston GoffAs the Vice President of Global Communications at The Exodus Road, Preston Goff is an expert storyteller in the anti-trafficking space. During his five-year tenure at the organization, The Exodus Road's media efforts have expanded substantially, most recently with the launch of Influenced — a cutting-edge digital safety curriculum for youth and their caregivers. Preston Goff resides in Colorado Springs with his wife and two young children.Connect with Exodus Road and Preston GoffExodus Road Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTubePreston Goff Website | Instagram | Linkedin About Host Maria BryanMaria Bryan is a trauma-informed storytelling trainer. She helps nonprofit leaders tell powerful and impactful stories that resist harm. Maria has over fifteen years in marketing communications in the public sector. She has a Master's Degree in Public Administration, a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism, and is professionally certified in Trauma & Resilience, Trauma-Informed Space Holding, Trauma-Informed Coaching, and Somatic Embodiment & Regulation. Maria is a firm believer that storytellers make the world a healthier, safer, cleaner, and happier place. Connect with MariaSpeaking & Training | LinkedIn | Email 

In this interview episode of the OutThere Colorado Podcast, Spencer sits down with Dante Liberato – the subject of an upcoming documentary titled Dante: 500 Miles on Psychedelics. The film, set to be released on July 11, follows Dante as he runs from Colorado Springs to Moab in about 9.5 days while using psychedelics. Spencer chats with Dante about what that run was like, what led him to taking it on, and more. Learn more about the documentary here: https://dante500.com/ Find Dante on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/buffalowarrior/

Send us Fan MailA 20K with nearly 8,000 feet of climbing shouldn't exist, and yet Whiteface Sky Race is about to make a whole field of strong runners question their life choices. Steve Taylor joins us from smoky Colorado Springs as we turn our full attention to Whiteface, the opener of the Merrill U.S. Skyrunner Circuit, and one of the steepest, most punishing race profiles you'll find in the United States. Two loops. A massive early climb that gains about 3,000 feet in 2.5 miles. Long stretches that flirt with 30% to 40% grade. No hiding from it.We talk through what that terrain demands, from steep hiking strength and leg durability to the psychology of being told to go do it all again for lap two. The Adirondacks and Lake Placid backdrop get their own moment too, because this region's rugged trails, wet technical footing, and big-mountain feel are exactly why this race belongs on a skyrunning calendar. If you're the kind of trail runner who loves “kick you in the teeth” courses, Whiteface is the blueprint.Then we get tactical: Morgan Elliott's form and résumé, who might hang on early, and the under-the-radar names that could surprise when the grade turns brutal. On the women's side we spotlight Robin Vierre-Brower, dig into challengers, and talk winning-time expectations. We also look ahead to the season stakes and the Kismet Cliff Run final on September 13 in North Conway, New Hampshire. Subscribe, share this with your mountain running crew, and leave a review. Who's your podium pick for Whiteface?Use code SteepStuff for 20% your cart on Sidas.usFollow James on IG - @jameslaurielloFollow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_podFollow Sidas USA on IG - @sidas_usa

What does it really take to help someone move from homelessness toward stability, purpose, work, healing, and restored relationships?In this episode of the Colorado Business Podcast, Marcus and Chris sit down with Travis Williams, CEO of Springs Rescue Mission, to talk about the work happening behind the scenes at one of Colorado Springs' most important community organizations.Travis shares how Springs Rescue Mission has grown from a small outreach effort into a life transformational campus serving people experiencing homelessness, addiction, broken relationships, and deep personal challenges. This conversation goes beyond charity. It explores dignity, personal agency, faith, community responsibility, vocational training, family restoration, and why local business owners should understand the role SRM plays in the health of the city.If you have ever wondered what actually happens at Springs Rescue Mission, how Colorado Springs is addressing homelessness, or how everyday people and businesses can help, this episode is worth your time.Featuring:Travis Williams, CEO of Springs Rescue MissionHosted by Marcus and Chris on the Colorado Business PodcastTopics covered:Springs Rescue MissionColorado Springs homelessnessHomeless outreachNonprofit leadershipFaith based serviceCommunity transformationVocational trainingAddiction recoveryFamily restorationSocial enterpriseColorado Springs business communityHow local businesses can helpSubscribe to the Colorado Business Podcast for conversations with the entrepreneurs, leaders, builders, and community voices shaping Colorado.

Have you been?Imagine standing in a place where the Earth feels like it's been sculpted by giants…Welcome to Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.The massive red rock formations—some towering over 300 feet tall—are balanced in ways that almost don't seem real. But they are. And they've been here for millions of years.This land was formed over 300 million years ago, then tilted and shaped by powerful geological forces, leaving behind these dramatic sandstone fins, spires, and towering cliffs.And what makes it even more special? It's completely free and open to the public—protected as a public park so everyone can experience it.Long before us, this was a sacred place for Native American tribes, and you can still feel that energy when you walk through it today.Every turn on the trail reveals something new—like the towering Balanced Rock that looks like it shouldn't be standing… but somehow is.Whether you're hiking, driving, or just stopping for a moment to take it all in, this place has a way of making you slow down and look up.So if you ever find yourself in Colorado, don't just pass through—step into a place where nature feels like art.

It's one of the most unsettling calls a pediatrician can get: a baby who turned blue, stopped breathing or suddenly went limp, only to appear completely normal moments later. Welcome to the clinical gray zone of BRUE (Brief Resolved Unexplained Event). It sits at the intersection of alarm and ambiguity, where the history is often dramatic, but your clinical exam is reassuring. We are going to go beyond the definition and into real-life decisions that you have to make on the phone and in the office. From risk stratification to avoiding unnecessary testing, we break down what actually matters in the moment and what doesn't. This episode was recorded during a live podcast event in Colorado Springs with Michael DiStefano, MD, and Jamie Hug, DO. Dr. DiStefano is the Chief Medical Officer of Children's Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs, and a pediatric emergency medicine physician. Dr. Hug is a pediatrician in Southern Colorado at the Children's Clinic of Pueblo. Some highlights from this episode include: What is considered a BRUE  When to refer to the emergency department  How pediatricians can reassure families and validate their experiences  Why history is so critical to the exam  For more information on Children's Colorado, visit: childrenscolorado.org.   

Send us Fan MailWho can I trust? Is this community safe? Is this the leader they say they are?Wholehearted Enneagram: A Year Through the Types | Type 6 | Episode 4 of 4These aren't just anxious questions for the Enneagram Six; they're the constant, exhausting background hum of how a Six moves through the world. And nowhere does that hum get louder than in the church.In this closing episode of Six month, Amy sits down with Sarah Jackson, licensed pastor, spiritual director, seminary graduate, and Type Six, for one of the most theologically rich conversations in the entire series. Sarah brings both her professional formation and her lived experience as a Six navigating church hurt, leadership dynamics, and the lifelong work of learning to trust God, community, and herself.She talks about the Six's defense mechanism of splitting, how it quietly applies to God himself, and what it means to hold nuance instead of constantly dividing the world into safe and unsafe, good and bad. She introduces the grief practice that quiets the inner committee when nothing else will. She draws on Julian of Norwich, "all shall be well" as the deepest expression of what a Six most longs to believe. And she offers one of the most practical spiritual tools in the series: the welcoming prayer.This is a beautiful close to a month that has asked a lot of the Six and offered even more in return.In this episode:Why the Six is one of the hardest types to self-identify, and why the Six resists hearing descriptions of herselfChurch hurt through a Six lens on how to differentiate the institution from the people in itThe Six's constant "vibe check" all in or deeply skeptical, with not much in betweenPerformance community vs. genuine community and why the distinction matters so much to a SixAnger as anxiety in disguise, what Sarah's husband sees when she's scaredGrief is the quieter of the inner committee and the most unexpected spiritual practice in the episodeSplitting as the Six's defense mechanism and how it applies to GodJulian of Norwich and the Six's deepest longing: "All shall be well"The welcoming prayer, a practical liturgy for releasing control and receiving loveMoses, as the Six's biblical hero, was scared but went in anywaySarah Jackson is a licensed pastor, spiritual director, and Enneagram practitioner serving with her husband who leads the Communion of Saints church in Colorado Springs.Connect with Sarah: https://threehere.com/ Support the showRESOURCES FOR YOU:Join the Waitlist for 1:1 Coaching with Amy Wickshttps://www.simplywholehearted.com/callamywicksNot sure about your Enneagram Type? Start here: https://www.simplywholehearted.com/enneagramquizEnnea-what? The Beginners Guide to the Enneagram(free course + printables)https://bit.ly/Enneagram101GuideConnect with Amy:IGWebsite

