Podcasts about Connective

Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Tendons and Human Performance 06:31 Understanding Tendon Injuries and Variability 12:32 The Complexity of Connective Tissue 18:06 Innovative Approaches to Tendon Training 27:55 High Intensity vs. Low Intensity Training for Tendons 30:40 Understanding Tendon Strain in Endurance Athletes 33:21 Connective Tissue Behavior and Injury Prevention 36:52 The Role of Genetics and Abnormal Connective Tissue 39:45 Assessing and Training Connective Tissue 43:11 Restoring Normal Connective Tissue Architecture 46:59 Manipulating Load, Length, and Time for Adaptation 50:40 Dynamic vs. Static Training for Connective Tissue 54:12 Integrating Multiple Training Qualities 58:52 Programming for Adaptation, Not Just Exercises   Takeaways Taylor Starch has been in the strength and conditioning industry for about 15 years. His interest in tendons grew from personal injuries and working with military athletes. Understanding tendons requires recognizing their complexity and variability. Different tissues in the body respond to different types of training. Tendons need strain to gain strength and resilience. Training should not just focus on one position or angle. Low intensity durability is crucial for tendon health. High intensity repeatability helps in sustaining performance under strain. The bigger the base of connective tissue strength, the higher the peak performance. Innovative training methods can help address specific tendon issues effectively. Endurance athletes experience significant tendon strain but manage it effectively. Connective tissue behavior is crucial for injury prevention. Genetics play a role in tendon health and injury susceptibility. Assessing connective tissue is essential for understanding injury risk. Training should focus on restoring normal connective tissue architecture. Manipulating load, length, and time is key to adaptation. Static training is often overlooked in favor of dynamic work. Integrating multiple training qualities is necessary for performance. Understanding adaptations is more important than just knowing exercises. Progressive overload is essential for long-term connective tissue health.   Notes: https://jackedathlete.com/podcast-138-tendons-with-taylor-starch/

Physical and digital infrastructures have raised tensions around the world, seeding land disputes, climate effects, and disrupting social fabrics. Yet they are also intertwined with myths of progress, transformation, and speculation. To explore these themes, we were joined by Nia Johnson, Ekene Ijeoma, and Lori Regattieri — academics, practitioners, and artists who are each, in their own way, responding to the ways digital infrastructures are transforming the built, natural, and social environments. In a conversation moderated by Trustworthy Infrastructures Program Director Maia Woluchem, we broke down confrontations between technological infrastructures and local communities and discussed how to  reshape narratives of process, power, change, and futurity.This public panel is part of Connective (t)Issues, a Data & Society workshop organized by the Trustworthy Infrastructures program in partnership with Duke Science & Society. Learn more about the workshop at datasociety.net. https://datasociety.net/announcements/2024/11/20/connective-tissues/

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "Head Games" - Foreigner (1979)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out Hims: https://hims.com/EARLYBREAKAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ever feel like your workouts just aren't delivering the same results anymore? You're training hard, lifting heavy, and doing everything “right,” but somehow, progress stalls. Strength fades. Recovery slows. And your joints? Yeah, they're not loving it either.Here's the truth: it's not your age—it's your approach.That's why I brought in Nick Nilsson, aka The Mad Scientist of Muscle. This guy has spent decades reinventing the way we build muscle, train smart, and stay strong—especially as we get older. His Return to Prime system isn't about grinding yourself into the ground. It's about training smarter, not harder, by optimizing the four key systems that fuel muscle growth.I put his method to the test, and let me tell you—it humbled me in the best way possible. This workout forced my body to adapt in ways I didn't even think were possible.Timestamps:09:29 Nick's origin story and fitness background21:00 How Nick created his "best exercises you've never done" brand28:48 The inspiration behind the Return to Prime program33:36 Phase 1: Angiogenesis training for rebuilding circulation46:08 Phase 2: Connective tissue training and hydraulic circulation1:00:14 Phase 3: Hyperplasia training for increasing muscle fiber numbers1:10:30 Phase 4: Nervous system efficiency and activation training1:24:42 Nutrition recommendations for each training phase1:32:10 Final thoughts: Have fun whith training!Mentioned Resources:Mad Scientist of Muscle website: https://www.madscientistofmuscle.com/ The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of: https://www.fitstep.com/2/the-best-exercises-index/index.htm Return to Prime: https://www.fitstep.com/2/return-to-prime/index-story.htm

Send us a textAs we enter a world of artificial intelligence, the question of what should be automated looms before us. Models need clear, objective metrics to train on. But, can jobs really be distilled to data points?  In her book, The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World, Prof. Allison Pugh asserts many jobs have a relational component that can't be caught in the metrics. In this episode, Prof. Pugh warns that devaluing connective labor leads to automation that overlooks the core issues and leaves us more isolated.Topics:Connective LaborUndervaluation of Connective LaborAutomation of Connective LaborRole of Data in EducationEducational Inequality and Standardized TestingArtificial Intelligence and RelationshipsGrowing Demand for Connection"What books have had an impact on you?""What advice do you have for teenagers?Bio:Allison Pugh is a Research Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University, and the author of four books, most recently The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World (Princeton 2024). The 2024-5 Vice President of the American Sociological Association, Pugh was faculty at the University of Virginia for 17 years before moving to Hopkins this summer. She is a former journalist, and her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The New Republic, and other outlets. She served as a US diplomat in Honduras, cofounded a charter school in Oakland, waited on tables at the US Tennis Open, packed salmon roe in Alaska, and was an intern at Ms. Magazine.  Socials -Lessons from Interesting People substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4Moon

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers):Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers):Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out Hims: https://hims.com/EARLYBREAKAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "Ridin' The Storm Out" - REO Speedwagon (1973)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out Hims: https://hims.com/EARLYBREAKAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Hi, and welcome to The Long View. I'm Christine Benz, director of personal finance and retirement planning for Morningstar. Today on the podcast, we welcome back Ramit Sethi. Ramit is a personal finance expert and author. His latest book is called Money For Couples: No more stress. No more fights. Just a 10-step plan to create your Rich Life together. It's already a bestseller, as was his first book, I Will Teach You to Be Rich. Ramit is the founder of IWillTeachYouToBeRich.com, and he's also the host of a podcast called I Will Teach You to Be Rich, which features in-depth conversations with couples about money. In addition, he hosts a Netflix show called How to Get Rich.BackgroundBioIWillTeachYouToBeRich.comBooksMoney for Couples: No More Stress. No More Fights. Just a 10-Step Plan to Create Your Rich Life TogetherI Will Teach You to Be RichMoney for Couples podcastHow to Get RichTopics“Episode 66: I'm Marrying Him in 1 Month—But Our Finances Are Terrifying Me,” I Will Teach You to Be Rich podcast, Iwillteachyoutoberich.com.“Ramit Sethi Says Every Couple Should Align on ‘4 Key Numbers'—Here's What They Are and Why They Matter,” by Victoria Vesovski, moneywise.com, Feb. 8, 2025.“Money Dials: How You Spend and Why (Expert Advice on Spending),” by Ramit Sethi, iwillteachyoutoberich.com, June 12, 2024.“The Happiest Couples Use 2 Phrases When Talking About Money, Says Self-Made Millionaire,” by Kamaron McNair, cnbc.com, Feb. 13, 2025.“Love and Money: Combining Finances After Marriage,” by Ramit Sethi, iwillteachyoutoberich.com, Oct. 13, 2024.“The ‘Dangerous' but Common Mistake a Self-Made Millionaire Says Couples Often Make With Money,” by Cheyenne DeVon, cnbc.com, June 3, 2024.“Conscience Spending Basics (a Guide to Achieving Your Rich Life),” by Ramit Sethi, iwillteachyoutoberich.com, Dec. 14, 2024.Other“Ramit Sethi: ‘What Is Your Rich Life?'” The Long View podcast, Morningstar.com, Nov. 11, 2020.“Ramit Sethi: How Can Couples Make Peace Over Money?” The Long View podcast, Morningstar.com, Nov. 30, 2021.“Ramit Sethi: Investing Shouldn't Be Your Identity,” The Long View podcast, Morningstar.com, June 6, 2023.

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake and Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" - Hank Williams, Jr. (1984)Our Sponsors:* Check out Hims: https://hims.com/EARLYBREAKAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week we discuss the basics about a topic several of our guests have spoken about- Ehlers Danlos Syndrome or EDS.   ​Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of inherited disorders that affect your connective tissues — primarily your skin, joints and blood vessel walls. Connective tissue is a complex mixture of proteins and other substances that provide strength and elasticity to the underlying structures in your body. ​The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes received a major overhaul in 2017 and this is what we now know: EDS are heritable connective tissue disorders affecting the quality of collagen in every part of the body. There are now 13 recognized subtypes of EDS, 12 of which are genuinely rare and have the aberrant gene identified. Hypermobile EDS (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) is by far the most common type; these conditions are part of a spectrum and the distinction is hoped to be useful for research, but is otherwise academic. hEDS/HSD is a multi-system disorder which can have a marked impact on health and which may help us to explain apparently mysterious multiple symptoms. Don't let the changing terminology confuse you. 3.4% of the population have generalized joint hypermobility and chronic widespread pain (a proxy for the now obsolete diagnosis of joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS). Patients who in the past received a diagnosis of JHS (or Benign JHS), EDS-Hypermobility Type or EDS Type III would now be categorized as having hEDS or HSD. “If you can't connect the issues, think connective tissues” Non-specific and medically unexplained symptoms are usually real and should not be dismissed It can be easy to make a big difference to the quality of life of some of your most complex patients with a few simple and inexpensive measures, but the journey starts with recognition. The median time from symptom onset to seeking a GP opinion is 2 years and the median time to diagnosis 10 years. If we make an early diagnosis and manage the conditions appropriately, there may be potential to reduce long term disability which can occur from EDS. Enquire about family members; these are hereditary disorders of connective tissue so positive family histories are common. Although no gene has yet been identified, hEDS is primarily of autosomal dominant inheritance. Children can present with symptoms of hEDS/HSD, including abdominal symptoms or growing pains. They may also present with neurodevelopmental disorders such as hyperactivity, inattention, dyspraxia, autistic spectrum disorder, sleep, and food issues, emotional problems, hypersensitivity and anxiety. A low Beighton score does not exclude hEDS/HSD,. Patients stiffen with age so their Beighton score may decrease, although pain may worsen. The extent of multi-system symptoms is not related to the Beighton score. Consider co-existing conditions; In recent years, we have begun to understand more about associated or co-morbid conditions which are frequently found in people with hEDS, including autonomic dysfunction (postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) and symptomatic low blood pressure), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) and gastrointestinal dysfunction. (Credits: GPTOOLKIT)

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers):"Everlasting Love" - Howard Jones (1989) - in Omaha tonightShow sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out Hims: https://hims.com/EARLYBREAKAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "Beast of Burden" - Rolling Stones (1978)  Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out Hims: https://hims.com/EARLYBREAKAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What if slowing down is the secret to getting ahead?Michelle sits down with neuroscientist Michelle Baty to explore the powerful paradox of progress: Slower is Faster. In a world obsessed with speed and efficiency, Michelle Baty breaks down the neuroscience behind why real, lasting change comes not from pushing harder, but from being in the right neurological state. They dive into the two fundamental states of the nervous system—Protective vs. Connective—and how recognizing these states can help us break free from self-sabotage, build resilience, and finally make the changes that stick. WHAT TO LISTEN FOR03:20 – The “Slower is Faster” Effect: Why more effort isn't always better13:51 – Self-sabotage or survival? The truth about why we revert to old patterns23:21 – The hidden stressors that make transformation harder26:33 – The Catch-22 of Change: Why you need energy to build energyGUEST: MICHELLE BATYInstagram | Facebook CONNECT WITH MICHELLEWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook 

We live in a world that often tries to define us by our achievements, possessions, social status, our bodies, our cultures and the list goes on. Value is placed on human beings depending on their identity. What we need to remember however is that that our identity is found first and foremost in the one who created us. Our worth and value are inherent because we bear the mark of our Creator.Every human being is precious, has value, and is loved by our creator God regardless of ability, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, age, gender, race, ethnicity, or culture. Human beings were created by God and loved by God and meant to be in relationship with each other. The world will use our diversity to divide us but God uses our diversity to minister the love of God-to come together as one body.To support the ministry of Melbourne Inclusive Church go to: https://www.michurch.org.au/your-gift Melbourne Inclusive Church boldly and proudly proclaims Christ's equal love for all people regardless of their ability, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, age, gender, race, ethnicity, or culture. Melbourne Inclusive Church is part of the EMI Global family of churches.