"In crypto, if your money's gone from your wallet, everything can be gone in one second immediately."   Most people picture online scams as one person in a basement sending sketchy emails. The reality is far bigger and far more organized. In this episode, recorded at the Safeguard conference in Colorado Springs, host Jordan sits down with Nikita, co-founder and CEO of ⁠Chain Patrol⁠, to talk about how modern fraud actually works. We get into why stolen crypto almost never comes back, how scam operations now run like real companies with engineers and developers, and how artificial intelligence has made sophisticated attacks cheap enough to target everyday people instead of just high-value executives. Nikita also opens up about the human cost behind these operations, including trafficking victims forced to run scams against their will, and a documentary his team has been quietly working on.   We also discuss one of the largest crypto thefts in history, how the attackers pulled it off, and why the weakest point in nearly every story is a person rather than a piece of code. Whether you work in fraud and security or you just want to understand how to keep yourself and your family safe, this one is packed with stories you have not heard and warnings you will want to remember.   Visit ChainPatrol to learn more: ⁠https://chainpatrol.com⁠   V I D E O S T O W A T C H N E X T   Think you can't be scammed? Think again: https://youtu.be/bAwpKd2IlGo   From CIA to Cyber Intelligence: 2026 Cyber Intelligence Predictions! https://youtu.be/3gPkMfPU31c   --------------------------------------------  

Since its arrival to the area in the late 1950s, the U.S. Air Force Academy has shaped the Colorado Springs community. Mike Peterson and Lisa Neener both flew for the Air Force for over 20 years and have a long history with the institution – and now, they're fired up about its future. With the opening of the new Hosmer Visitor Center right outside the North Gate, visitors can learn about USAFA's history and get a full understanding of the 47-month journey of a cadet through immersive exhibits. Learn about this new state welcome center and all of the ways to engage with the Academy as you visit the region. 

In Today's Episode: Host: Brandon Elliott,  https://zez.am/brandonelliottinvestments Guest: with Ryan Thompson The "Time Travel" Loophole: How to Get a 2% Mortgage Rate Right Now | Ready, Set, Go! Podcast Welcome back to the Ready, Set, Go! Real Estate Investing Podcast with your host, Brandon Elliott! In this episode, we sit down with Ryan Thomson, a Colorado Springs-based real estate investor and agent who found the ultimate loophole to today's high interest rates. Starting out as a social worker making just $30k a year, Ryan discovered house hacking in 2018 and rapidly scaled his portfolio to over 10 doors, allowing him to quit his W-2 job entirely. When interest rates spiked in 2022, Ryan pivoted his business and became an expert in Assumable Mortgages. Today, he leads a team of six agents across the Colorado Front Range, helping investors and primary home buyers "time travel" to secure interest rates as low as 2% to 3%! He has successfully helped over 80 buyers navigate this incredible strategy. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ Resourceful Links:  How To Get Up To $500,000 Every 6 Months At 0%: https://www.creditcounselelite.com/ Get Your Most Accurate Credit Report:https://myfreescorenow.com/enroll/?AID=COUNSELELITELLC&PID=18983 Best Credit Cards: https://milevalue.com/best-credit-cards/?aff=cce Free Credit Education Resources: https://creditcounselelite.com/articles Guide to Taking Massive Action: https://amzn.to/2IZMN8Z LEARN MORE CLICK HERE: https://www.creditcounselelite.com/fb-start-here ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ Meet Your Host, Brandon:  Brandon Elliott went from being off track finding himself on house arrest and burning 40% of his body to getting on track reaching $8.5 million in Assets and being acknowledged part of the "Top 100 Yahoo Finance" by using Credit Cards to buy small multi-family and scaling his businesses using the exact strategies taught in Credit Counsel Elite (CCE). CCE teaches business owners how to get up to $500,000 every 6 months at 0%. By being a member with CCE, you get to learn how to Travel Hack, get access to the 800 FICO Score Club in 30 days or less, fix credit quickly, receive $5K-15K+ of free sign up bonuses, buy Real Estate with Credit Cards, deep dive into Business Credit and Personal credit. To learn more visit: https://www.creditcounselelite.com/ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ Connect with Brandon Elliott:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandonelliottinvestor YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandonElliottInvestments Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandonelliottinvestments LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-elliott-6b1643148

Kai the AI Guy is back! This time we help out with a trip to Colorado Springs.

On this week's Regional Roundup, we bring you voices from Pride celebrations across the Rocky Mountain West. We also hear about a new app that connects LGBTQIA+ community members with volunteer opportunities in Utah and beyond. As drought conditions persist across the region, Trout Unlimited is urging anglers to give stressed fish a break by reducing fishing on rivers with low flows and warm water temperatures. We also hear from southwest Colorado, where dry conditions are affecting irrigators, growers and gardeners. With drought comes increased wildfire risk. We visit a firehouse in Salida that is looking to lessons from past fire seasons as they prepare for what could be another challenging summer. And in south-central Colorado, we visit a jazz group that is building community through music. A report from Montrose Pride. (KVNF) A report from Pikes Peak Pride in Colorado Springs. (KGNU) A report from Boulder Pride. (KGNU) An interview on the new VolunQueer app that connects members of the LGBTQIA+ community with volunteer opportunities in Utah and beyond.  A two way with Kirk Klancke of Trout Unlimited about educating fishers and anglers on the threats to fisheries due to low flow in rivers. (KGNU) A feature on reduced releases from McPhee reservoir in southwest Colorado and the impact on irrigators. (KSJD) A feature on a new jazz group that is creating community in south central Colorado. (KLZR)

Brewers senior strategist for player acquisition Daniel Cho joins Jeff Hem on the pregame show to talk about his role with the Brewers, the dynamic in his department as the Brewers constantly look for talent around baseball, the difficulty of acquiring players during a season, and working with Rick Sweet in 2018 in Colorado Springs.

Evan J. Mayer sits down with Tiago Lima, partner at Sovereign Wealth Strategy Group out of Colorado Springs, the first FABA guest who made the leap from the captive insurance world to the independent channel.Tiago Lima's participation in the For Advisors By Advisors podcast is independent of his activity as a financial advisor with Raymond James. 

In this message from Trace Church, Dr. T teaches on enduring hard seasons through the name Jehovah Nissi, “The Lord is my banner.” Looking at Exodus 17, we see how God met His people in battle, provided help through community, and reminded them that they were not fighting alone.If you are tired, weary, overwhelmed, or standing in the middle of a season you never expected, this message is a reminder to look up and find the banner. The cross still stands, the tomb is still empty, and Jesus has not left the field.Scripture References:Exodus 17:8-16John 9:1-31 Samuel 30John 10:10Romans 6:3-4Hebrews 13:5Matthew 11:28-30

Colorado Springs comes alive in the summer time, with so much to do it can be hard to keep track! Listen in as our Content Specialist Kate Hertz and Director of Communications Alexea Veneracion talk about some can't-miss events, important anniversaries and our favorite spots for a sweet treat! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss our next episode! Send any questions or inquiries to Media@VisitCOS.com.

Today, the story of one woman in recovery from an eating disorder that started when she was very young. The Eating Recovery Center in Denver has seen an uptick in younger kids needing treatment. Then, how the San Luis Valley overcame a justice system in crisis. Plus, we "Raise the Curtain" on a theater company in Colorado Springs with half a century under its belt. And we hike up Colorado's only active volcano! 

As strength and nutrition coaches, Dante and Ren help people reconnect with their bodies through intentional movement, strength, mindfulness, and outdoor adventure. We sit down with Dante Liberato and Ren Thorpe of The Den Somatics in Manitou Springs. From MMA fighters and endurance athletes to people from all walks of life, they take a holistic approach to health and performance that challenges traditional fitness norms.Host: Torie Giffin, Owner Buffalo Lodge Bicycle ResortGuests:Dante Liberato, Coach, Trainer - The DenRen Thorpe, CPT, CNC,CES, Strength & Nutrition Coach - The DenAs fellow bike commuters and cycling enthusiasts, Dante and Ren share their perspectives on movement, community, and training with purpose. We talk about The Den's growing cycling community, their Monday night rides, Dante's cycling roots, and his upcoming documentary Dante: 500 Miles on Psychedelics, which follows an extraordinary running journey. Whether you're a cyclist, athlete, or simply curious about living a healthier, more connected life, this conversation offers plenty of insight and inspiration.Follow Dante:Instagram: @buffalowarriorFacebook: Dante LiberatoStrava: Dante LiberatoThis Episode on Video: https://youtu.be/ey5KbI6SRbE?si=kGPDbXHwwzSTbSw9Learn More:Bicycle Day Albert Hofmann: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_Day_(psychedelic_holiday)Couchmilk: https://couchmilk.com/The Film Dante: 500 Miles on Psychedelics https://dante500.com/The Den Somatics: https://www.thedensomatics.com/The Feed: https://thefeed.com/Lifetime Fitness: https://www.lifetime.life/locations/co/colorado-springs.htmlTwisted Spoke: Spoke Break https://www.twistedspokecbd.com/Follow Pedal The Springs for more stories from the people, places, and events that make Colorado Springs one of America's great cycling communities.Pedal the Springs is produced and presented by the Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort, the only bicycle-themed lodging and must-stay for cyclists coming to Colorado. Check us out at https://www.bicycleresort.com for more information.Episodes are recorded in the Studio 809 Podcasts community podcast studio at The Next Us. https://thenextus.spaces.nexudus.com/?public&Find other great podcasts produced in and for the Pikes Peak Region - at https://studio809podcasts.comDon't miss an episode of Pedal the Springs. Follow on your favorite podcast app.

1. HEART OF THE MATTER 1A. Record-Breaking Missionary Numbers — Pres. Oaks at New Mission Leader Seminar At the 2026 Seminar for New Mission Leaders (June 18–21, Provo MTC), President Dallin H. Oaks announced that the Church will soon have the largest number of full-time missionaries in its history, surpassing the current 87,000+ serving worldwide. The surge is driven by the first wave of 18-year-old sister missionaries (following the November policy change lowering the minimum age from 19) and the addition of 55 new missions in July, bringing the global total to 506. President Oaks outlined three characteristics defining the restored Church: (1) the fulness of doctrine (including eternal marriage between a man and a woman); (2) priesthood authority and keys; and (3) a unique testimony of Christ grounded in modern revelation and the First Vision. Sister Kristin Oaks also spoke, sharing six core truths missionaries teach. Source: Church Newsroom, June 20, 2026 Note: Strong potential for discussion on what ‘only true and living church’ means in a pluralistic world — Richie angle? 1B. New Hymn ‘Welcome Home’ — The Story Behind It Composer Andrea Brett explains how a 2017 encounter with Demetrius O’Neal — a recent convert serving as a greeter at a Spokane ward on a snowy Sunday morning — inspired her hymn ‘Welcome Home,’ now published in the new Hymns for Home and Church. Brett submitted 10 pieces when the global hymnbook was announced in 2018; this was the only one she’d written before the call. She received confirmation of its selection in February 2025, then had a full-circle moment when she and O’Neal sat near each other at the April 2025 General Conference as the Tabernacle Choir performed it. O’Neal’s name appears in the hymn’s tune name as a tribute. The hymn is now translated and sung globally. Source: Church Newsroom / Richie’s document 1C. Family History Records Are a ‘Sacred Thread’ — Elder Bragg at International Archivists Congress Elder Mark A. Bragg, General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Church’s Family History Department and FamilySearch International, was a keynote speaker at the III Congress of Archivists: Digital Archive Expo (DA-EXPO), held June 8–12 in Astana, Kazakhstan. He called family history records ‘the thin but sacred thread’ tying people together across generations, and argued that records are ‘in a very real sense, witnesses.’ Elder Bragg framed the digital revolution in genealogy in moral terms: for most of history, access to records was shaped by ‘proximity, resources and specialized knowledge,’ but today a record created in one place can be preserved in another, indexed in a third, and discovered by someone on the other side of the world. ‘The reach is astonishing. The speed is breathtaking. The possibilities are almost beyond measure.’ He also said that ‘access is an act of kindness’ — records only fulfill their divine purpose when they are found, understood, and used. His core message: preserving memory is an act of hope. ‘It says that the past is not dead to us and that the future deserves more than fragments.’ Source: Church News, June 17, 2026 Angle: Great ‘quiet but meaningful’ story — LDS family history going global and leveling the playing field for genealogy worldwide. 1D. America Gives — All 50 States Receive Food Donations The Church completed a milestone in its ‘America Gives’ initiative by delivering a shipping container of food to Hilo, Hawaii — marking all 50 states reached. The initiative aims to deliver 250 truckloads of food nationwide in 2026 to celebrate the U.S. 250th anniversary. In Hawaii, the food went to The Food Basket, distributed to 10 local nonprofits. Notably, 42% of residents on the island of Hawaii face food insecurity — the state’s highest rate. Rosie Rios, chair of America 250 and former U.S. Treasurer, praised the milestone. Local Methodist pastor Ted Lesnett said recipients will know ‘when they were hungry, someone cared.’ Source: Church Newsroom / Richie’s document 1E. Church Donates $250,000 NZD to Christchurch Anglican Cathedral Rebuild The Church announced a NZ$250,000 donation (June 19, 2026) toward the restoration of Christchurch’s iconic Anglican Cathedral — damaged in the February 2011 earthquake. Elder Peter F. Meurs (Pacific Area President) and Anglican Bishop Peter Carrell presided at the announcement. The donation comes as the project faces a $45M funding shortfall and an overall $219M budget. The Christchurch City Council has offered $15M contingent on government and Anglican Church matches. Notably, a New Zealand Buddhist community made a similar gift in 2023 — the LDS donation continues a cross-faith pattern of support for the heritage project. Source: Richie’s document Angle: Rare and heartwarming — LDS funds an Anglican cathedral. Good interfaith story. 1F. Central America Humanitarian Blitz — 5 Projects, 500,000+ People In late May and early June 2026, the Church announced five humanitarian projects across Central America (with Sister J. Anette Dennis, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, representing the Church). Projects include: the ‘Windows of Light’ eyecare program in El Salvador (350,000+ screenings to date); safe water access for 250,000+ in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua (with UNICEF); nearly 750 computers/tablets donated to 66 educational institutions in Guatemala; and medical equipment for the ‘La Mascota’ children’s hospital in Nicaragua. Source: Church Newsroom, June 2026 2. FAITH & DOCTRINE 2A. President Christofferson in Philadelphia & Toronto A busy week of ministry for President D. Todd Christofferson: He offered the invocation at Becket’s Canterbury Medal Gala in Philadelphia (multifaith event celebrating religious liberty), alongside Elder Gary E. Stevenson and others. The group also visited the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall — fitting, ahead of America’s 250th. Christofferson reflected on D&C 101 and the Constitution’s purpose to protect ‘all flesh.’ From Philadelphia, he and Sister Christofferson traveled to Toronto, meeting 250+ missionaries in the Canada Toronto Mission weeks before it divides into three missions (Toronto West, Toronto East, and Montreal). He also spoke to hundreds of LDS youth, with one — Amelia Fischer — saying ‘no amount of words can describe how I felt tonight.’ Source: Richie’s document / Church Newsroom 2B. BYU Scholar Study: Religion Adds 7.6 Years to Life The BYU Wheatley Institute is releasing three reports analyzing 3,000 of the most scientifically rigorous studies (culled from 60,000+ papers by Duke University) on religion and health. Key findings: 33/34 studies show improved social health; 10/11 show improved mental health; 7/8 show improved physical health. Regular worshippers live an average of 7.6 years longer (up to 13.7 years longer for African Americans). A ‘landmark finding’: 256 studies show religion prevents/aids recovery from substance abuse (vs. 6 showing negative impact). Author Loren Marks recommends public health frameworks treat religious involvement like exercise recommendations. Source: Richie’s document 2C. Elder Soares Testifies in the Philippines Elder Ulisses Soares completed a two-week ministry in the Philippines (mid-May 2026), meeting with 600+ young single adults in Cebu, 450+ in Quezon City, and 340+ missionaries at the Philippines MTC. His recurring message: ‘His arms are extended to all of us.’ The Philippines has more than 905,000 Latter-day Saints — the Church’s fourth-largest national membership. Two new temples were also dedicated in the Philippines this month: the Davao Philippines Temple (Elder Renlund, May 3) and the Bacolod Philippines Temple (Elder Andersen, May 31). Source: Church Newsroom, June 17, 2026 3. CULTURE & CURIOSITIES 3A. LDS Author in Everyman’s Library — A First BYU biology and bioethics professor Steven L. Peck has reportedly become the first Latter-day Saint author included in the prestigious Everyman’s Library series (publishing canonical English fiction since 1906). His 2012 novella A Short Stay in Hell — a philosophical horror story about a Mormon man condemned to an afterlife library containing every possible book — went viral on BookTok and found a new audience. A literature historian noted: ‘No Mormon or Mormon-adjacent writer that I know of has ever been featured in this prestigious series.’ The Salt Lake Tribune covered the story, noting the irony that a theological horror story marks one of the most significant moments in LDS literary history. Source: Salt Lake Tribune / Richie’s document 3B. The Sasine Family — 40 Countries Before Age 1 Keith and Chelsea Sasine, an LDS couple stationed in Germany (Keith is an Army oral surgeon), made history in November 2025 by taking their youngest daughter Mia to 40 countries before her first birthday (March–November 2025), using a Honda Odyssey for European road trips. The family of six (including Izzy, 10; Abby, 9; and John, 4) attends local wards wherever they travel — a faith anchor the couple says strengthened their testimony and taught their kids the importance of the Sabbath globally. They’re planning a move to Colorado Springs in 2026. Source: Richie’s document 3C. Jen Affleck (Secret Lives of Mormon Wives) Expecting Baby #4 Jen Affleck, 27-year-old star of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and Dancing with the Stars alum, announced June 18 that she and husband Zac Affleck are expecting their fourth child. She shared the news on Instagram captioned ‘Chapter Four.