Your hosts⁠Sadish Visvalingam⁠ and⁠Beth Comino⁠Joining them for this episode isAndrew Tan⁠ from Masters Broker Group in VIC.Andrew has been in the mortgage game for a long time. He has been a Banker, a Broker, Co-Owner of a Sub Aggregator (which he sold), and then about 12 years ago he started Masters Broker Group with Mario Borg. Initially as a broker mentoring business that has since grown out to also be a Sub Aggregator under Connective.This week's wrap will focus on one subject. Making the news this week, David McQueen, CEO of Loan Market spoke to the audience at the LMG top 100 summit that Broker Market Share is expected to hit 80% by the end of the year.Source: https://www.mpamag.com/au/specialty/education/loan-market-boss-warns-on-complacency-as-broker-dominance-nears-80/523572We speak to Andrew and asking him how does a broker make it in an environment that will see the banks clawing back their market share with more determination than ever.We also Segway into his wisdom / experience with new brokers entering the industry, and his tips for those going into their 3rd year as business owners.

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers):  "Up On Cripple Creek" - The Band (1969) - RIP Garth Hudson, founder of group and last remaining living member—-age 87Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out Hims: https://hims.com/EARLYBREAKAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This episode features performance coach and tendon specialist Jake Tuura. Jake is an experienced coach and educator focusing on athlete hypertrophy, vertical jump improvement, and patellar tendinopathy rehabilitation. He spent seven years as a collegiate strength and conditioning coach as well as time in the private training sector. Connective tissue is critical in athletic movement and performance, but its relationship to both performance and the rehab process is still evolving. New research is continually coming out that is molding our understanding of what is really happening “under the hood” in training, and how to optimize processes to maximize tendon health and performance. On today's podcast, Jake explores tendon science alongside athletic performance concepts. He covers ideas on animal tendon properties, age-related tendon changes, tendon stiffness vs. compliance, and the collagen matrix. On the performance end, Jake talks about the impacts of various training means on tendon adaptation, particularly various forms of isometric training, heavy strength training, plyometrics, and more. This was an awesome show connecting the latest tendon science with practical training solutions for healthier tendons and better athletic movement. Today's episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr's Gym Studio and the Just Fly Sports Online Courses. To learn more about the Sprint Acceleration Essentials, Elastic Essentials, or Speed ID courses, go to justflysports.thinkific.com Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to Lilateam.com View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. Main Points 6:42- Achilles Tendon Length Disparity: Humans vs. Deer. 9:33- Tendon Regeneration Discrepancy in Wild vs. Racehorses 21:55- Golgi Tendon Organ and Training Optimization 24:39- Age-Related Changes in Tendon Properties 26:44- Collagen Production Influencing Tendon Stiffness Adaptation 28:47- Tendon Compliance Impact on Athletic Performance 40:41- Preserving Tendon Elasticity for Athletic Longevity 45:38- Reframing Tendon Pain as a Healing Signal 53:14- Optimizing Joint Rotation for Enhanced Performance 1:04:41- Tendon Health and Aerobic Fitness Relationship 1:08:01- Tendon Health Benefits of Isometrics and Lifting 1:11:17- Tendon Strain Variability in Plyometric Training 1:16:24- Enhancing Performance Through Muscle-Tendon Synchronization in Plyometrics 1:21:54- Tendon-Focused Training Periodization Strategy Quotes (7:38) "It's crazy to see how long that (deer Achilles tendon) is and how little blood flow it gets and they're able to do what they do." - Jake Tuura (12:50) “I went hunting for three months. So I didn't, I didn't jump at all. It was winter, it was icy out. And then I go back to dunking and (the patellar tendon) blows up again. So it's like the man-made tendon issues are when you change things suddenly.” - Jake Tuura (21:49) "The worst thing you can do is completely take it away and then try to hop back in. I think it's going to blow up or maybe it's going to have a serious injury." - Jake Tuura (28:10) “The tendon gets pulled on and then the tendon has a, the cells have a response to get stiffer. So like if you pull on the tendon, let's say 10% of its resting length, which is a pretty big pull on a tendon. The tendon has this, this adaptation where the cells kick out more collagen. It lays down the collagen, the tendon to get stiffer.” - Jake Tuura (37:00) “Collagen fascicles don't really extend a whole lot. Yeah, like, their strain is very minimal. And the collagen fascicles have this helical rotation, which then is again, more extendability. The helical angle decreases as you get older because the gel is drying up and it becomes more linear.” - Jake Tuura (47:00) “You have to respect the many months process where it's going to reorient t...

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "Ladies' Night" - Kool & the Gang (1979)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It had been ever so lonely out there, deep in the darkness of outer space. There were tall tales which he might be able to one day relive and reconcile but those were not to be told now. Those were to be kept firmly secret, locked away in the confines of his mind. For he had returned but what was out there must not. Down here everything was normal. Life was normal. The people were normal. Every day was just the same. Not like out there... Occasionally he'd see flickers and flashes of the wild, alien like faces he'd left behind amidst the stars. Had they ever been real? Returning was bittersweet. Innate Editions are set to breathe life into a rare gem, a lost classic if you will. They are set to revive Connective Zone's 'Palm Palm', a millennium-era cult classic and Ben UFO favourite. Intelligent dance music, at its very very best.

Time stamps: 0:00 - Introduction to long muscle length training2:10 - The concept of the stretch Panacea3:54 - Importance of training short positions5:39 - Stretch positions yield more muscle growth8:01 - Connective tissues adapt slower than muscles10:21 - Balanced approach prevents joint stress12:12 - Consider the whole body in training14:00 - Training both ends of muscle motion15:11 - Specific muscular bias in training19:03 - Consider exercise stability in selection20:35 - Importance of exercise practicality emphasized22:13 - Blend exercises for sustainable training24:01 - Five criteria for exercise selection explained

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet then-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "I'm Not For Everyone" - Brothers Osborne (2020)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out Hims: https://hims.com/EARLYBREAKAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode of Business Growth Talks, host Mark Hayward engages with Joe Mindak, a dynamic entrepreneur behind The Connective and Nolodex. Joe shares his insights into the development of his networking platform, which focuses on creating opportunities for businesses to grow through efficient and meaningful connections. Throughout the conversation, Joe elucidates his journey from establishing a magazine to co-founding a sophisticated software company, underscoring the significance of consistency and perseverance in business growth.Listeners will gain rich, actionable insights on the importance of leveraging networking to combat business challenges and seize opportunities. Joe discusses the innovative approach of Nolodex, which incentivizes referrals within business networks — a game-changing element that not only streamlines networking but also creates a new revenue stream for its users. This conversation provides in-depth knowledge into Joe's entrepreneurial paradigm, illustrating how strategic networking and software solutions can propel businesses to new heights.Key Takeaways:Consistency Beats Inconsistency: The importance of sticking with a business model and objective long enough to witness successful outcomes.Networking for Success: Joe Mindak's platform, Nolodex, focuses on incentivizing networking referrals, changing the paradigm of professional connections.The Value of Persistence: Continuously pursuing business amidst challenges and rejections strengthens one's odds of success.Leverage Your Network: Effective business growth can be stimulated by understanding and utilizing your existing network of contacts for introductions and collaborations.Risk-taking in Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurial success often requires calculated risks and investments in innovative solutions, as demonstrated by the journey of Nolodex.Resources:Nolodex Website: No specific URL given, but interested listeners can visit Nolodex for more information.Joe Mindak on LinkedIn: Find Joe Mindak's professional profile on LinkedIn under "Joe Mindak".Support the showIf you want to watch the full video of this episode go to:https://www.youtube.com/@markhayward-BizGrowthTalksDo you want to be a guest on multiple podcasts as a service go to:www.podcastintroduction.comFind more details about the podcast and my coaching business on:www.businessgrowthtalks.comFind me onLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-hayw...Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mjh169183YouTube Shorts - https://www.youtube.com/@markhayward-BizGrowthTalks/shorts

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers):"Don't Stand So Close To Me" - The Police (1980)Our Sponsors:* Check out Hims: https://hims.com/EARLYBREAKAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Justin Bantuelle (COO) and Michael Roberts (CMO) of Health Connective discuss the company's role in supporting medtech firms by developing custom web applications for surgical planning, post-operative reviews, and other solutions. Justin and Michael share their personal journeys into medtech, highlighting the rewarding experience of contributing to life-saving technologies. The conversation touches on common challenges in medtech like security and user experience, emphasizing the importance of empathy, active listening, and adaptability in solving complex problems.    Guest links: https://www.healthconnectivetech.com/ Charity supported: Save the Children Interested in being a guest on the show or have feedback to share? Email us at theleadingdifference@velentium.com.  PRODUCTION CREDITS Host: Lindsey Dinneen Editing: Marketing Wise Producer: Velentium   EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Episode 047 - Justin Bantuelle & Michael Roberts [00:00:00] Lindsey Dinneen: Hi, I'm Lindsey and I'm talking with MedTech industry leaders on how they change lives for a better world. [00:00:09] Diane Bouis: The inventions and technologies are fascinating and so are the people who work with them. [00:00:15] Frank Jaskulke: There was a period of time where I realized, fundamentally, my job was to go hang out with really smart people that are saving lives and then do work that would help them save more lives. [00:00:28] Diane Bouis: I got into the business to save lives and it is incredibly motivating to work with people who are in that same business, saving or improving lives. [00:00:38] Duane Mancini: What better industry than where I get to wake up every day and just save people's lives. [00:00:42] Lindsey Dinneen: These are extraordinary people doing extraordinary work, and this is The Leading Difference.  Welcome back to another episode of The Leading Difference podcast. I'm your host, Lindsey, and I'm so excited to introduce you to my guests today. Justin Bantuelle and Michael Roberts. Justin is the Chief Operations Officer and Michael is the Chief Marketing Officer for Health Connective. Both have been working with the company for more than 10 years. Health Connective supports web application development for medtech companies, including online interfaces for pre surgical planning and post operative review, streamlined systems for customer orders, and training portals. They understand that every company's needs are unique, and your solution should be too. Well, welcome, Justin and Michael. I am so excited to have you guys today. Thanks for joining me. [00:01:35] Justin Bantuelle: Yeah. Thank you for having us. [00:01:36] Michael Roberts: Very excited to be here. Thank you. [00:01:38] Lindsey Dinneen: Awesome. Awesome. Well, I would love if you wouldn't mind starting off by just sharing a little bit about your background, maybe what led you to medtech and your heart for it. So I'll start with you, Justin. [00:01:51] Justin Bantuelle: Sure. It was, I kind of fell into it, I guess, initially, which I think on the tech side, probably a lot of people end up doing that. I had a computer science background. I got my bachelor's degree and I started at the company we're at now, Health Connective, out of college. And I've been there for 16, 17 years or something, but we were healthcare focused. And so they needed web development skills. I was a programmer, and that's how I started, but I've learned a tremendous amount since then. So I think coming from that technical angle, this is like where I fell into it. And I've moved up to the company. I manage a lot of people. I manage a lot of client interactions, help build systems that support medical devices, robots, things like that. So I've gathered a tremendous amount of information about this field as a result of that. And I've stuck with it cause it has been very rewarding. It's something that matters so much to so many people. You see the real Impact that it makes when you help get these products to market. And you see all the research studies that show how much this is transforming these different fields of care. And then just, I think we all have personal experiences with these healthcare systems and the challenges people face, the uncertainties about it. Just talking to like my parents or to friends who know less about the sector and just that I have any kind of insight into it helps assuage fears. And yeah, it just, it matters. And that's very rewarding. [00:03:18] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. [00:03:20] Michael Roberts: Yeah. I did not set out necessarily to be in medtech as well. Like Justin, long story short, when I got into marketing, I was working more in the hospitality industry, hotels, restaurants, all that kind of stuff. Decided I didn't want to do that anymore and thought, "Where can I get as far away from the hospitality industry as possible?" And so, the funny thing there was some non compete things that I had to deal with from my previous employer. And so I was literally looking for a place that had no overlap with the previous company that I'd worked with as a marketer. And so I found the company, found Health Connective, and jumped into it and try to bring in the same skill sets. I'll just do some of the SEO and I'll do some digital advertising and some of that kind of stuff. And some of that worked and some of it was just so drastically different, right? Like this is such a different experience for people. So my first thing that I worked on here at the company was working with orthopedic physicians, helping them out with their marketing. And it was very similar in small business marketing in a lot of ways, but again, drastically different in so many ways. And then one of the first things that I ended up working on within the first few years was working with Olympus on a campaign that they were doing about raising awareness around gastroenterology around going to get your colon checked and all of that fun kind of stuff.  I have a family member that has a Crohn's disease. And so this was something that very quickly became like, "Oh, this is a part of what we're all experiencing." I was able to go and ask people questions at Olympus. We went to Digestive Disease Week, which I had no idea was a thing, went there and I got to meet with the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, just purely as a dad. Being there and just going like, "Can you just tell me how to help my daughter, how to help understand it?" So that was kind of the thing that really clicked, "This is where I need to be. This is what I need to be doing." Because so many of us are experiencing something like this somewhere in our family, whether it's us as patients, family members, whomever. So that was kind of the big click moment for me. [00:05:20] Lindsey Dinneen: Awesome. Wow. Yeah, that's powerful. Thank you for sharing that. So could you tell us a little bit about the company and maybe also a little bit about your goals as it continues to grow.? [00:05:33] Michael Roberts: Yeah, so, you know, we, as a company, we're out there to help MedTech companies with a couple of different kinds of things. So we end up helping the product and sort of R&D side of things. And that may be with robotic devices, if there's different types of data coming off of the device that they want to be able to show back to the different physicians, the different people that are involved with the procedure, that's the type of work that we do. And I'm super glossing that over and saying that very quickly, but there's a lot of different people that we share this information with that comes off the robot, everybody from physicians to engineers, to field service teams, all those different kinds of folks. And the goal there is just, "Hey, you're obtaining an immense amount of data out of every single procedure. What can you do with that data? How can we help you better utilize that information and improve outcomes and do all those kinds of things?" so that kind of product development and like I said, R&D side of things that's kind of where we fit. And then on the marketing side I, I kind of refer to it as like the, "Wouldn't it be cool if?" kind of group. It's like, "Wouldn't it be cool if this process that we had didn't suck? That would be awesome. How could we get somebody to help us with that?" So anything from ordering online kinds of processes where, because it's not as simple as just setting up an e commerce solution and just letting it run, you have to have different pricing for every sector and you have to have different contracts with everybody and all of those kinds of things. We can marry a lot of that messy data and make it a seamless experience for people so it doesn't suck. And so that's what we're hoping for. And then also like, "Wouldn't it be cool if these things could be that much better?" So a lot of efficiencies, a lot of things where again, these systems don't natively talk to one another. How can I get my CRM and all of these other unique data sources that I have to actually cooperate with one another. So, that's the kind of stuff that we set out to do. Again, I'm saying it super simply as opposed to how Justin would be able to define it. But, but those are the things that we're setting out to do for people is improve that customer experience and then get better data coming back from their procedures, that sort of thing. [00:07:41] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Well, I would love to dive a little bit more into what does it look like when somebody starts working with you? How do you go from, you know, taking them through lead all the way to your day to day? What does that look like? [00:07:57] Michael Roberts: Yeah, I'll start the conversation. And then Justin, 'cause Justin takes over at a certain point and I just go, "Hey, let me know if you need anything." But a lot of it is, these kinds of things are very trust driven, right? So we have a lot of messaging out there. We have a podcast, we have advertising that we're doing, we're going to be at a few different trade shows through the rest of 2024, figuring out which ones to be at for next year, but a lot of it does come down to relationships. So somebody has introduced us. We've started having those kinds of conversations because any of these kinds of things that you're talking about there, there's kind of big, messy problems that aren't easy to fix. They aren't something that you just sign off on quickly that's a 5, 000 a month subscription and off you go. It's a bigger, more thought out process. So a lot of it is that sort of process of, "Hey, let's get to know one another. And then really digging into what problem are you trying to solve?" Everything that we do is a custom solution. So it's not, you don't have to use XYZ systems in order for us to work with you. We can be very flexible on that, but then, so we really get into that kind of problem definition stage, and then Justin, I'll let you kind of take it from there once we get into the problem itself. [00:09:05] Justin Bantuelle: Sure. Yeah. I mean, the initial touch point with it is really just listening and reassuring that, "I've heard your problem before something similar to it. Okay, you have these different technologies. These are the things that are unique about what you're trying to do in this space. And here's how I can craft a solution for you." So it's a lot of listening, helping them along the process of requirements gathering, usually this part of it, this front end data visualization after the fact for a lot of medical device, I find that's not their core competency. Their core competency is the device itself. They've built the device. The device works very well. It achieves something and it solves a problem in the medical space, but then there's all this stuff you have to do after the fact. And so it's like, "Great, this work, the procedure is amazing. And now there's all these things that we need to take action with," and that's where we kind of step in and provide that end of it. And we augment their teams that they already have. They have several very technical people. They've got brilliant engineers, they probably got brilliant developers involved in a lot of the software written around the device itself. And that's where we understand what their needs are, solutions are, their implementations where there's gaps. And then we help shape that for them and make sure it matches what they need. Yeah, like Michael said, never any one size fits all. It's always very customized. And that's where we shine is helping just lead them through that. They don't need to micromanage it. They're not just hiring a handful of developers and needing to tell them what to do. It's like, we take it kind of from, "You articulated the problem. We'll fully craft and implement a solution for you and then work alongside you for assessing how that works, how much it's solving your problems, what emergent needs are there, what maybe needs iteration." So we also view this as long term engagements typically, and we find that's what works well for our customers as well. Usually you're not just building something and then just abandoning it. Hopefully this goes for years and years as a successful product that you continue to iterate on, improve in the field, and then you necessarily need these other systems to work alongside it. So, I find that a lot of people have a bit of a fear that. We'll build something for you and then kick it over the wall, and then now your team has to manage it. Good luck. And I don't like operating that way. I enjoy continuing to see the success of something I build. I like standing by what we have built. And so that's kind of our outlook on it, I guess, and how we try to assist people a little bit on the side, I guess, maybe, but hopefully that made sense. [00:11:37] Lindsey Dinneen: Yes. No, that's incredible. Thank you so much. So, you know, I know you said that one of the strengths that your company brings is having this flexibility, being able to, like you said, be very customized with your approach to different companies and really help them because no problem is exactly the same. But I am curious, have you come across some themes that are a little bit common, especially in the medtech industry, that perhaps folks who are in the process of developing something could be aware of. What are some of the things that you commonly see that your company could help or they should be thinking through. [00:12:15] Justin Bantuelle: I think that security is a big one that tends to get overlooked until the project is finished. And then you're going through some final regulatory steps and the security team comes in and assesses it and goes, "You didn't think about any of this." And now you're re architecting like half of what you built. I think that's probably the biggest pain point I see. There's like a major gap in looking at that. And it's important everywhere, but a lot of fields aren't as highly regulated, so they get away with not sweating it as much until it bites them. Whereas you can't really do that here. You're not launching if you didn't put these considerations in place. And that's something that I think it's more unique to a handful of sectors where, and medtech is one of them, where you're really hurting yourself if that's not at the forefront of your mind. And so somebody who's not used to those considerations is probably not going to build you the right thing up front. And you're maybe not knowing how to articulate for this part of what's being built as a client that "No, you really need to think about this. We're going to be doing this as part of the process afterwards." Usually it's a completely separate team and it's all part of the documentation, filing it, getting it all in right at the end. And that's a terrible time to find out that you should've thought about something. So that's the biggest one that comes to mind up front. [00:13:37] Michael Roberts: Yeah, I can jump in as well. I think one of the big things that we don't see a lot of medtech companies do that, that we ended up helping, right? If they had this right, they probably wouldn't need our help as much with it. But one of the things is that I think that, because this is such a complicated industry, everybody kind of gets used to sort of a cruddy experience. You know, it's like, "Well, man, this system is really slow, but you know, it's okay. It's just an internal tool." Or, you know, "Just the physicians are using this one so it's not as bad. We can make it too complex, too messy to whatever." And everybody just seems to say like, "Ah, well, that's good enough." And I think that, one of the things I've been surprised by that people aren't considering more, is just how much we are all acclimating to an Amazon experience, to all of these kinds of things where we just expect it to work. And then as more and more of these AI systems catch on and we get used to being able to just talk to the systems and they just do what we want them to do, I think that that frustration is going to get more and more apparent even on systems that have nothing to do with AI, even if they never touch it. We're just getting used to faster and faster systems that intuitively work. And there are so, so many in medtech that don't across the board. And it's not just the stuff that we work with, but I think that there's a lot of pain points in that area. [00:15:00] Justin Bantuelle: That's a really good point as well. Yeah. Yeah. I think most people are familiar at this point with Amazon being able to measure exactly how much money they lose per a 10th of a second longer the page loads, right. And you're right, Michael, that this platform isn't the, like what we're building, these visualizations, these like post procedural dashboards, things like that. Those aren't the product. Those are supplementing it. Those are where you're getting augmented value after the product has done a very good job performing a procedure. And, so yeah, it's much more-- pretty much every system that physicians use in hospitals, like when you're on a computer in there, if you're a physician, if you're working the desk, whatever you're doing in there, those systems are often ancient, very slow, bad interfaces. And so I think Michael's right that a lot of companies sort of overlook that because they sort of assume this is the norm in this space. It's like, "No, we can do a lot better than that." And that's sort of baseline for us. And that's easy for me to forget that a lot of people are trying to cut corners on that front or not prioritizing that aspect of it. And you do see fall off in usage as a result of it. And yeah it's not something to be neglected. [00:16:19] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. So just in general user experience and being able to help companies navigate that. And you know, actually, that goes back to what you were saying earlier, Michael, the idea of "wouldn't it be cool if," you know, so "wouldn't it be cool if this worked really well"... [00:16:37] Michael Roberts: Right. [00:16:38] Justin Bantuelle: Right. [00:16:38] Lindsey Dinneen: ...instead of settling for, like you said, a cruddy experience. Maybe there's something else we could do. And I love that sort of "what if" idea, because it just opens you up to all these possibilities. [00:16:50] Michael Roberts: Absolutely. [00:16:50] Justin Bantuelle: There's some things that are sort of corollaries to that, where a lot of groups don't consider. A lot of developers, I find as part of the user experience, so much of that is there's accessibility considerations and how severe a look it is if you're borderline non compliant with ADA, when you're in the medical field, like that's embarrassing, right? And potentially outright illegal. [00:17:16] Lindsey Dinneen: Right. [00:17:17] Justin Bantuelle: And these things often also can get overlooked if you don't have somebody who's used to doing this in the space with the interfaces that they're building. [00:17:25] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. That makes a lot of sense. Yeah. So I'm