What builds trust when you don't have a title or position of authority? SUMMARY According to Lt. Col. Joe Bledsoe '11, it's honesty, integrity, humility presence and action. Tune in as he shares practical leadership lessons learned from the Academy, combat aviation and years of mentoring others.   SHARE THIS EPISODE FACEBOOK  |  LINKEDIN   COL. BLEDSOE'S TOP 10 LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS 1. Leadership starts before the title. People follow your example, ideas, and presence long before you get formal authority. 2. Informal leadership is as real as formal leadership. Class president, wingman, or peer—your influence, credibility, and support role matter even without rank. 3. Be “clay to be molded.” Show eagerness, humility, and effort; people notice fresh attitude and willingness to embrace hard things. 4. You can't lead alone—build a trusted team. Time management and heavy responsibility force you to delegate to people you trust and empower them. 5. Trust has two layers: inherent and earned. Start with inherent trust (shared values, shared background) and deliberately grow earned trust through behavior. 6. Five traits that build credibility fast: Honesty, integrity, humility, presence (actually being there, engaged), and decisive action. 7. Debrief like a fighter pilot: brutally honest, never personal. Separate the person from the performance, do root‑cause analysis, fix errors, and then move on—no re‑litigating. 8. Own your mistakes out loud. Saying “I'm sorry,” “I was wrong,” or “I don't know, but I'll find out” accelerates trust and models humility. 9. Mentors and mentees are non‑negotiable. Continuously seek guidance from those ahead of you and invest in those behind you to sharpen your own thinking. 10. Prioritize relationships and pride in the mission. Treat family and friends well, cultivate the Long Blue Line, and remember you're on the A‑team—act like it.   CHAPTERS 00:00:00 — Opening & Guest Intro Show open, Naviere introduces Lt Col Joe “Paveway” Bledsoe and his career highlights. 00:01:13 — Voluntold to Lead: Becoming Class President Basic cadet training, being “voluntold,” interview gauntlet, and getting elected class president. 00:04:09 — What a Class President Actually Does Informal vs formal leadership, picking the class exemplar (Robin Olds), dining‑ins, spirit missions, and accountability. 00:08:38 — From Future Doctor to Fighter Pilot Arriving at USAFA wanting to be a physician, loving biology and medicine, and the first seeds of doubt. 00:10:03 — Ops Air Force, Powered Flight, and the Pivot Deployed Ops Air Force in CENTCOM, exposure to flying in theater, powered flight, and choosing pilot training over med school. 00:12:22 — Mentors, Family, and Making a Hard Call Mentorship from family, upperclassmen, and permanent party; emotional weight of changing paths and family's reaction. 00:14:08 — Leading Without Rank: Credibility and Trust Informal leadership as a young wingman, lessons from time management and delegation as class president, inherent vs earned trust, and key traits (honesty, integrity, humility, presence, action). 00:22:06 — Fighter Pilot Debriefs & Radical Feedback Culture Brutally honest debriefs, owning mistakes, root‑cause analysis, safety and mission focus, and how that mindset translates beyond the cockpit. 00:27:48 — Leadership at Home: Marriage, Parenting, and ‘Knock It Off' High‑school‑sweetheart marriage, parenting, using accountability and humility with kids, and balancing “fighter pilot” mode with being a husband and dad. 00:30:30 — Future Conflict, Growth, and Pride in the Long Blue Line Risk and future fight, Institute for Future Conflict, exposure to other AFSCs and logistics, daily growth habits (mentors, mentees, reading, writing, running), advice to younger self, and closing message on being proud of USAFA and the A‑team.   ABOUT COL. BLEDSOE BIO Lt. Col. Joseph “Paveway” Bledsoe '11 is a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and recognized leader whose career has spanned combat operations, advanced airpower development and service to the Long Blue Line. A native of rural Pennsylvania, Bledsoe graduated from the Academy in 2011 with a degree in biology before earning a Master of Public Policy from the University of Maryland.  He is Currently assigned to the Institute for Future Conflict at the U.S. Air Force Academy where he studies the future of airpower, emerging technologies and the challenges of great-power competition. Prior to joining the Institute, he helped lead training and operational planning efforts at the 366th Fighter Wing, contributing to major exercises and the wing's first deployment to the Indo-Pacific region. His work bridges the gap between today's operational realities and tomorrow's strategic challenges. A recipient of the Association & Foundation's Young Alumni Excellence Award, Bledsoe is widely respected for his emphasis on faith, family and service. Throughout his career, he has remained deeply connected to the Academy community through mentorship, alumni leadership and a commitment to developing the next generation of leaders. On this episode of Long Blue Leadership, he shares lessons learned from leading peers, building influence before authority and navigating high-stakes decisions in both the cockpit and the profession of arms.   CONNECT WITH JOE LINKEDIN   CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LINE PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor:  Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org Please note: we are only considering USAFA graduates as guests at this time. Ryan Hall | Director:  Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org     ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE AT USAFA.ORG/LONGBLUELEADERSHIP AND ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS     FULL TRANSCRIPT Guest, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Joe "Paveway" Bledsoe" '11  |  Host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99    Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz 0:01 Sometimes leadership begins long before you've ever been put in charge. It starts when people trust you enough to follow your example, your ideas or your vision. I'm Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99; Long Blue Leadership starts now. Well, Lt. Col. Joe “Paveway” Bledsoe the Third. Welcome to Long Blue Leadership. Lt. Col. Joe Bledsoe 0:20 Naviere, it's great to see you. Thank you for having me here today. I'm looking forward to the conversation. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:24 So, Joe, your career has been exciting so far, and you're still in it. You know, you have been operational leader, obviously an F-15E Strike Eagle pilot. You've been deployed, you have been a researcher, you're a Young Alumni Excellence Award winner for our Association & Foundation, you've been an AOG board director and a fellow for the Institute for Future Conflict. And that, that's just, you know, a short little list, because you're a student heading back into, over to, is it North Carolina, right? Seymour Johnson.   Col. Joe Bledsoe 0:53 That's correct. Seymour Johnson, yep.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:54 In the cockpit, yeah. Col. Joe Bledsoe 0:56 Yeah, we're super excited. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:59 Yes. Well, we're going to touch on probably many of those places, but I want to dial it back to something that only one graduate in every class experiences, and for you it happened shortly after Basic Cadet Training. Your class selected you as your class president. How did that come about? Col. Joe Bledsoe 1:14 How did that all go down? That's a great question. So there we were, right after basic training. I was in Cadet Squadron 19 for my freshman year, and I got the opportunity — this is one of those voluntold moments, right — where the upperclassmen and BCT cadre said, “Joe,” or “Cadet Bledsoe, report to H-1 during transition week.” That's when everybody's coming back, and you're like, “Sure, yep, yes, sir, yes, ma'am. Here we go.” So I show up with 40, 50 other fourth-class cadets, and we come to find out it was for us, and we were going to go through who was going to be the class officers. So first off, as I look back on that experience, a lot of respect and no humility being asked to go like represent Squadron 19, right? Like, I didn't volunteer, they just kind of pointed me in that direction, so we show up and got to interview with the upperclassmen, class officers, and there's funny interview questions, real serious interview questions. You know, I was just honest, right? Like, I'm here. This is what I think about what being a leader looks like, and how I could help serve the class, not thinking I would ever be selected, right? And as the night is going on, and ACQ is right around the corner, they kind of whittle it down to four or five of us, and we get up in front of the rest of the cadets and classmates that were there, and it was an open forum, like you know, back in Rome times, like you're standing in the gauntlet, Yeah, like it was like Roman voting, right? And asked a bunch of questions, and I remember standing up there with, you know, preppies, prior enlisted, and then me, just like straight off the street, and there's a couple other of us up there, and just answer the questions honestly, and at the end of that, there was a vote, and you know, they read the results, and I was like, "Holy smokes, I'm class president. How did this, how did this happen,” right? And I think there's a lot that — it was daunting at first, right? And then also, like, “This is awesome, I don't know what I'm getting into,” right? I just found out about it. I remember walking back on the Tizo. This was the first time I can say this now, because you know, grad, and I didn't run the strips because the upperclassmen and class officers walked me back, and I distinctly remember to — back to my squadron to — Jordan Kraft and Forrest Underwood walked back and were given some mentorship to me, like here's how to succeed, here's things we would recommend, and it was just an awesome opportunity to like kind of learn what pure leadership looks like, what it means to be in this not org chart that is unique to the Academy, and that's where the, that's where the adventure started for class president. I'm still, I haven't been fired yet, and I still proudly serve the Class of 2011 — Robin Olds' class — as their class president, and it's one of the best jobs that I have the privilege of doing. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 4:10 My goodness. I mean, just to unpack that a little bit, obviously, in basic cadet training, you did enough to impress your cadre, I'm sure that there was probably some sort of cadre selection to bring however many of them forth first. Would you say that you would you agree with that, or is that — am I way off? Col. Joe Bledsoe 4:28 Yeah, I would say —I think when I look back my time at basic training, like I wanted to come to the Academy since I was in your school, right? So, like, I thrived — I'm not saying it was easy by any means, right? We all know that, but I thrived in like this new adventure, right? And I took everything, I embraced everything. I think that may have been something they saw, right? Like I was clay to be molded, right? And I had some prior opportunities in basic to show that to my BCT cadre, and they picked up on it. It wasn't that I was trying, but I think looking back on that experience, there was moments of like my freshness, my eagerness, my like pride in that I made it to basic training, that I wanted to just try as hard as I could, and I think some of that probably shown through, and ultimately may have been why I was selected to go try that interview process, right? Col. Naviere Walkewicz 5:20 So that interview process, at the end of the day, you were elected by your peers, and you know it — to your point — you said in that unusual, the not normal org chart, right, the one that doesn't exist, but yet you have leadership of your class. What did that look like? How did that translate? Because not many of us are class president, I'm certainly not my class president, and so I'm not sure what that leadership role looks like. Can you share a little bit more about some examples? Col. Joe Bledsoe 5:46 Yeah, I think that that leadership role was very different each year, right? As a freshman and a sophomore, as a four-degree and a three-degree, before any official academy leadership position starts to present themselves, that they do for two-degrees and firsties, it was a lot of helping the class stay as a collective whole, right? So one of the first big things as freshmen was selecting our class exemplar, right? And running like — how do, who do we select? How do we come together and figure that process out? How do we then, once we have a name, once we selected Robin Olds, how do we have a formal dining in? Things that I had never even heard of, right? As well as on the other side, the shenanigans, right? So, the spirit missions, right? There was many times I've had to go to the commandant's office and say, I don't know where the class crest is, like, out of pure honesty, right? But, like, that is, that was like a way, as an underclassman, that we kind of got that informal leadership, but also you're the leader by default here, so we're gonna, we're gonna make you accountable for your class. So I got to see both sides, that transitioning a little bit more to two-degree and first a year was now taking a little bit step back in writing in the informal leadership position, so I looked as myself as like a supporting agent, supporting member to our cadet leadership, and I always presented that like, “Hey, if you need our class to do something, I will do that, but if militarily you own that, like, I'm not ever going to step on your toes or push back,” right? The other thing we got, I was able to do is also help provide, like, morale inputs, right? Like you kind of had the pulse of morale, I think, more as the class president sometimes than in the official leadership, so could help provide some inputs along those ways, and there are some, say more shenanigans or morale events that we get to help put forth and present those to the cadet leadership for official approval later on as we firsties. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 8:04 Gosh, well, that was, I mean, it's really insightful for us to understand some of the roles that a class president and class cabinet plays, and so understanding that it's — I like how you put it as a supporting agent to the formal leadership. And we're gonna touch on this a lot more, because I think there's going to be times when you'll share how you build that trust and credibility throughout, both when you're a cadet and as an officer. But before we jump there, I happen to find out, Joe, that you weren't coming to the Air Force Academy to become a fighter pilot, but to become a physician. Can we talk about that for a moment? Col. Joe Bledsoe 8:37 Absolutely, that's absolutely a — I came to the Air Force Academy, wanted to be a doctor. I knew I wanted to be a biology major. I declared, I think, the first day I could declare and went through the gauntlet of getting ready for med school applications, and I loved every second of it. It was awesome. Even my fellow classmates would say he was a huge nerd and studying all the time, because that was my goal, right? I came into the Academy, and I wanted to be a doctor, and I knew the gauntlet that is, that that is required to do such a thing. And I still love medicine, right? I still love — I think medicine is fascinating. Every time my probably get there someday, or in the conversation, but anytime my kids have to go to the ER, like I'm like, “Can I scrub in,” right? All that kind of stuff. Yeah, put me in. I love medicine, and it wasn't till the summer between my two-degree and firstie year did I have that midlife crisis at the age of 21 and then firstie year is when that crisis kind of came to a head, and new doors opened, and here we are today, right? So that, yes, you're absolutely right. Always wanted to be a doctor. I was still fascinated by medicine, but now I'm just a pilot. So, there we go. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 9:57 So, can we, can you expand a bit more on it? So, was it a decision you wanted to make or a decision you had to make? Col. Joe Bledsoe 10:03 Yeah, yeah, that's great. It was a decision I had to make, ultimately, myself. Right? No one, no one said, “Joe, you can't be a doctor.” So, the summer — there's two key things that really happened that helped influence that decision. The first one was the summer between two-degree in firstie year, I had the opportunity to deploy to the Middle East, and we've heard of Ops Air Force. You know Ops Air Force. Well, at that time we had a deployed Ops Air Force, so they sent cadets overseas to deployed locations to see what was, you know, to get the full experience in a deployed location. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 10:40 Wow. Col. Joe Bledsoe 10:40 So I had the opportunity to do that. Spent the summer in CENTCOM and kind of opened my eyes to… Col. Naviere Walkewicz 10:47 Oh, Central Command. Col. Joe Bledsoe 10:47 Yeah, sorry, Central Command, and got to experience — I got attached to a C-130 unit, right, and I got to see what flying looked like in a deployed environment, and I kind of opened my eyes, where I've been hyper focused on medicine, right? Like, you know, so focused on this is what it takes to be a doctor. I kind of like put my blinders on to what the rest of the Air Force did, right? So I was like, “This is pretty, this is, these guys and gals are doing awesome stuff, like this is this is the pointy end of what was going on.” And that planted a seed, that planted a seed. So it came back, firstie year was doing the med school applications, going through, I had some free time in my academic calendar, and I got to go down to the airfield and do the powered flight program. So, I got to see flying over the summer, and then I was blessed enough to have the opportunity to go fly an airplane, and I was like, “OK, the seed was planted, let's see if I get air sick, like, let's see if there's anything else here that might make me not want to do this.” And I loved it. Right, I fell in love with flying down at the airfield. I came back, and I was like, I'm gonna pause the med school applications and put my name in the hat for pilot training, and the rest was history, right? So, doors open, doors close, right? But that was my story, and I loved getting to talk to cadets about that, because so many can be — so many times we see some that are hyper focused, and like there's always other options out there, and it's OK to have a crisis we can talk you through. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 12:23 I think that's a fantastic lesson that you actually learned early, because you know it's interesting — had you not been sent to Ops Air Force at a deployed location, you might not have taken Alex flight, and so you know when you think about leadership opportunities and lessons, this is one of those moments where it actually steered you in a new direction. So, as we think about that, I'm curious, how your family responded to that, because, you know, you had come to the Air Force Academy to be a doctor. Were they happy for you? Were they surprised, a little nervous? Col. Joe Bledsoe 12:57 Yeah, there was a ton of mentorship there, right? Not just from my family, but from upperclassmen peers, permanent party, like, “What are you doing? Like, you came here telling us this was your goal. Where did this new goal come from?” So, there was a lot of time talking that through, and I needed that myself. It wasn't, as you know, in any decision, like, it wasn't a snap decision. So, a lot of time walking through that decision process and leaning on mentors and kind of asking the questions, like I knew what four years of med school, and then residency, but I knew what that like, what does pilot training look like? How long does that take, right? So, a lot of questions to help answer, or to find answers through, and ultimately, my family was super supportive, super supportive, and they still joke, like, “Hey, how come you're not doctor.” Well, because I fly F-15s now, right? But all supportive all throughout the process, right? And that's where you lean on others, right? Lean on others, because it very much felt like a crisis, like I still have scar tissue over it. But looking back on it, it wasn't just me making — I ultimately made the decision, but they helped me through it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 14:08 That's fantastic. You know, I think about you as an officer, as a fighter pilot, and obviously there's a lot of steps you took to get there on the road was certainly not easy. Often, though, I think that there can be some misconceptions, or maybe this is accurate, that earlier in your pilot life or your aviator life, there's probably not a lot of leadership lessons where you're leading others. Maybe, maybe that's a misperception, and we'd love to talk about that. You know, how do you find the leadership opportunities then when you are, you know, you're party of one, right? You don't necessarily have any direct reports. What does leadership look like there? Col. Joe Bledsoe 14:43 Yeah, can we take that back to like some lessons I learned at the Academy?   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 14:46 Oh, absolutely.   Col. Joe Bledsoe 14:47 Right, I think, I think that's where I've leaned most heavily in, like, not in there's this difference between formal leadership and informal, positional versus informal, and I was blessed enough at a pretty young age to learn the plus — the how to succeed and how to fail in informal leadership. I've tried to carry that throughout my career. So when you say like the younger days of being a wingman in the F-15 community, it's a lot about credibility. It's a lot about that peer leadership. How do you build the credibility? How do you build the trust to be someone that others look up to in that informal system, right, in that informal system. When they look down their phone, like, “Who do I call? Who do I have to call? Who do I want to call?” Right? and I think that's where you have to balance some of that stuff, and I spent time thinking about that, and trying to lean on lessons that I learned from the Academy, and while formal leadership positions were never handed to me, that doesn't mean you're not a leader, right? Like, you can't beat it, doesn't mean you don't just get to sit back and not lead. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 16:02 Can you share an example of a time when you learned that about yourself, or what that looked like?   Col. Joe Bledsoe 16:09 In the flying world? Col. Naviere Walkewicz 16:11 Or as a cadet?   Col. Joe Bledsoe 16:12 Yeah, as a cadet, I think the biggest one was — I'll take it back to, like, freshman, sophomore year, where I learned one of the key pillars that I'm convinced the Air Force Academy teaches all us grads about is time management, right? And I thought I was pretty good at time management, and then when you're now the president of 1,000 other cadets, your inbox fills up very quickly, right? Or you're like, “I thought I was good at time management.” And I learned very quickly that you can't do it alone, right? You can't do it alone, and I had to learn to surround myself with people that I trusted and that I could delegate or hand tasks off to, and just say, “I need this accomplished,” and I did that to my friends that I knew would get the mission done, right? And I had to have that level of trust, and I think that is translated throughout my career, where I inherently trust people with a project, right? I think there's two versions of trust, inherent trust and earned trust. When I look at the graduate network, whether that's the Air Force Academy, Navy, West Point, and I see a class ring, I'm like, “I inherently trust you,” and I can, I believe, or I see some other veterans have on — like, “I inherently trust you,” and then in other cases where I've had to learn and work with people, it's now, “I'm earning your trust, and I hope you're earning mine as well,” and that is this unique balance of I inherently trust you, I learned that at the Academy. Now let's build on that as a foundation and get this earned trust to as high as we can. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 17:54 What does some of that earned trust or becoming more credible look like when young leaders don't have the benefit of time? Right, so I, the more time I work with you, the more I learn about you. You build that credibility, etc. How does one accomplish that, maybe either shorten the gap or do that a little quicker or impactfully earlier? Col. Joe Bledsoe 18:18 Yeah, time is always — like we always need more time, right? How often do you say, like, “I only have 24 hours, but I need more time,” right? So, if we're always fighting time, like, and everybody's fighting time, then, like, that's a constant. So, let's not worry about time. So, I look at it as, like, what traits do people bring to the table, or what traits can we can we sharpen? Honesty, right? Honesty is huge. You have to be honest, and that's a pillar of trust. Integrity, right? Integrity first and showing people that you display integrity is really important. Humility, I think, is also really important. Humility is really important. I was listening to a podcast the other day, and it really struck home to me, a sense of humility is — if a leader is able to say three things, they're gonna — I know I could, I can build that trust, no matter what that time gap is. “I'm sorry,” “I was wrong,” or one of the seven basic responses: “I don't know, but I'll find out,” right? I think that's really important with humility. The other one is presence, not with a T, like we're not giving presents, but presence. Being present is really important character trait in my mind, and the fifth one that I try to reflect on a lot is action. Right? I think defaulting to not doing something is not what we want. That doesn't help build trust. Taking action with what knowledge you have and making a decision is really important, and I think those are the traits that help build that credibility, help build that trust in that time gap, whatever that looks like. If you can hit those, the five that I try to hit home. If you can do that, hopefully you're building that relationship that is going to foster — have great fruition out of it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 20:06 That's outstanding, and that's really helpful, I think. I love how you took out the constant of time being an excuse, right? Like, we don't always have the benefit of time, whether it's time and getting more experience or just time in general, I think those are outstanding examples of how you can build credibility. So, thank you for sharing that. You know, one of the things that I also would love to kind of dig into a little bit of your experiences, Joe — because they've been really vast, right? So, I don't believe that everyone has the same kind of path. How have you grown as a leader in these different experiences that really, again, aren't positional leadership roles? I'm just curious, how your growth has been in that space. Col. Joe Bledsoe 20:47 Think a lot of it's been through failure. I think a lot of it's been through failure. These might not be huge, like we lost a million dollars, or like, not through those kind of failures, but relationship failures, or conversation failure at the micro level, and how I've tried to handle that is surround myself with people that will tell me that the emperor — I'm gonna go back to the, I'm gonna go back to the old fairy tale, or fable, right? If you surround yourself with people that are able to come up to you, and you trust them, and you trust their feedback, that is something I've tried, that was Cadet Bledsoe, advice given to me is Cadet Bledsoe. Surround yourself with people that you will listen to and take their feedback honestly. And sometimes that means if I don't have that person in the room and I know I fumbled a conversation or I made a poor decision, it's going to that individual and saying, “I messed up, I'm sorry, I was wrong,” or “I don't know,” right. And that's how I try to use that to present humility, I think, and that's important, because we're all fallible, we all make mistakes, and if I can't admit that, then, like, we're off to the wrong foot right away. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 22:06 Do you think some of that that skill that you've developed over time has been something that you've learned in, and forgive me, I don't know if it's a fighter pilot community, specifically, or you know, I think about when you do your sorties and you have some sort of debrief, right? I feel what I've heard, I've not actually sat in one, but they're very real. Like, there's no, it's not about making you feel good about it, like it's about the safety and the mission, and so I'm curious, if that skill of humility, and you know, calling a spade a spade, and calling it I'm wrong and I'm wrong, did that come from some of that experience, and maybe you can talk through what that's like, because not everyone, I think, practices at that level of transparency. Col. Joe Bledsoe 22:46 Yeah, the fighter pilot debrief. I learned some of the importance of that through mentorship as a cadet, and then that was sharpened as a fighter pilot. And I learned the importance of that through the form, my formal job, right, the mission, the lives at stake, aircraft, that kind of stuff. And I think I've tried, I've only honed that skill through Air Force training, right? The Air Force has trained me to think like that, and I've tried to translate that into my personal life and leadership positions, because I think there's tons of value to that. There is tons of value in being willing to find a mistake, own up to that mistake with the knowledge and hope that it doesn't happen again, right? And if that is like, if you, if that's your north star, we don't do this again, like, why wouldn't you want to be on that team? Why wouldn't, why don't you want to be? That's how we get better, right? And I think that seed again was planted as a cadet. Like, let's, I tell cadets all the time, like, you're joining the A-team, so put in A effort, right? Like, if you're going to join the A-team, I don't want B-players, and this is what we got to get, like, let's go, right? It's a motivating factor in my mind. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 24:08 What are some of the ways to approach that in a leadership conversation for someone who would be interested in taking on some of those, those learned lessons? Col. Joe Bledsoe 24:18 Yeah, I think the first thing is transparency and honesty right up front. Like this, Naviere, if we were flying together, right and you were my instructor, your job is not to degrade me as a human, but to prove to me that I made a mistake with the ultimate goal of making me better, right? Your job is to always, like — and the relationship you and I have as an instructor and a student is my — I'm gonna sit here in the debrief and go, and Naviere is here to make me better, right? Like, that's your, that's your job, right? Right. So, once you start that as the foundation, like, it can only get better if I know your job is to make me better, and your job is I'm supposed to make this guy better, right. And often we can, when feedback is provided, you're like, this could be a personal attack, or, like, that's all left out, that's all left outside the debrief room, right? Like, we're here to make everybody better, and I think that's where it starts: with that transparency and honesty up front of the expectation. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 25:15 So you'll actually say that. You would actually… Col. Joe Bledsoe 25:17 No, I think that's just a common, that's a common theme, right? That's the expectation in the community. And not just in the fighter community. I think it's throughout the Air Force, right? I think that's what makes us really, really unique. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 25:32 Because feedback is something that we, we do — although maybe some can do it better than others — I think that's a really fantastic way — before you're giving someone feedback, you're really clear on this is what we're hoping to accomplish by having this time together. And so, I think what you just said can make feedback so much more impactful, because it's not about the person, it's about what are we trying to accomplish and helping you, I guess. It is about you, but ultimately helping you. Col. Joe Bledsoe 25:59 Absolutely, right? Like the where every debrief starts is we had a mission objective and we had tactical objectives. Did we do them? If we didn't, let's figure out why, right? So translating to the business world or private sector, it's a root cause analysis, right? It's a root cause analysis, and we will get down to the nitty gritty of like, what type of error — did you make a decision error? Did you perceive the environment wrong? Did your actions cause the error, right? And we get down to that level, so that when the student, student Paveway walks away, Naviere, knows, Naviere, you gave me the exact, like, you decided wrong, because X, Y and Z; don't do that again. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 26:43 Right. Col. Joe Bledsoe 26:44 Here's your fix. You know, that debrief can take hours, and that's the beauty of it, right? “We're gonna sit there, and we're not gonna let anything not be uncovered, because we're gonna go do this again tomorrow, and we can't make the same mistake tomorrow,” right? “We can't make the same mistake.” Col. Naviere Walkewicz 27:01 No, that's, that's fantastic. I mean, to have it that clear, and to know it, like, OK, we're not gonna, we don't stay in that space. We've addressed it, we know we've identified a fix, and we move forward. Is that what you said? Col. Joe Bledsoe 27:12 Absolutely. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 27:13 There's no like, continue to revisit, like… Col. Joe Bledsoe 27:15 Yep, that's the point, right? Like, “I've learned something, I know, I've acknowledged my mistake. Let's move on. This wasn't personal, this was you making me better.” Iron sharpens iron, right? So, here we go, and then move on. And now that translates, as you asked kind of a couple minutes ago, right, that can translate to so many things in your life, right? And I try to do that sometimes, like my wife will tell me, I go too fighter pilot, but there's versions of that that translate as we are not in a fight or pilot debrief. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 27:50 You literally got in my head because I was gonna say, now I want to put you on the spot, because Joe, you are married to your high school sweetheart, you make a 2% club, right? Like, you actually started the Academy with a sweetheart and ended with the same sweetheart. And now you have three amazing, beautiful children. How do you translate that to, you know, feedback to your family or your personal life? And I love how your wife said too fighter pilot, but how about to your kids? Col. Joe Bledsoe 28:15 Yeah, married my high school sweetheart, Alicia. We started dating our sophomore year, and we've been together ever since. So she is not a grad, but she has a lot of Air Force in her blood, so that's great, and the kids, I would say there's a couple things when it comes to taking some things I've learned or been trained in the Air Force, translating on the home front. The first one goes to accountability, right? I think accountability is really important because in an aircraft, you have to be accountable for your actions, and I think that translates to being a parent, as well as trying to teach the kids some humility. Right, where to be humble, when to own up to your mistakes, and sometimes that works in the fighter pilot way, sometimes it doesn't, and I think that's leadership, right? You can have leadership skills and be consistent in some, in some ways, but other times adaptability is really important, especially with the kids, and each one of my kids is very unique, and we have to cater to each one of them and their unique skills. I will say about my wife, I love her with all my heart, but she knows the words “knock it off” as well, right, because that's a sacred word, not just in the military, but on our, in our homefront, and that usually means stop being a full fighter pilot, like go back to being Dad, right? So she knows, she knows the words and how to make that all go down. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 29:47 I love that it's another language, right? You have your, your fighter pilot language, and you have a home front language. I love that. Thank you for sharing that. You know, I'd like to switch gears a little bit to your time operationally, and maybe this translates into now your work at the Institute, or your most recent work at the Institute for Future Conflict and preparing cadets for the future fight. I'm curious, how all of these skills that you've learned, and these leadership traits that you've continued to develop in yourself, have translated in moments of, you know, like, real conflict, real distress, like when the stakes are high, and how you prepare cadets to think that way, even though maybe they've not experienced that. I'm just curious, what that looks like. Col. Joe Bledsoe 30:31 Yeah, it is hard to translate — like cadets love war stories, right? Like, “So there I was…” but it's hard to translate some of, like, the putting, having the cadets put themselves in the shoes of someone that has 15 years of flying under their belt, right? Like, that's hard for them to grasp, and I understand that, and that's not what I'm asking of them to do, but there are certain skills that I think are really important, and that I've got to experience and talk to cadets and research and spend time thinking about at the Institute for Future Conflict at the IFC. One is risk, right? How do we, how do we think about risk, right? Are we risk prone? We risk adverse? How do we think about risk, not just in this moment, but how does our decision today affect five days from now, a month, right? And, as you remember, because I know it happened to you as a cadet, like you're just in the, like, “What's my next problem,” right? What's my next — OK, how does, like, fixing this problem affect next week? Right. And I think that's what I've got had the opportunity to think a lot about the IFC, as well as try one thing I've learned being back here at the Academy was my experience as a cadet is not the same experience as the cadets now. And what do I mean by that is when I graduated, GWOT, Global War on Terror was the thing we knew what we were getting into. I very much knew flying, going to the Middle East. Now the cadets looked to me and other permanent party, and like, what's our fight going to look like? And right, the question mark is, I don't know, but let me tell you, think about this, and I could be wrong, and I think that is where I've had a lot of time to think about future conflict and what's problems, maybe not nations or adversaries, but like big meta level things they'll have to think about, information access, information sharing, trust, right? How do you, how do you help develop some of these skills in the cadets? And that's where I've spent a lot of time the last two years trying to think and spend, spend some brain bytes, like what does air power look like in this unknown environment? Col. Naviere Walkewicz 32:52 And as you're about to step back into it, I'm thoughtful of that, and so now you're taking what you've helped cadets start to hone in and think about. How are you different now as a leader going back into the cockpit than you were when you came to the Academy? Col. Joe Bledsoe 33:09 Yeah, let me get back to the cockpit, and everyone can tell me what, how I'm different. We'll use that as the test. But here's one thing I think — I've reflected on this recently, going back to the Strike Eagle community. One has been my exposure here in Colorado Springs and at the Air Force Academy, meaning I've learned a lot about what others do that I wasn't — I knew other jobs existed, I knew other AFSCs did things, but not being in a flying day-to-day ops tempo, I've had the opportunity to sit down and, like, “What do you say you do?” “Oh, that has some effects here, here, and here,” and I use a specific vignette would be, I've got to spend a lot of time in the management department and helped teach in the global logistics minor, and like, I knew there was logisticians in the Air Force, and like, that's yeah, right? That's how stuff got here, but like, understanding the importance of, like, that's how my bombs got here, this is how the b…, right, like, truly understanding their frustrations, I think will make me get less frustrated in my day to day, right, and I think that has been one thing that the Academy has given back to me the second time I've been here, is a little bit more exposure to the Air Force, as well as the Space Force, being here in Colorado Springs, like seeing what each team member, like each cog in the machine brings to the fight, right? And I think that's been a blessing here. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 34:42 So those that you will begin to get back working with — your men and women in your community — they won't have had that exposure, and so I'm now going back to our where we started with the sense of informal leadership. How do you help others gain that experience and thought, and maybe thought process informally, since they haven't really been exposed to that? How would you help them navigate it? Col. Joe Bledsoe 35:09 Naviere, I think the best way to do stuff like that is, like, you raised your hand when you said logistics officers, like Naviere, we're doing a podcast with my next squadron, you're coming to talk, right? Col. Naviere Walkewicz 35:19 Right, it's like that was like a long time ago, we need someone more recent. Col. Joe Bledsoe 35:24 But, OK, Naviere, it's not you, but you know people, that's how stuff gets done, right, that's how stuff gets done. And while I by no means want to stand up in front of everybody and say I'm the expert on logistics, but I, I'm not that person, but I trust Naviere, Naviere's contact here, and that's how, like, you create this network of knowledge and this network of trust and credibility. And to my, to the fighter pilots that I'll be flying with, it's somewhat like throwing mud at the wall sometimes, like we're gonna keep throwing mud and see what sticks, but at least they know it's there, right? Like, we're gonna, your job is still to go kill things and blow things up, but at the same time, you know there's this other network out there that you can lean into. But let me be a conduit to make that happen. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 36:15 That is awesome. That's fantastic. So I want to go into this period now, where we talk about you and your continued growth as a leader. What is something, Joe, that you're doing every day to be a better leader? Col. Joe Bledsoe 36:30 I have mentors, and I've tried to find mentees. I think that is where growth can happen, leaning on others for mentorship and mentees to try to talk through some things you've thought through and give experience and exposure to others, right? And that's that network we were just talking about, right? Other things I think are really important is reading and writing. Read a lot, write a lot, nobody writes good anymore, right? Thanks, ChatGPT. But being able to communicate in the written form is really important. So, writing and reading. And the other thing, too, is as a leader, just find an outlet, find something, find a hobby, find something that's fun to do, right. So, I got into running here at the Academy, because we're at high elevation, and I'm, why not, right? But find something that, like, rounds you out, right? It's fine, find an outlet that helps give you some relief from all the stresses that can happen in leadership. That's where I would say I spend a lot of time, or what I think about trying to sharpen my skills. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 37:34 Daily. So, what are you reading right now? Col. Joe Bledsoe 37:37 Oh, that's a great question. I have a couple books that are on the table. Mask of Command is one that I'm reading as I get ready to go back and potentially be in a leadership role. There's a couple other books that come to mind. I'm reading a baseball coaching book, because I coach my baseball, it's a basketball book by Coach K from Duke, as I go back to North Carolina, but it's a book, how to coach kids, right, Leadership on the Court, and it's fun to just think about training and coaching kids and how to keep them inspired. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 38:18 Oh, that's awesome. So, speaking of kids, if you were to go back in time, and talk to younger Joe Bledsoe, the third, what advice would you give him? Col. Joe Bledsoe 38:30 Yeah, if I had to go back, I would say it's worth it. Every second, work hard at the Academy, right? The doors that it opens, that's where my mind went when you asked the question, like, younger me at the Academy. Be good to Alicia, my wife, right? Be good, because she's going to be with you for a long time. So be good to her, as well as foster your, foster your friendships. They're going to mean a lot to you in the future, right? The relationships you build on that hill are going to come back in ways you have no idea years to come. So take time and prioritize the people that you meet. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 39:10 Those are really great reflections. Joe, is there anything that we haven't covered in our conversation that you would love to share with our Long Blue Leadership listeners and viewers? Col. Joe Bledsoe 39:24 Absolutely, be proud of this institution. I'm proud of it. I know you are too, Naviere. Proud of this Academy. Be proud of the cadets, be proud of the permanent party that work here. There's an A-team out there, and this is this is where it starts, right? And it's not just if you're serving in blue or in the Space Force, right? If you're out there doing awesome things for our country on the private, in the private sector, thank you. Keep doing what you're doing. There's no shade of blue in the Long Blue Line, that's my, my phrase for that one. There's no shade of blue. Serve your country, be proud. And that's — just be proud to be an Academy grad. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 40:07 That's fantastic. So, you know, in our time together, I have loved this, this, this leadership conversation, because we really span an area that I don't think a lot of people talk about, and it's, how do you demonstrate leadership in an informal way, you know, without titles and without necessarily key positions or in the hierarchical structure, and so some of the things that really stood with me, Joe, that you've covered, have been being credible, being present, and humble. I really like that, and you didn't say this in these words, but what I took from that was, you know, being honest and truthful is almost one of the most kind ways you can be right, because you're actually helping someone be better, and that really stuck with me, you know. I don't, we have an A-team, we don't need B-players, that I think you exactly said that, so definitely stuck with me. But watching the way that you have led, not with your class, not just the cadets, and, you know, certainly not the squadron that you will have here shortly as a director of operations, but I think you've continued to just be who you've always been, which is someone who leads with integrity through those pillars and certainly by example. So this has been an incredible conversation, and for anyone that is watching us and listening to this, for others that are in their leadership journeys, this is another one you're going to want to share, because it's not just about, you know, Lt. Col. Bledsoe's journey right now, it's been all of these moments and experiences and memories and they really do connect with anyone on a leadership journey. So, be sure to join in on longblueleadership.org or wherever you get your podcasts, not just to see this one, but all of our other conversations. So, Joe, thank you so much for joining us today. Col. Joe Bledsoe 41:46 Thank you Naviere. Go Air Force! Col. Naviere Walkewicz 41:48 Go Air Force!   Col. Joe Bledsoe 41:49 There we go. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 41:50 Absolutely, until next time, we'll see you on Long Blue Leadership. KEYWORDS informal leadership, peer leadership, Air Force Academy leadership, USAFA class president, fighter pilot debrief culture, building trust and credibility, leadership humility, future conflict and airpower, Long Blue Leadership podcast, military leadership lessons.     The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation          

Southgate Campus 

Our City just welcomed a new director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services. He's getting started at the perfect time because July is National Parks and Recreation Month. Hear about his vision along with the great events happening in Colorado Springs this summer!

The United States Space Force (USSF) and PBR (Professional Bull Riders) are uniting this weekend in a first-of-its-kind event designed to connect the American public directly with the Space Force Guardians and their mission. The landmark America 250 celebration is this Saturday June 20th. PBR Space Cowboys Presented by the U.S. Space Force will bring elite team bull riding and a live concert by Grammy Award-winning superstar Tim McGraw and multi-platinum country star Chris Janson to Falcon Stadium at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. FOX's Tonya J. Powers speaks with Chris Janson, Grammy Award-winning singer-song writer, who shares his excitement of the event, and he tells us why writing his own songs, and basic authenticity are so important to him. Click Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To Follow 'The FOX News Rundown: Evening Edition' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The debate over data centers has prompted thousands of questions about the approval process and the impact in Colorado Springs. Then, what if the United States treated child care in the same way it treats schools, parks and libraries? Denver author Elliot Haspel explores that idea in his book, "Raising a Nation." And we catch up with 14-year-old Jeremiah Daniels and his parents, Joy and Terrance, as his debut movie, "The Color Book," about a father raising a son with Down Syndrome, premieres on Netflix June 19. 

Justin Critchfield shares his journey into real estate, focusing on working with investors, locating distressed properties, and bridging the gap between sellers and investors. Discover practical strategies for success in niche markets and how transparency and integrity drive his business.   Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind:  Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply   Investor Machine Marketing Partnership:  Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com   Coaching with Mike Hambright:  Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike   Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat   Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform!  Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/   New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club   —--------------------

 Fertility Docs Uncensored Today's episode of Fertility Docs Uncensored is hosted by Dr. Carrie Bedient from the Fertility Center of Las Vegas, Dr. Susan Hudson from Texas Fertility Center, and Dr. Abby Eblen from Nashville Fertility Center. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Amy Harris, reproductive endocrinologist at Shady Grove Fertility in Colorado Springs, for a listener-question episode focused on the uterus and endometrium. In this episode, we tackle some of the most common and challenging questions surrounding the uterine lining and embryo transfer. Dr. Amy Harris joins us to discuss what she would do for a patient with fluid in the endometrial cavity, including possible causes, recommended evaluation, and treatment options. We review why fluid often resolves after progesterone exposure, when aspiration before embryo transfer may be considered, and how different stimulation protocols can impact outcomes. We discuss recurrent implantation failure after the transfer of multiple euploid embryos in the setting of a thin endometrium. We discuss potential causes of a thinning uterine lining, including hormonal abnormalities, hypothalamic amenorrhea, and Asherman syndrome. Strategies such as changing endometrial preparation protocols, reassessing thyroid and prolactin levels, and allowing the uterus time to recover without medication exposure. We review treatment options for uterine scar tissue and discuss whether programmed or modified natural frozen embryo transfer cycles may offer advantages in specific situations. Finally, we address the question of transferring two embryos at once after a prior cesarean delivery. We discuss the risks of twins and higher-order multiple pregnancies, including prematurity, neonatal intensive care admissions, pregnancy complications, and the emotional and financial impact on families. We also explore whether vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) may be an option for some patients planning future pregnancies. Can fluid in the uterus prevent embryo implantation? What causes a thin endometrial lining? How is Asherman syndrome treated? Should patients choose a programmed or modified natural transfer cycle? Is transferring two embryos ever worth the risk? Join us as we answer these important listener questions. This podcast was sponsored by US Fertility.