curious as you've worked with all these different companies and you've had very cool experiences, are there any moments that stand out to you as really confirming to you? Yes, I'm in the right place in the right industry at the right time. [00:17:45] Michael Roberts: This is a big question. You know, it's interesting. We've been involved in a variety of different types of projects. And as we've talked about stuff going into COVID, you know, when we were prepping for that there was work that we were doing with physicians directly, the stuff that I was, that I started off doing at the company, we still do work with physicians directly. And then we do work with some of the companies that were involved at various stages of vaccine creation process and all that kind of stuff. And so as we were sitting home during COVID and everything's going down and everything's happening all around the world, it's like, "Well, hey, we're at least helping some of these groups navigate this process." We're at least helping out some of these institutions continue running, or helping them get their messaging out or helping them in one way or another. We actually had a podcast previous to the one that we have now, and it was called The Paradigm Shift of Healthcare. And we named it that before COVID hit. We had no idea that was coming. It was just like, hey, consumers are more of a part of the healthcare process. People are making decisions more on their own and then everything changed about healthcare. And so, definitely made for some interesting conversations about, "Yeah, we had no idea that this is what was coming." But I do think that going through that process, seeing the provider side of it, what they were dealing with, we dealt with a lot of orthopedic surgeons who had to close their practice during the worst of it, right, when everybody had no clue what was happening. So there was that process. It was a lot of getting communication out on their websites, getting information out that way as they were trying to figure out any kind of remote appointments that they might be able to do. Figuring out that for short term, helping them just get some of that information on their sites and everything. And then, yeah, like with working with the companies as they were going through all this mess and trying to figure out how to allocate resources and all that. So that was probably one of the big times I think of like, "Okay, again, we're in the right space, beyond just this is how it's impacting my family, but it's impacting all of our families right now." [00:19:43] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Thank you for sharing. Yeah. How about you, Justin? [00:19:47] Justin Bantuelle: Yeah, I think I touched on this a little bit in the intro, but something that really stands out to me is working on supporting this robot. I didn't work on the robot itself, but obviously we're working on these systems that are ancillary and critical to the overall business operation of it. And it wasn't at market yet when we were coming in and assisting, and so seeing that process where it went through to market and seeing all of the studies that are continually coming out as they're performing this to submit to the FDA, and the actual tangible data showing the massive improvement in patient outcome and realizing that like, "Yeah, we're working on things that really are transformative for care." I had no idea how bad the space was in terms of outcomes before this robot was coming in and how much it was going to make things better for patients. Seeing the actual, tangible impact that it was going to have and that it has have since coming to market was really remarkable and something that it was like really proud to be involved in some capacity. And it just made me that much more excited about continuing to support these groups as they're doing this. [00:20:55] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. [00:20:56] Justin Bantuelle: It matters. And seeing the numbers on it really drive it home for me. [00:21:00] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Both of you have said at various points, things like "it matters," like "matters" has been like a big theme so far. And I think there is so much to that. But I am curious to dial a little bit more into it because, obviously, work in general matters. There's ways that you can make an impact in any field, but what drives you when it's a particularly difficult problem, or frankly, or a difficult client where it's a little bit challenging to maybe see eye to eye. So what continues to motivate and drive you to this work that you know matters so much? [00:21:41] Justin Bantuelle: I think, for me, it's wild to see that some of this is actually life and death. I never worked on something where like, and even some of what I'd done within medical device was just quality of life, which matters a lot too. But then some of this is about like diagnostics where a delayed outcome, a delayed assessment of the diagnostic and a misdiagnosis due to challenges with diagnostics, these things could be the difference if somebody survives or not, or like how quickly it gets them into treatment. So that's a weightiness that I never dealt with before prior to this. And so that was different than any jobs I had before where, I mean, I cared about things in like retail, but it's still, hopefully nobody's dying as a result of anything if they don't get the right thing. So there was a weightiness to that, that I guess carries a commensurate responsibility on the same side, is there anything to talk about what keeps me going with it. For me, I don't find myself necessarily pushing through. I don't find client engagement to be that challenging. I find that everybody does care, but miscommunication can happen, but I try not to center myself in any of that. And I find that giving others the benefit of the doubt as well on that usually leads to a pretty comfortable resolution. I'm there to help solve their problem. I'm not there to win an argument or be right on the direction we take, and I've definitely recommended pathways before from a technical standpoint and they just disagree or overrule and I don't think that's necessarily the best pathway, but I defer to their judgment on what they want in this field. And we're still working towards an end goal. If I ever feel like what we're doing is not helpful, then I don't want to take their money and build something that's they're going to be unhappy with. So, yeah, that, that part of it, I don't really necessarily personally experienced or feel that much, but it does help me just for from a personal motivation standpoint to see the outcomes on this. I don't think you always necessarily get to see that information. Some of our prior retail jobs, I don't know how happy somebody is with something once they go home with it, like unless they're coming in to return it, right? But here, it's not so much about the customer satisfaction the same way. There's very measurable. Improvements to treatment, diagnostic outcome. These things are very measurable, so you can see the results of it. And it's nice to see that you're achieving something with this, that you can [00:24:16] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. [00:24:17] Justin Bantuelle: estimate and keep with you as opposed to just hoping that it it's impacting somebody positively. [00:24:22] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh, yeah. Excellent. Do you have anything to add to that, Michael? [00:24:26] Michael Roberts: Yeah, I'll just quickly touch on-- so I actually came from a ministry background, from a faith background. And so part of, I guess my heritage in that field is this idea of service and this idea of trying to better people's lives in some way. And the concept of, when I started working with the physicians directly and still kind of applies with medtech companies same way is like, in my mind, I frame it as helping the people who help people. You know, really helping equip them so that they don't have to worry about that. They can go do their job. They can focus on the serving that they're doing. I don't enjoy being the frontline person. So, when I was working for churches and stuff like that, I did some stuff where, you know, I did a mission trip and we built a house in Mexico and you see that like, "Man, this makes such an impact." But it's exhausting and it's hot and it's really tough to do. And, "Wow, what if I could help equip people that are going to be in those kinds of areas?" I could never work in a hospital. I could never be that person. I don't have that mental fortitude. I don't have that emotional fortitude to do that every day. But if we can help make that process easier, I can deal with a lot of stuff in the meantime to help that part, you know, and let them do their job well. So that's the framework that I kind of bring to it. [00:25:45] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh, I love that. Yeah. Thank you both. Well, pivoting the conversation just for fun, imagine that you were to be offered a million dollars to teach a masterclass on anything you want-- could be in your industry, doesn't have to be. What would you choose to teach and why? [00:26:03] Justin Bantuelle: Yeah, okay. It's kind of similar to what or it's related to what we just talked about those frustrations of the customer. I'd really want probably to teach something along the lines of empathy and listening, like active listening. I feel like so many of the problems that I see in the workspaces and personal exchanges boils down to a form of miscommunication and boils down largely to making bad assumptions about what the other person is thinking or feeling. And I find that you can alleviate a lot of that. And I think it's just being able to really put yourself in their shoes, understand their motivations, understand what their pain points are, what they're trying to achieve. I've seen people butt heads just so many times and often felt it was unnecessary. They're not, neither of them's wrong about anything, but I think they kind of lose sight of the common goal that they share. And I've often helped my own employees who maybe feel like they're getting antagonized and help them reframe like what's going on and why it's not about them. It's not a personal attack kind of thing. I've seen Issues with clients where two different departments are having an issue. And I have less control over helping ameliorate that, but maybe sometimes helping to talk through it and just bring an outside perspective on it. Just with friends, family that struggle, often I find that advice to try to take a step back and reframe what's going on and think about that. I think there's a lot of techniques that, and it makes your life better, right? You're not getting the outcome you want if you're in conflict with somebody else and that's something that I think is one of the most unnecessary friction points often in a work environment or in a personal environment that I really try to put at the forefront of my mind when I see something kind of going wrong or when I'm experiencing something where I feel like I'm not getting my point across or somebody is not really understanding. And there's probably something going on their side where I'm not communicating well myself and taking that step back and understanding what's happening. Just, I feel it makes a big difference in the outcomes for everybody. [00:28:25] Lindsey Dinneen: I, and I really appreciate that perspective. It goes back to something you said earlier too. It's kind of, you know, you're on your client's team. It is you all against the problem. It's not you against each other. And it should never be. So trying to always remember that, or even in a work situation where it's maybe colleague to colleague, again, you're on the same team. So how do we go us against the problem rather than us against each other? So I really appreciate that perspective. [00:28:54] Justin Bantuelle: Yeah, I think, yeah, I find that it's not that frequent that somebody's actually acting in bad faith. It's not that it doesn't happen, but I think it happens a lot less than we may be assumed. I do think that how much of our communications now are via text instead of verbally where you can hear tone a little bit more, I think it becomes a little easier to misread something and that can help contribute to the miscommunication that can then boil over into something. So yeah, it's a challenge probably we all face. I certainly like for all that I care about this and I'm talking about it, it's a challenge I face as well, but I think that awareness kind of helps to check yourself and reevaluate and maybe change how you're communicating that. [00:29:42] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Amen to that. Michael, what would you teach? [00:29:46] Michael Roberts: I should have gone first. That was, that's like sets the bar so high. I think that the thing that I would try to teach is focusing on learning different types of skillsets that you've had before. I think that the next 10 years, we're just going to consistently see that need for everybody to keep reshaping how we interact with our work world with just the world in general. There's just so much that's changing and happening right now. And so I see this some for just basic literacy of the world that we're going to need this. But also, you know, I had to transition from one job to another. I started out in ministry and it was not for me and I needed to do something else. And it was hard. It was a good long while before I found the right fit and skilled up enough in that area for it to work. And so bought myself a book on HTML, code your first site in 30 days kind of thing. And did that and figured out how to put together a very crude website. It was just not great, but it worked. And but that kind of stuff, you know, what's possible today for people to keep on learning, to be able to shift from career path to career path. And then knowing how much you actually do bring with you because you very much feel out of your depth in so many ways. And I felt out of my depth at Health Connected for a good long while. But finding these experiences, these things that I'm bringing to the table, helped shape me and helped me deserve to be here in a way. And I think that everybody has that. It's just unpacking all that stuff, you know, and so getting the skills we need and then being able to figure out how like to actually like match up with where we're trying to go. [00:31:22] Lindsey Dinneen: Absolutely. Well, and you know, that's such a good point too, because sometimes I think it can feel, especially when you do transition jobs or even broader industries and you do feel a little bit out of your element. And I think the thing that you can also remember is, though, it is a strength to draw from all of these different sources of information and experiences that you've had over the years and maybe actually it is a really positive thing for you because you can go, " I don't know if MedTech has ever considered X, Y, and Z, but we did this in hospitality and let's just try it, you know?" And so I love that idea of bringing all the things together and allowing it to help shape you. [00:32:04] Michael Roberts: Yeah. Watching customer experiences be bad in healthcare just kills me. It just, 'cause you'd automatically lose in hospitality. You're automatically out if you don't have your customer experiences solid. That's the benchmark you have to start there. So [00:32:19] Lindsey Dinneen: Excellent. Yeah. Well, how do you wish to be remembered after you leave this world? [00:32:25] Justin Bantuelle: I, I think more than anything, I would just want to be thought of as somebody who was kind. It really matters a lot to me. I care about how people feel. I care about helping people. I'd like people to think that I always did right by them and helped where I could. So, that's at the forefront a lot of what I try to make decisions on in my personal life. So hopefully I live up to that. [00:32:56] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. [00:32:57] Michael Roberts: I would add something similar to that, I guess, would be willing to invest in the people that I cared about, that I was willing to disrupt my day, ' cause I can get so focused on a thing. When I was a kid, I wanted to be an artist of some sort, and that you think about the artists that have kind of stood through time and it's like, "Oh, well that's the pinnacle of what it means to be a person is you're remembered through time for some major achievement." And it's like, well, yes, there are a handful of people that do that, but I think being able to be remembered that you valued other people as being more valuable, as being more worthy than whatever project you had at the moment, 'cause so many projects come and go. It's something that we all need to do, is something we all need to work on, but yeah, investing in those relationships [00:33:45] Lindsey Dinneen: Absolutely. And I think that's a good reminder. Both of your points are very good reminders, especially for entrepreneurs who, I'm sure that most of them feel that everything kind of weighs on them. And so it is easy to get deep into project mode and maybe forget sometimes that they are human. So being kind and investing and willing to disrupt your day. But yeah that's really powerful. Thank you both. And then final question. What is one thing that makes you smile every time you see or think about it? [00:34:16] Justin Bantuelle: Sure. I think for me it's, I like animals a lot. I have my pets that I'm very fond of. I spent a lot of time looking at animal photos and videos online as I'm sure everybody does. I'm particularly fond of ones where it's two completely different species of animal that seem to be best friends. That is what really helped shape a positive day for me in the morning, if I come across some of those and that is just the cutest thing in the world. [00:34:40] Lindsey Dinneen: Absolutely. How about you, Michael? [00:34:44] Michael Roberts: For me, it's just being out, out somewhere where I'm just surrounded by nature and just getting that moment. And it's not, it doesn't make me smile in the same way, I guess, Justin, but it does kind of bring that peace every time I'm there of, no matter what else is going on, it's like, "Okay." Grounded, in a way and it's like, "Okay I'm here. I'm ready. And I can go face the day." [00:35:04] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yeah. Excellent. Well, thank you so much, both of you, for sharing your stories, your insights, your experiences, and even some advice. I really appreciate you taking the time today. This has been such a great conversation. And we are so honored to be making a donation on your behalf as a thank you for your time today to Save the Children, which works to end the cycle of poverty by ensuring communities have the resources to provide children with a healthy, educational, and safe environment. So thank you so much for choosing that charity to support, and I just wish you both the most continued success as you work to change lives for a better world. [00:35:46] Justin Bantuelle: Thank you so much. [00:35:48] Lindsey Dinneen: All right. And thank you also to our listeners for tuning in. And if you're feeling as inspired as I am at the moment, I'd love it if you'd share this episode with a colleague or two and we'll catch you next time. [00:36:01] Ben Trombold: The Leading Difference is brought to you by Velentium. Velentium is a full-service CDMO with 100% in-house capability to design, develop, and manufacture medical devices from class two wearables to class three active implantable medical devices. Velentium specializes in active implantables, leads, programmers, and accessories across a wide range of indications, such as neuromodulation, deep brain stimulation, cardiac management, and diabetes management. Velentium's core competencies include electrical, firmware, and mechanical design, mobile apps, embedded cybersecurity, human factors and usability, automated test systems, systems engineering, and contract manufacturing. Velentium works with clients worldwide, from startups seeking funding to established Fortune 100 companies. Visit velentium.com to explore your next step in medical device development.

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "Magic Carpet Ride" - Steppenwolf (1968)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out Hims: https://hims.com/EARLYBREAKAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "Run Rudolph Run"- Chuck Berry (1958)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out Cigars International and use my code EARLYBREAK for a great deal: www.cigarsinternational.com* Check out Robinhood: https://robinhood.com/goldAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "Walk on the Wild Side" - Lou Reed (1972)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out Cigars International and use my code EARLYBREAK for a great deal: www.cigarsinternational.com* Check out Robinhood: https://robinhood.com/goldAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "Who Loves You" - The Four Seasons (1975)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out Cigars International and use my code EARLYBREAK for a great deal: www.cigarsinternational.com* Check out Robinhood: https://robinhood.com/goldAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

-As always, send your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "Family Tradition" - Hank Williams, Jr. (1979)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out Cigars International and use my code EARLYBREAK for a great deal: www.cigarsinternational.com* Check out Robinhood: https://robinhood.com/goldAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "Love Her Madly" - The Doors (1971)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out Cigars International and use my code EARLYBREAK for a great deal: www.cigarsinternational.com* Check out Robinhood: https://robinhood.com/goldAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "Can't Stop" - Red Hot Chili Peppers (2002)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet at them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "Good Times" - Chic (1979)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out Cigars International and use my code EARLYBREAK for a great deal: www.cigarsinternational.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Natalie (Talia, as she goes by) Stroud has for years been studying the ways that our lives online show up in and shape our lives together. Her scholarship as her life are unexampled guides to the tumult, the challenges, and the opportunity presented by the advent and evolution of digital media. Origins Podcast WebsiteFlourishing Commons NewsletterShow Notes:Federal Communications Committee "Information Needs of Communities" (08:10)Kathleen Hall Jamieson (08:50)Center for Media Engagement (11:00)Niche News (12:00)Governing the Commonsby Elinor Ostrom (17:00)Understanding Knowledge As a Commonsby Hess and Ostrom (17:30)Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI by Yuval Noah Harari (17:40)'crisis discipline' (e.g., Michael Soulé) (18:00)Danielle Allen on relationality (20:00)New_ Public (22:20)Civic Signals (23:50 & 32:00)Talia's research with Meta around 2020 presidential election (26:00)Eli Pariser (34:00)Great Asking episode of Origins (35:00)the four building blocks of a healthy or flourishing digital community (37:30)what does it mean to flourish? (39:00)Umberto Eco and lists (42:20)trust (43:00)Martha Nussbaum (46:20)public imagination (51:00)Healing the Heart of Democracyby Parker Palmer (55:20)Lightning Round (55:40)Book: The Nature and Origins of Public Opinions by John Zaller Passion: business and marketing 'beach read' booksHeart Sing: election integrityScrewed up: reducing polarization in ways practical and scalableFind Talia online:UT Austin'Five-Cut Fridays' five-song music playlist series  Talia's playlistLogo artwork by Cristina GonzalezMusic by swelo on all streaming platforms or @swelomusic on social media

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "Santa Monica" - Everclear (1995)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out Cigars International and use my code EARLYBREAK for a great deal: www.cigarsinternational.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I'm back with another solo episode and I'm giving you a recap of what I discussed in my latest workshop, Parenting on the Same Page. Many people struggle with conflict between their partners inside their homes on a day-to-day basis regarding parenting decisions. While they love and respect each other at the core, the heightened moments of emotion and stress can cause friction between two parents. I'm going to share with you the three tools you can implement today to help get back to parenting as a team.All Feelings are Welcome. All Behaviors are NotWhat is the emotion or feeling your child is experiencing? What is the behavior you don't want to see? What is the behavior you do want to see?As you are calm and steady as the parent, you set clear boundaries for behavioral expectations.You need a game plan to address these situations and avoid reacting in an escalated way toward your child and each other. How can you validate the feeling your child is experiencing while still holding your boundary? How can you lean on each other in these stressful moments to help each other out?When you parent consistently on the same team, you will see a reduction of your child's challenging behaviors.Be Reflective of the Language You Use with Each OtherConnect, don't correct.Connective language is focused on yourself, your emotions, and your feelings, and finding a way to connect on a similar level with your partner.Have these discussions in moments of calm so you can both approach the conversation from a regulated place.A Dysregulated Adult Cannot Help a Dysregulated ChildIf your immediate reaction is to become dysregulated when your child behaves a certain way, it will not help the situation. You need to work through what the triggers are that cause you to feel dysregulated in stressful moments. Using breathing and physical redirection can help you to calm down and pause. Use PARR to become a more responsive parent.Resources: - I have three one-on-one coaching spots left for 2024! If you sign up for coaching with me, I'm offering a free, 60 minute bonus session called “Optimizing Your Schedule” that helps you create a schedule that works for you and find your balance.- Dr. Aliza Pressman, The 5 Principles of Parenting: https://draliza.com/ - Free Self Regulation Workshop download: https://stan.store/theparentingreframe/p/free-download-emotional-regulation-for-parents Sign up for a FREE 20 minute discovery call: https://stan.store/theparentingreframe/p/free-discovery-call-ck6qfBe sure to sign up for my Substack newsletter for longer and more specialized parenting content: https://albiona.substack.com/ I hope you found this episode helpful; for more parenting tips, check out my website and blog for more information. https://theparentingreframe.com/Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theparentingreframe/Follow me on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@theparentingreframe 

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill at earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "I Got You (I Feel Good)" - James Brown (1965)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out Cigars International and use my code EARLYBREAK for a great deal: www.cigarsinternational.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "I Was Made For Loving You" - Kiss (1979)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out Cigars International and use my code EARLYBREAK for a great deal: www.cigarsinternational.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Are jobs requiring high levels of human interaction worth preserving in the age of automation? Can we design machines to achieve something profound – the mutual recognition that occurs when human beings truly "see" each other? CASBS faculty fellow Mitchell Stevens explores these questions with Allison Pugh, author of the 2024 book The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World. Pugh launched work on the book as a 2016-17 CASBS fellow.ALLISON PUGH website | Google Scholar page | Interview with Allison Pugh on building a society of connection (CASBS in partnership with Public Books) |Princeton University Press page for The Last Human Job MITCHELL STEVENSStanford GSE faculty page |  Stanford profile |  CASBS page | Google Scholar page |  Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford UniversityExplore CASBS: website|Twitter|YouTube|LinkedIn|podcast|latest newsletter|signup|outreach​Human CenteredProducer: Mike Gaetani | Engineer & co-producer: Joe Monzel |

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill at earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "Fox On the Run" - Sweet (1974)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out BetterHelp and use my code EARLYBREAK for a great deal: www.betterhelp.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

“These are the core routines of people connection.”What happens when we slow down, get present, and put connection first?In this episode, Jon and Sarah give an overview of the 10 Foundation Stones of Connective Culture: what they are, how they help facilitate connection between people, and the kind of outcomes that can result from practicing them together with a group.--Free Download - 10 Foundation Stones--Embodying Unity With NatureIf you're interested in doing a deep on people connection practices, like the 10 Foundation Stones, our upcoming fall program explores how to develop them in your own life...Starting October 17th — 7 week Journey: Embodying Unity with Nature--Visit Living Connection 1st for more information about our work in nature connection and people connection.

Tom Myers, renowned author of Anatomy Trains, shares his expertise on fascia health, emotional trauma, and modern-day movement patterns. He explores the impact of posture, the evolution of breathing, and the hydration of connective tissue. This episode dives deep into how our bodies store trauma and the role of fascia in maintaining overall health. ========== OUR GUEST ========== Thomas Myers studied with Drs. Ida Rolf, Moshe Feldenkrais, and Buckminster Fuller, and with a variety of movement and manual therapy pioneers. His work is influenced by cranial, visceral, and intrinsic movement studies he made with European schools of osteopathy. An inveterate traveler, Tom has practiced integrative manual therapy for over 40 years in a variety of clinical and cultural settings. Tom is the author of Anatomy Trains (2020, 4th ed), co-author of Fascial Release for Structural Balance (North Atlantic, 2010, 2017), and more. He has also produced over 20 online learning courses with Anatomy Trains and collaborates with body-minded professional groups. Tom and his team deliver professional development courses and certification in Structural Integration worldwide. =========== TOM MYERS ===========

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "Wild Night" - Van Morrison (1971)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week we will discuss the most common type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome – the hypermobile type (hEDS, formerly also described as EDS type III or joint hypermobility syndrome), this is the type that most commonly presents to gastroenterology services.   ​ As connective tissue is present throughout the body, many different structures around the body including the digestive tract can be affected by EDS. Connective tissue is present in the digestive tract and is essential to the passive mechanical movements needed to complete digestion. It has been suggested that any abnormalities in the connective tissues in the digestive tract are likely to alter the way in which it moves, which could contribute to the range of symptoms experienced by people with hEDS. Connective tissue is also present around the nerves of the digestive tract and abnormalities of this can potentially make the gut more sensitive. It is important to remember that whilst differences in the digestive tract function are likely to be present in hEDS, as yet diagnostic biomarkers have not been identified and more research is needed to better understand the nature and impact of connective tissue within the digestive system, particularly in the other subtypes of EDS. ​ The digestive tract starts at the mouth, and ends at the anus. Many aspects of the digestive tract can potentially be affected, including both the upper digestive tract (oesophagus, stomach and duodenum) as well as the lower digestive tract (small intestine, large intestine, colon and rectum). We frequently see patients who mainly have symptoms related to either the upper or the lower digestive tract only, and some research studies have found that a significant proportion of people with hEDS experience some kind of gastrointestinal symptoms. ​ What sort of gut problems can occur? ​ The type, frequency and severity of digestive symptoms can vary greatly from person to person as everyone with hEDS is different. The most frequently reported problems affecting the upper digestive tract are acid reflux and chronic/recurrent indigestion with pain or discomfort and early fullness after meals. The lower digestive tract can present problems such as constipation, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea and a feeling of general abdominal discomfort.  Nausea and vomiting can occur alongside any of the symptoms described above.   Delayed gastric emptying / dysmotility The term dysmotility is often used to describe abnormal movements (e.g. sluggish movements or spasm) of the gut. Some hEDS sufferers can have a sluggish stomach, which means that there is a delay in the emptying of stomach contents into the small bowel, and this is often referred to as delayed gastric emptying. Delayed gastric emptying can range in severity from mild to severe, with the most severe form called gastroparesis (paresis = paralysis). A portion of hEDS sufferers do have delayed gastric emptying, however only a few will be severe enough to be diagnosed with gastroparesis. Patients with a lot of bloating and/or fullness after meals or nausea and vomiting can be tested for delayed gastric emptying, but it is important to note that so far a link between hEDS and gastroparesis has not been categorically established. ​ In other patients increased sensitivity of the stomach may be a more common problem. Both dysmotility and increased sensitivity of the stomach can be associated with symptoms such as acid or bile reflux, bloating, early fullness during meals/extended fullness after meals and nausea.   Heartburn / reflux There is some preliminary research that suggests that people with hEDS are slightly more likely to have a small hiatus hernia at the lower end of the oesophagus. This means that the upper end of the stomach slips into the chest cavity through a small hole (hiatus) in the diaphragm (the large muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity). This is quite a common finding and is usually not dangerous, but it can mean that the muscle that closes to stop food or liquid contents of the stomach from escaping back up into the oesophagus is somewhat inefficient, resulting in the acid reflux and/or heartburn symptoms, and this is called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD or GORD). However, it is also possible to experience reflux and/or heartburn symptoms without having a hiatus hernia. These symptoms can be associated with dysmotility, increased sensitivity of the oesophagus, or be experienced in isolation with none of these underlying causes.   Bloating Abdominal bloating is a common symptom in people with hEDS, and although the underlying causes are not fully understood, it is thought that dysmotility may be a contributing factor. Overgrowth of bacteria of the small bowel can occur if there is stagnation within the bowel (i.e. constipation) and this can lead to excessive fermentation of food leading to production of gas, which can also be associated with bloating. A link between hEDS and bacterial overgrowth has not been categorically established and further research is required.   Constipation Chronic constipation in adults is a common and debilitating problem and it is estimated that around 12 to 19% of the general population experience this, with females and the older population being more prone. Constipation is also common in patients with EDS and it is thought that a sluggish colon and difficulty with evacuation of the bowel are key causes. However there are often many factors inter-linked which can contribute to constipation such as diet, metabolic (hormone) or neurological (nerve) conditions, side effects of prescription medications, particularly opioid-based painkillers, or physical disorders such as prolapse of the bowel. ​ Rectal and genital prolapse are recognised as potential problems for some people with hEDS, and can be a factor contributing to constipation. Prolapse of the rectum means that the lining (mucosa) of the rectum (called a partial prolapse) or the entire rectal wall (called a complete prolapse) protrudes into the rectum, which interferes with the ability for a stool to be passed. Prolapses of the rectum usually occur during bowel movements, and then recede, but more advanced rectal prolapses can occur upon standing as well. However, in most cases prolapses tend to be small and do not require any active interventions. If a significant prolapse is diagnosed upon testing, and it is thought to be contributing to your gastrointestinal problems, your physician will refer you to a surgeon.   Functional gastrointestinal disorders Sometimes people with hEDS who have symptoms such as reflux, heartburn, constipation or nausea may not have an identifiable cause of their symptoms on any medical testing and these patients are then given a diagnosis of functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID). Patients who have symptoms with no underlying cause found account for more than a third of new referrals to gastrointestinal specialists, and so this is a common occurrence. A preliminary study amongst patients who were referred to a specialist because no cause of their symptoms could be found, demonstrated that over a third of those patients met the criteria for joint hypermobility and many of them had previously received a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or functional dyspepsia. IBS is the most common example of a FGID, and is characterized by recurrent abdominal pain and frequent changes in bowel habits. Functional dyspepsia is another type of FGID and relates to symptoms of upper abdominal pain, fullness, nausea and bloating, frequently following meals. (Credits: Ehlers Danlos . Org)

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United recently launched Kinective Media, the airline industry's first media network. Its first-party data could change the future of people's travel experiences.  Episode TranscriptPlease note, this transcript  may contain minor inconsistencies compared to the episode audio. [00:00:00] Damian: I'm Damian Fowler and welcome to this edition of the current podcast this week we're delighted to talk with Mike Petrella, the managing director of partnerships at United airlines. In June, the airline launched a new initiative named connective media, which is the airline industry's first media network. [00:00:17] The network will use data from its customer profiles to create a personalized and immersive travel journey. This launch comes at a time when retail media networks have become one of the hottest topics in ad tech, allowing brand marketers to target consumers using retailers first party data. [00:00:35] We start by asking Mike about why United wanted to move in this direction.  [00:00:40] Damian: United's the first travel focused company to develop its own media network called Connective Media by United Airlines, and how is this a boon for the company and its flyers? [00:00:50] Mike: of course, so we consider ourselves a commerce media network, and we distinguish ourselves as a commerce media network. Given retail media, networks are typically point of [00:01:00] purchase, transaction based. The Commerce Media Network embraces the emotion, the journey, the feelings of all parts of the funnel. [00:01:08] So when you think about our users at time of planning, time of travel, [00:01:13] Damian: and signals [00:01:14] Mike: time of destination, even when they're not thinking about travel, we have 108 million profiles. And the beauty of our data is it's incredibly accurate. You have to be Damien to get on a plane. Your name has to be what it is, your address has to be correct, your phone number, and all the other information. [00:01:33] So the breadth of that information, coupled with the accuracy of it, gives us insights and signals that allow us to create these robust profiles of the user. And it's the user at all points. And the commerce nature of this isn't just a point of sale. We are not microtransactions on a consistent, on a constant basis. [00:01:54] Rather, we think about The interaction of the user at the time of [00:02:00] planning, top funnel. At the time of trip, or even time of purchase in an ancillary mindset. Purchase path typically generates a significant amount of revenue. Be it airline tickets, upgrades, any purchase path. [00:02:11] Regardless of whether it is airline ticket or if you're purchasing a ticket to an event, parking, whatever the case is. So for us, it's the ability to take that journey. To be able to identify when the right time to send the right message to the right user is. And that message could be an advertisement, it could be content, it could be nothing because it's not the right time. [00:02:35] But in each of these cases, you can make a use case for any and every brand based on the scale and depth of our data. [00:02:42] Damian: of our data. Fascinating. And you mentioned that long purchase journey, which is, sometimes it can be a long purchase journey, right? For air travel, or it could be short, but you do have a lot of scope within that context. [00:02:54] Mike: It is. I mean, very few people spontaneously book tickets to destinations, right? [00:02:59] And when [00:03:00] you're in that mindset, you're in a planning mindset, not only of the journey, but think about the insights and intelligence we can extract from the signals we receive to say, Well, this person happens to frequent a specific hotel chain, a car rental chain, a ride share company, when they land, they frequent a food delivery service. [00:03:21] Endemic, but then you think the non endemic piece. And this is the beauty of what we do. The lines of endemic and non endemic are completely blurred. To me at least. Because I think about, when you get on a plane, you may be traveling home to return to normality. Which takes you to food shopping, which takes you to the pharmacy, which takes you to the laundromat. [00:03:39] But my point is, I think the idea of always coupling a travel endemic brand or journey with the traveler is only a piece of it. be it on the road or at home. [00:03:50] I may go see a music event. I may go purchase music. I might play music. I may eat pizza. I will eat pizza just to be clear. But my point is, my behaviors [00:04:00] There are some that are going to be unique based on my journey, and others that are going to overlap with when I'm traveling for leisure, when I'm home. [00:04:08] And so, I love the fact that just, we can essentially meet the interests of the customer, which is the centric piece of this, and provide value to our partners as well. [00:04:21] Damian: It's a very clear example of how non endemic works in a retail media network, I think, because, you know, when you think about other retail media networks, often think about the retailer and what it sells, but, you know, with United, it's a different story. [00:04:34] Mike: Yeah, it's the breath of commerce, and that's what I enjoyed. That was like when I came here, it was eye opening. I had an idea, right? But just to see what we can do and really the validation of just how strong our data is and how valuable it is from a customer standpoint. When I say valuable to the customer, it is to spoon feed customers based on their interests. [00:04:57] Cafeteria style doesn't work. There are too many choices. [00:05:00] So if you're in a planning phase and we can bring about certain things that are of, normality to you, booking a restaurant, booking a golf reservation, simply as getting my ride share, it makes the journey easier. It makes it feel like it's Damien Fowler's journey, not just a customer who purchased a seat in one of our planes. [00:05:20] Damian: Yeah, I love that. And I just want to take that point a little bit further. Can you give some more examples of how, you work with brands, whether endemic or, when I say endemic, that would be travel related, right? Or not. and where that media might appear. [00:05:34] Mike: Sure. So today we are, our media network extends from our dot com, our in app, we have digital signage within the airports, be it in our clubs and lounges, gate information displays, on our planes we have in flight entertainment, or we call IFE, or personal device entertainment on your phone, and so as part of United Next, we made an investment to purchase north of [00:06:00] 800 planes. [00:06:01] And within each of those planes, they will be outfitted with the new IFE system. It's meant to be more of an OTT experience versus the current experience, which quite frankly is, it's legacy, it's the 1950s. It's a small screen with limited choices and it's not what we're used to. we envision this opportunity to have a very personalized experience in which you will have your interests displayed on that screen and every person's screen will be different. [00:06:28] Based on that individual. And so, for us, we will be retrofitting our current fleet, with the exception of a couple planes that will be retired over time. And so, over time, we will have screens in all planes on a, personalized basis. And so, for us too, it's, you extend past that, you have email and such. [00:06:47] It's a true omni channel offering, but most importantly, it's the engagement. We have an average of three and a half hour flight time. And so, when you're at home You can get up, use the restroom, go to the kitchen, whatever, if [00:07:00] a commercial comes on. You cannot do the same in a plane. At the same frequency. I mean, yes, you can get up, but the idea of having the ability to engage in an intimate and targeted manner with our users and to be able to show them things of their interest is huge. [00:07:16] Right? And then you think more, in lounges and clubs, It's not going to be personalized. If Damien walks in, if you walk into the club, you don't want to see. Hello, Damon. How are you? Do you need a new green shirt? That's creepy, right? Yes. So again, there's you can think about. the business traveler travels from Monday at 5 a. [00:07:35] m. to 11 a. m. and Thursdays from 4 to 7. So perhaps we put advertisers endemic to that audience. Families travel on weekends and these are generalities. But through research and through signals, we can begin to capture that. And again, the right message at the right time. [00:07:50] Damian: What customer insights will help connect brands with United Flyers? [00:07:54] Mike: So we capture over 120 targetable segments, or signals, I should say. And that [00:08:00] is, a mix of attitudinal, behavioral, lifestyle, and transactional. And today, our audience indexed to the highly affluent individual. Married, college educated, homeowner, household income of 250, 000 plus. And so you'll see in some of our launch partners, Bottega Veneta, which is a luxury brand, McAllen's, a higher end Scotch. [00:08:21] Very good for that audience, but at the same time, we are very diverse in terms of who is on our plane. We, our launch partner was Televisa Univision. 25 percent of the Chicago population is Hispanic. Is it 63 million, Spanish speaking, Americans in the U. S., right? So the idea of just focusing on one demographic doesn't do anyone justice. [00:08:45] very much. Right? Again, speaks to that scale of data. And so, we, there's a use case for every single brand, every single opportunity. We [00:08:56] Damian: that nuance that you can bring to it, to [00:09:00] advertising, is obviously key to this. what strategies is Connective employ to personalize ads and offer that to these different segments? [00:09:08] We are a very privacy centric, privacy [00:09:10] Mike: privacy safe, conservative approach to what we're doing. We sit atop GAM. we work with, a number of clean rooms. any and everything we do is meant to uphold the integrity of that customer's data. we will never sell the data as a stand alone. It'll always be wrapped with media on a managed basis. [00:09:31] And I say that because the sale of data opens up opportunity for bad actors. Then there are bad actors out there. So when it comes down to it You know, we want to ensure that we are keeping our customers, information, and privacy at the forefront. And then, any and everything we do is in a compliant way. [00:09:51] Data collaborations through clean rooms, proper encryption at all specific times, proper measurement and verification. it's a textbook [00:10:00] approach, knowing full well that,  [00:10:04] Mike: party data is currency, you have to protect it, and you have to use it in the right manner. [00:10:09] Damian: And it feels great, right? The work that we did is meaningful. [00:10:20] Mike: It's been overwhelming, honestly. I used to work, I helped startup advertising. com a long time ago, and all its brand names up through Yahoo. And I was always the one vying for a brand's business. To work on a brand site now has been an eye opening experience because you have the problem of choice. And the reception to what we've been doing has been incredibly positive. [00:10:44] and it feels great, right? The work that we did is meaningful. The work that we did is interesting. but we have to be smart in terms of who we work with. I would say the outreach from partners, we always want to maintain a very premium nature for any owned [00:11:00] and operated supply. I think it's important. [00:11:02] Again, the brand integrity for United is paramount. but at the same time, as I said earlier, there's a use case for all brands. And we're always open to exploration and conversations. And then making the right choice based on United brand, based on the value for our customers and for the overall business. [00:11:21] Damian: Now travel has skyrocketed since pandemic times, and that's been well reported. Can you describe the change United has seen more generally in people coming back to the skies? [00:11:32] Mike: the largest airline in the U. S. right now. and it's, it's a great position to be in because people fly United for the experience. [00:11:39] We do not compete with low cost carriers. That's not our model. People fly for the convenience, for the experience, for the opportunity to increase their loyalty status, for the journey in itself. Our app is the number one rated app in the, in, of all airlines, and if you, you know, I'm not sure if you're a flyer or not, Thank you. [00:11:58] If you are [00:12:00] so you see that app is very intuitive in terms of my baggage goes here. My gate is here. And so against personalization, right? It may not be specific. Damien. This is your journey. Rather, you are flying at this airport. Here is where your luggage is. Here's where your gate is. And it's just it's taking those steps to just again lessen the hassle of travel. [00:12:19] And then, as you get on the plane, our flight attendants, our ground crew, our pilots are just top caliber. it's the friendliness that you see. again, the experience extends beyond [00:12:29] Damian: a traveler's standpoint. [00:12:30] Mike: Connected media provides an opportunity for us to gather what we have from our three core pillars. Travel, loyalty, and media. [00:12:39] And it's that flywheel. we are able to ingest signals based on the profiles that we have. And in doing so, you begin to see the traveler profile as it begins to matriculate to an actual loyalty partner. [00:12:52] 39 million mileage plus loyalty partners. We have a co brand card through Chase. Right. We have our mileage plus [00:13:00] partnerships team, and we think about that from the Avis's, the Marriott's, from a travel endemic standpoint, non endemic, even like the away, I guess away luggage is not therabody, things to that effect. [00:13:10] And so, the ability to accrue and redeem miles as transaction. And then, with the credit card, the ability to redeem miles, or accrue miles, I should say, through transactions. As you go through the flywheel, you come to the media piece, which is the connective tissue. To understanding the middle and lower funnel of that transaction, purchase point, brand affinity, options for our users. [00:13:33] And then back to the first part, the emotion, and the journey, and the actual travel. And as we do this flywheel, we have more travelers, which means more signals, which means more opportunities for media, which means more, and it's a self fulfilling flywheel that essentially, again, with the customer in the middle, or the customer is the focus, it's Creates that opportunity to your point of why people are flying more with United.[00:14:00]  [00:14:00] Damian: What kind of feedback have you had from those customers? what are people's experience, what are people experiencing and how are they setting that back to you? [00:14:08] Mike: think the best part is, they've come up and said I'm so excited you're doing this. Never would have thought of this. like you, you're hearing it from the horse's mouth, right? So there's, in an unbiased manner, what I'm most proud of is the fact that we've come out with a legitimate business with a very, very focused North Star, that is focused solely around the customer. [00:14:31] that's unique. And to bring it to market at the speed that we did. With the help that we had from partners and the support that we've had from the industry has been just, has been amazing. Now the [00:14:43] Damian: the idea now seems like a very good one. And you're describing, you're telling me, Mike, how quickly you brought it to market. What, in under a year, really? I mean, it's a good idea. Do you expect that other airlines are going to want to emulate, what you've done here with your media network? [00:14:59] Mike: is [00:15:00] a very savvy airline. They're a great airline. they're doing certain things [00:15:07] with the connect, that we're connecting. streaming from a device to their, seatback screens. They've done partnerships with Walmart Plus and such. Whether they come out with a full scale media network, I'm not sure. but, United and Delta are the top two airlines in the U. S. [00:15:22] And they are a very savvy brand. So, if they come out, I would not be, surprised. I don't know about the others. You know, for me, it's not one's better than the other. It's just where I see the next. In [00:15:35] Damian: In general, while we're on the topic of predictions, when you look ahead to the rest of this year and to next, as you build this offering out, what are the kind of trends you're looking for in terms of that merging of travel and media that you just talked about? The year into next, what trends are you all looking for? [00:16:09] Mike: It's really, when you and I grew up, you had to pay for HBO, you had to pay for ESPN. it's a similar model, and you're seeing consolidation and M& A start in that sector. There's too many choices for consumers. Today, there's 273 retail media networks. That is not scalable, right? Marketers and agencies already have too many choices to make. [00:16:30] and at the same time, the uniqueness of that data, depending on the sectors. It may not be all that unique. I do think there's going to be consolidation. There has to be. And for me, I would expect that. I think we're in a very good position just given the unique position that we're in. And quite frankly, like the three pillars, right? [00:16:53] Scale, accuracy, and omni channel. And we can say we have that with confidence. I would say like, [00:17:00] to your point of expectations, there has to be consolidation. I think the introduction of AI, it wouldn't be a podcast without saying AI. I've already said flywheel, if there's another one I need to say. [00:17:11] But I do think, the introduction of AI into not only the purchase path, but more importantly, the analytics. Right? Humans know which questions to ask. AI will figure out what other questions to ask. And as we constantly feed these models, you're going to have, just from an analytics standpoint, the ability to extract new data, new intelligence, new insights, and we want to be on the forefront there to ensure that, we modernize our offering at a pace that is quicker, than what the industry is seeing. [00:17:44] Damian: Do you anticipate that your media network and what you're offering might have some kind of partnerships with some of those streaming platforms? I'm just thinking. Yeah, it's my job. So, [00:17:54] Mike: So, like, I do. I think there's opportunity for partnership. Yeah. it's the many versus the [00:18:00] power of one. [00:18:00] Damian: Yeah.  [00:18:01] Mike: You have to be selective, right? If you partner with everyone, you partner with no one. So, I think there's opportunities in the travel space. I do think there's opportunities in the non endemic space, too. We're at really early stages, so Honestly, platform side, I'm not used to this much attention. [00:18:21] and I love it. And we brought friends in to build this business. I'm working with my friends. I absolutely love it. And so together we're kind of sitting down and putting our heads together and say, okay, like we got to the starting line. We bust out our asses for nine months and we got to the starting line. How do we run this race and always be the leader? Because there's going to be people coming up after us. And that challenge with one another is great because we're pushing one another to be better. And it's not intense in the sense that like, any conversations with emotion are meant for constructive and collaboration. [00:18:57] And I think we're all being better because we're constantly pushing [00:19:00] one another. But more importantly, we're supporting one another. [00:19:02] Damian: Yeah. you do see some relationships with broadcasters, with in flight entertainment, but I imagine this is going to go. To a different level. [00:19:11] Mike: this is the early stage of the business. This is the exciting part. we're the bright, shiny object right now, and I think it's good to revel in that just to pat yourself on the back and say, Hey, we did it. [00:19:22] But realistically, like complacency doesn't get you anywhere, right? So everyone else has got has gotten to the starting line. There's been 273 other companies that got to the starting line, and some are running the race faster than others, and some are not even on the same course anymore. so for us, I think it's about heads down, and just constantly push. [00:19:42] And to be the best, [00:19:49] Damian: is highly competitive. Do you feel the pressure? [00:19:53] Mike: I don't feel the pressure from the industry. I feel the pressure to deliver. Like, me personally, I hold the bar very [00:20:00] high for myself, and I'm my worst critic. I know what it's like to be successful. I helped launch advertising. com and I can tell you those first five years were by far like the highlight of my life from a professional standpoint. [00:20:11] these last nine months are on par with that. And if I can make the next four years and three months the same or better, I'm going to do everything I can to do it. And if there's 23 years, 18 more years to follow that, great. I hope to retire at some point in my life. But, um, I'm just excited because. [00:20:30] This is real. And it's good. And, will be responsible for our success. So, yeah, I'm really excited about it.  [00:20:37] Damian: thank you so much for these insights. It's been great. [00:20:40] Mike: to speak with you, Damian. Thank you.  [00:20:42] Damian: And that's it for this edition of The Current Podcast. [00:20:44] We'll be back next week, so stay tuned. [00:20:47] Ilyse: The Current Podcast's theme is by Love Caliber. The current team includes Kat Vesce and Sydney Cairns. [00:20:53] Damian: . And remember, I'm Damian. [00:20:55] Ilyse: I'm Ilyse. [00:20:56] Damian: And we'll see you next time. And if you like what you hear, please [00:21:00] subscribe and leave us a review. Also, tune in to our other podcast, The Current Report.

This week we will discuss the most common type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome – the hypermobile type (hEDS, formerly also described as EDS type III or joint hypermobility syndrome), this is the type that most commonly presents to gastroenterology services.   ​ As connective tissue is present throughout the body, many different structures around the body including the digestive tract can be affected by EDS. Connective tissue is present in the digestive tract and is essential to the passive mechanical movements needed to complete digestion. It has been suggested that any abnormalities in the connective tissues in the digestive tract are likely to alter the way in which it moves, which could contribute to the range of symptoms experienced by people with hEDS. Connective tissue is also present around the nerves of the digestive tract and abnormalities of this can potentially make the gut more sensitive. It is important to remember that whilst differences in the digestive tract function are likely to be present in hEDS, as yet diagnostic biomarkers have not been identified and more research is needed to better understand the nature and impact of connective tissue within the digestive system, particularly in the other subtypes of EDS. ​ The digestive tract starts at the mouth, and ends at the anus. Many aspects of the digestive tract can potentially be affected, including both the upper digestive tract (oesophagus, stomach and duodenum) as well as the lower digestive tract (small intestine, large intestine, colon and rectum). We frequently see patients who mainly have symptoms related to either the upper or the lower digestive tract only, and some research studies have found that a significant proportion of people with hEDS experience some kind of gastrointestinal symptoms. ​ What sort of gut problems can occur? ​ The type, frequency and severity of digestive symptoms can vary greatly from person to person as everyone with hEDS is different. The most frequently reported problems affecting the upper digestive tract are acid reflux and chronic/recurrent indigestion with pain or discomfort and early fullness after meals. The lower digestive tract can present problems such as constipation, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea and a feeling of general abdominal discomfort.  Nausea and vomiting can occur alongside any of the symptoms described above.   Delayed gastric emptying / dysmotility The term dysmotility is often used to describe abnormal movements (e.g. sluggish movements or spasm) of the gut. Some hEDS sufferers can have a sluggish stomach, which means that there is a delay in the emptying of stomach contents into the small bowel, and this is often referred to as delayed gastric emptying. Delayed gastric emptying can range in severity from mild to severe, with the most severe form called gastroparesis (paresis = paralysis). A portion of hEDS sufferers do have delayed gastric emptying, however only a few will be severe enough to be diagnosed with gastroparesis. Patients with a lot of bloating and/or fullness after meals or nausea and vomiting can be tested for delayed gastric emptying, but it is important to note that so far a link between hEDS and gastroparesis has not been categorically established. ​ In other patients increased sensitivity of the stomach may be a more common problem. Both dysmotility and increased sensitivity of the stomach can be associated with symptoms such as acid or bile reflux, bloating, early fullness during meals/extended fullness after meals and nausea.   Heartburn / reflux There is some preliminary research that suggests that people with hEDS are slightly more likely to have a small hiatus hernia at the lower end of the oesophagus. This means that the upper end of the stomach slips into the chest cavity through a small hole (hiatus) in the diaphragm (the large muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity). This is quite a common finding and is usually not dangerous, but it can mean that the muscle that closes to stop food or liquid contents of the stomach from escaping back up into the oesophagus is somewhat inefficient, resulting in the acid reflux and/or heartburn symptoms, and this is called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD or GORD). However, it is also possible to experience reflux and/or heartburn symptoms without having a hiatus hernia. These symptoms can be associated with dysmotility, increased sensitivity of the oesophagus, or be experienced in isolation with none of these underlying causes.   Bloating Abdominal bloating is a common symptom in people with hEDS, and although the underlying causes are not fully understood, it is thought that dysmotility may be a contributing factor. Overgrowth of bacteria of the small bowel can occur if there is stagnation within the bowel (i.e. constipation) and this can lead to excessive fermentation of food leading to production of gas, which can also be associated with bloating. A link between hEDS and bacterial overgrowth has not been categorically established and further research is required.   Constipation Chronic constipation in adults is a common and debilitating problem and it is estimated that around 12 to 19% of the general population experience this, with females and the older population being more prone. Constipation is also common in patients with EDS and it is thought that a sluggish colon and difficulty with evacuation of the bowel are key causes. However there are often many factors inter-linked which can contribute to constipation such as diet, metabolic (hormone) or neurological (nerve) conditions, side effects of prescription medications, particularly opioid-based painkillers, or physical disorders such as prolapse of the bowel. ​ Rectal and genital prolapse are recognised as potential problems for some people with hEDS, and can be a factor contributing to constipation. Prolapse of the rectum means that the lining (mucosa) of the rectum (called a partial prolapse) or the entire rectal wall (called a complete prolapse) protrudes into the rectum, which interferes with the ability for a stool to be passed. Prolapses of the rectum usually occur during bowel movements, and then recede, but more advanced rectal prolapses can occur upon standing as well. However, in most cases prolapses tend to be small and do not require any active interventions. If a significant prolapse is diagnosed upon testing, and it is thought to be contributing to your gastrointestinal problems, your physician will refer you to a surgeon.   Functional gastrointestinal disorders Sometimes people with hEDS who have symptoms such as reflux, heartburn, constipation or nausea may not have an identifiable cause of their symptoms on any medical testing and these patients are then given a diagnosis of functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID). Patients who have symptoms with no underlying cause found account for more than a third of new referrals to gastrointestinal specialists, and so this is a common occurrence. A preliminary study amongst patients who were referred to a specialist because no cause of their symptoms could be found, demonstrated that over a third of those patients met the criteria for joint hypermobility and many of them had previously received a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or functional dyspepsia. IBS is the most common example of a FGID, and is characterized by recurrent abdominal pain and frequent changes in bowel habits. Functional dyspepsia is another type of FGID and relates to symptoms of upper abdominal pain, fullness, nausea and bloating, frequently following meals. (Credits: Ehlers Danlos . Org)

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake and Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "All I Want" - Toad the Wet Sprocket (1991) - in concert at Pinewood Bowl tonight with Barenaked LadiesShow sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "Promises" - Eric Clapton (1978)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out BetterHelp: betterhelp.com/EARLYBREAKAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

-As always, email your questions for Sip, Jake & Bill to earlybreak937@gmail.com or tweet them-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "Steal Away" - Robbie Dupree (1980)Show sponsored by SANDHILLS GLOBALOur Sponsors:* Check out BetterHelp: betterhelp.com/EARLYBREAKAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy