Podcasts about conventional

Story at-a-glance Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid that serves as the primary fuel for the cells lining your colon. These cells rely on it for the majority of their energy, making it one of the most important molecules for gut health Your gut bacteria produce butyrate by fermenting fiber, but modern diets and disrupted microbiomes mean many people make too little, and the gut suffers for it Conventional butyrate supplements are largely absorbed high in the digestive tract and destroyed before reaching the colon, where the molecule does its most important work — a textbook delivery failure That combination — deep, well-documented benefit plus near-total delivery failure — makes butyrate the ideal proving ground for targeted delivery technology It is the reason we chose the gut as the first demonstration of what 22nd Century delivery can do, and why more than 35,000 people are already waiting for what comes next

Most people who are quietly unhappy with their lives already know what they want — what they're missing isn't clarity, it's the sense that it's allowed. In this episode, Brett Ingram breaks down the permission problem: a learned decision system that trains capable adults to wait for someone else's approval before making changes they've already decided on internally. He traces where the pattern comes from, what waiting is actually protecting people from, and how to tell the difference between finally authorizing your own life and just making an impulsive mess of it. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why the permission problem doesn't look like indecision — it looks like competence, endless research, and a decision that never quite arrives The tell that separates a permission problem from a genuine "I don't know what I want" problem How childhood approval-seeking becomes an adult decision system, and why conventional success often trains the pattern further instead of curing it What waiting actually protects you from: responsibility for the outcome, disappointing people invested in the old version of you, and the friction of an identity that no longer fits The real difference between courage and recklessness, and between alignment and avoidance — they can feel identical in the moment but aren't the same thing Why clarity comes from acting in small, honest, reversible ways rather than arriving before you act The Seven Questions for Self-Authorization — a framework for telling the difference between wisdom and fear dressed up as wisdom Episode Timestamps [00:00] Introduction — the gap between knowing and allowing [02:00] The tension: doing everything right and still waiting for permission [03:00] What the permission problem actually looks like [06:00] Where it comes from — childhood approval and the decision systems we never replace [09:00] Why conventional success trains the pattern further instead of curing it [13:00] What waiting is quietly protecting you from [17:00] Courage vs. recklessness, alignment vs. avoidance [22:00] Permission as a capacity you build, not something you receive [25:00] Self-authorization in practice — small, private, reversible acts [27:00] The Seven Questions for Self-Authorization [29:00] Closing thoughts and where to go deeper Episode Summary Most of the people this show is built for have done the right things. They've built the career, hit the markers other people recognize as success, done some of the inner work. And somewhere underneath all that competence sits a decision they haven't made — not because they lack the resources or the self-awareness, but because some part of them is still waiting for someone to say it's okay. Brett Ingram's central argument in this episode is that waiting for permission isn't a character flaw or a personality trait. It's a learned decision system, trained into most people by people who loved them, in a context that made sense at the time. Which means it can be examined, and it can be retrained. The permission problem rarely looks like indecision. It looks like competence — someone extremely good at gathering information, weighing options, building a mental spreadsheet of pros and cons, and somehow never quite arriving at the decision they already know they want to make. Brett offers a clean tell: if you can describe exactly what you want and exactly why you haven't moved, and the reason isn't a hard constraint like money or safety but something closer to "I don't think I'm allowed," that's not an information problem. That's a permission problem, and it's different from genuinely not knowing what you want — in the latter case, you can feel the answer even if you haven't found the words for it yet. Brett traces the pattern back to childhood, where approval and safety are functionally the same thing — a parent's approval, a teacher's praise, a peer group's acceptance aren't just nice to have, they're safety information. That builds an early decision system that runs on outside signals. The problem is that system is meant to be temporary scaffolding, and for a lot of capable adults, it never gets replaced — it just gets more sophisticated. A parent's approval becomes a professional credential. A teacher's praise becomes a title or a salary band. Conventional achievement, Brett argues, doesn't cure the permission problem. It often trains it further, because the more validated the path, the more stepping off of it feels like risking the whole operating system rather than making a choice. One of the more useful distinctions in the episode is between what's protecting you and what's just delaying you. As long as a decision hasn't been made, you haven't had to be responsible for the outcome, disappoint the people who benefited from the old version of you, or find out whether the new version of your life actually works. Brett is careful not to swing the message the other way into "just trust yourself and go" — that version is just as dishonest as the one it's reacting against. Instead, he draws real lines: courage is acting in the direction of something you've examined and still believe in, even though it's frightening; recklessness is acting to relieve the discomfort of not having decided yet. Alignment is a decision that holds up when you're calm and rested; avoidance is one that only makes sense when you're activated or exhausted. They can feel identical in the moment. They are not the same thing. The episode's reframe is the core of the argument: permission is not something you receive, it's a capacity you build. That work starts with self-knowledge — your actual values as opposed to the ones you've inherited, your real patterns as opposed to the story you tell about yourself — which connects directly to the self-knowledge work that makes this kind of clarity possible. Clarity, Brett argues, usually doesn't come before you act — it comes from acting in small, honest, reversible ways and paying attention to what you learn. Self-authorization starts private and small: saying an honest sentence out loud to someone you trust, spending real time or money on a version of the thing you've been circling, letting yourself want something for a week without auditing whether you're allowed to. Brett closes with seven questions worth sitting with rather than a five-step framework: what you're actually waiting for permission to do, whose approval you've been treating as decisive, what legitimate responsibilities actually apply, how much of your delay is wisdom versus fear wearing wisdom's clothes, what the smallest honest experiment would be, what evidence would separate alignment from escape, and — the one people skip — what staying exactly as you are is already costing you this year. As he puts it: "Permission was never something you were missing. It was something you hadn't finished building." Resources Mentioned Thomas Edison's filament notebooks — referenced for his reframe on 10,000 failed attempts at the light bulb filament ("I've successfully identified 10,000 ways that don't work"), used to illustrate reframing failure as progress rather than proof to quit Greg Giraldo — comedian and former Harvard-trained lawyer, referenced as an example of leaving a validated, high-status path for the thing he actually wanted to do The Seven Questions for Self-Authorization — the episode's closing framework for distinguishing wisdom from fear when deciding whether to act or keep waiting Frequently Asked Questions What is "the permission problem"? The permission problem is a pattern where someone already knows what they want and why they haven't moved toward it, but the reason isn't a hard constraint like money or safety — it's a sense that they aren't allowed to make the change. It shows up as endless information-gathering and waiting for an external sign, rather than genuine uncertainty about what they want. Why do successful, capable people still wait for permission to change their lives? Because approval-seeking is a decision system built in childhood, when being liked and being safe were functionally the same thing. Conventional success doesn't cure this pattern — it often reinforces it, since the more validated the path someone is on, the more stepping off of it feels like risking the whole system rather than making a normal choice. How do I know if I'm making a courageous decision or a reckless one? Courage is acting in the direction of something you've examined and still believe in, even though it's frightening. Recklessness is acting mainly to relieve the discomfort of not having decided yet. A useful test is whether the decision still holds up after a good night's sleep — alignment tends to survive that; avoidance often doesn't. How can I tell if I really want something, or if it's just a temporary feeling? A genuine, authentic desire tends to be consistent — it shows up in quiet moments as well as dramatic ones, and it survives contact with real information. A temporary emotional reaction is usually loud and short-lived, and it tends to lose its shape the moment you get specific about logistics or things briefly improve in your current situation. Does giving yourself permission mean ignoring my responsibilities to other people? No. Brett draws a clear distinction between disappointing someone you have a genuine obligation to and simply making someone uncomfortable with who you're becoming. Real obligations — financial responsibilities, caregiving, health, commitments — deserve to be honored. Someone else's discomfort with your growth isn't automatically one of those obligations. What questions should I ask myself before making a big life change? Brett offers seven: What am I actually waiting for permission to do? Whose approval have I been treating as decisive, and have I actually asked them? What legitimate responsibilities do I need to account for? How much of my delay is wisdom versus fear? What's the smallest honest, reversible experiment I could run? What evidence would separate alignment from escape? And what is staying exactly as I am already costing me this year? Do I need to feel certain before I make a change? No — the episode argues the opposite. Certainty is usually downstream of experimentation, not upstream of it. Clarity tends to come from taking small, honest, reversible actions and paying attention to what you learn, rather than waiting for full certainty to arrive before you're willing to move at all. Keep Exploring If this episode resonated, these are worth your time: Mind & Inner Life Pillar — The full framework on self-knowledge, values, and the inner work that makes real change possible → Mind & Inner Life Guide Growth & Self-Becoming Pillar — Goes deeper into the experimentation, identity, and timeline questions this episode touches on → Growth & Self-Becoming Guide Breaking Free From Other People's Expectations — A closer look at untangling your own choices from what other people expect of you → optyoumize.com/blog/podcast/breaking-free-from-other-peoples-expectations Enjoyed This Episode? The best way to support optYOUmize is to subscribe and leave a review — it takes about two minutes and makes a real difference in helping more people find the show. Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Amazon Music · YouTube Leave a Review →

Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid that serves as the primary fuel for the cells lining your colon. These cells rely on it for the majority of their energy, making it one of the most important molecules for gut health Your gut bacteria produce butyrate by fermenting fiber, but modern diets and disrupted microbiomes mean many people make too little, and the gut suffers for it Conventional butyrate supplements are largely absorbed high in the digestive tract and destroyed before reaching the colon, where the molecule does its most important work — a textbook delivery failure That combination — deep, well-documented benefit plus near-total delivery failure — makes butyrate the ideal proving ground for targeted delivery technology It is the reason we chose the gut as the first demonstration of what 22nd Century delivery can do, and why more than 35,000 people are already waiting for what comes next

The boys have a booth at Ai-Kon, this year, but they have a problem: how are they supposed to attract the attention of passerby attendees with all the other great things to do?The solution: hire a cute waifu!This week, AniPro holds a tournament to decide which anime waifu would make the best helper at their booth!Also, Cole's reunited with an old flame, Jay's jamming to music, and more!

Featured on WGN Radio's Home Sweet Home Chicago on 07/18/26: Rose Pest Solutions' Marketing Director Janelle Iaccino, A.K.A. ‘The Bug Girl,' talks spiders and the underlying pest issues attracting them. Janelle highlights the Healthy Home Maintenance program for year-round protection. To learn more about Rose Pest Solutions and what they can do for you, go to rosepestcontrol.com or […]

Featured on WGN Radio's Home Sweet Home Chicago on 07/18/26: David Saffrin of Sunrun Solar joins the program to to talk about how Sunrun has been helping customers through all the recent severe storms. David also highlights their $1,000 referral bonus! To learn more about Sunrun Solar, go to www.gosunrun.com/wgn or call 224-458-7868.

Featured on WGN Radio's Home Sweet Home Chicago on 07/18/26: Roy Spencer, CEO and Founder of Perma-Seal, joins David Hochberg to talk about sunken and broken concrete. To learn more about Perma-Seal's services, go to permaseal.net or call 1-800-421-SEAL (7325).

This week on Home Sweet Home Chicago, David Hochberg is joined by Roy Spencer, CEO of Perma-Seal Basement Systems to talk about the difference between their Basement Defender device and a high-water alarm system. Then, David Saffrin of Sunrun Solar talks about helping customers during these recent storms and power outages. Next, Janelle Iaccino of Rose Pest […]

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Send us Fan MailCatherine D'Aragon, CEO of First Aid Beauty, joins Skin Anarchy to discuss how the brand built its barrier science foundation years before barrier repair became a trend, why it develops products around problems instead of buzzy ingredients, how it responds to dupes, what changed after the P&G acquisition, and the GLP-1 body care innovation coming next. Below are the biggest questions answered in this episode.Did First Aid Beauty focus on barrier repair before it was a trend?Yes. The brand was founded in 2009 around sensitive skin, and its hero product, Ultra Repair Cream, carries a clinical claim of strengthened skin barrier in seven days, long before barrier language dominated the market. D'Aragon is direct about the wave of newcomers: "There's a lot of brands that came in and said, oh, we invented barrier repair, and now we're the brand for barrier repair." First Aid Beauty simply talked about it as sensitive skin science, and every formula since has been built to strengthen the barrier.How does First Aid Beauty decide which skincare trends to follow?By evaluating the science behind the trend rather than chasing it. "We need to evaluate the science behind the trend... we don't develop product in three months. We develop product, it takes years to develop." The brand does listen to its community for new ways to use existing products: the KP Bump Eraser body scrub was developed for keratosis pilaris, but when consumers began using it to prep skin before tanning, the brand added that usage to its messaging. Trends can expand how a product is talked about, but they never start the development process.How do you build a skincare brand that lasts?Stay true to the brand DNA through every launch decision. First Aid Beauty was founded to deliver problem solving formulas for sensitive skin with a luxurious experience, filling the gap between effective but joyless drugstore products and sensorial prestige ones. D'Aragon admits the brand once drifted: "We kind of went off track and we launched product that was really not in that kind of problem solution sensitive skin, and we decided to discontinue those products." Anything that makes sensitive skin react in testing never launches, no matter how promising.Is retinol safe for sensitive skin?Conventional retinol often is not, which is why First Aid Beauty spent years solving the problem before entering the category. "We spent like three years researching and we found a very specific technology about encapsulated retinol with slower delivery, then it's less irritation." The encapsulation slows release into the skin, delivering the antiaging benefit without the stripping that disqualifies most retinol products for reactive skin.Can exfoliation work for sensitive skin?Yes, if the acids are chosen for gentleness rather than intensity. The Facial Radiance Pads pair glycolic acid with lactic acid, a gentler acid, to deliver what D'Aragon calls "real exfoliation, but without the irritation." The combination approach reflects the same principle as the retinol work: the category is not off limits for sensitive skin, but the formulation has to be rebuilt around it.Who is the First Aid Beauty customer?Not one person but several distinct tribes, which the brand studies through extended consumer research sessions. "We call it the simple girl, the person that just wants simple product that works and is tired of the trend and is tired of going to social media." Other tribes are actively problem solving specific skin concerns. The brand adapts its messaging to each tribe but never adapts the products themselves, which stay anchored to the science.How does First Aid Beauty respond to dupes?By testing them head to head rather than ignoring them or cutting prices. "We buy the product, we tried it, and we try to find why we have superiority claims. And every time we are superior versus the competition." Superiority shows up in ingredient selection, concentrations suited to sensitive skin, and even material choices like the fabric of the pads. The brand holds its accessible pricing rather than racing dupes to the bottom, and focuses on educating consumers about the differences.Are skincare dupes as good as the original?D'Aragon encourages consumers to investigate rather than assume. "Look at the concentration of the acid, of any ingredient that is important for that product. Look at the combination of ingredients and look it up and try it if you want." Her confidence comes from watching the pattern play out: many consumers try the dupe, then return to the original because it delivers on its promise.Did the P&G acquisition change First Aid Beauty?The brand gained resources without losing its identity. Access to P&G research and development means even more rigorous science, testing, and safety standards, though it can slow launches. "Sometimes we're a little bit slower to launch some products... but at the end of the day, for the consumers, I think it's a plus." The brand also kept its Boston offices and much of its original team rather than relocating to P&G headquarters, preserving the culture that built it.Are indie skincare brands tested as rigorously as big company brands?Not always, and D'Aragon says consumers rarely realize it. Speed to market can come at the cost of testing depth: "In three, four months, you have a new product coming out to life. But has it gone through all the testing? I'm not sure. The US market is not that regulated." She argues that big company ownership, often framed as diluting a brand, can actually mean a safer product because of the additional scientific rigor behind it.How does First Aid Beauty choose new ingredients?Problem first, never ingredient first. "We don't innovate by ingredient because something is buzzy. We innovate by what's the next problem to solve." Once the problem is defined, the team researches which ingredients can solve it safely for sensitive skin. D'Aragon's logic is durability: a buzzy ingredient fades within a year or two, but the problem a product solves remains, which is why Ultra Repair Cream still works across countless scenarios years later.Is First Aid Beauty launching a GLP-1 skincare product?Yes, in body care. D'Aragon revealed that the brand's next innovation targets skin changes from GLP-1 weight loss: "That's gonna be our next innovation next year, in that body GLP-1, to help people with the saggy skin." She frames it as a problem affecting every age and gender that few brands are addressing, consistent with the brand's approach of solving unsexy problems the fancy skincare world ignores.Why doesn't First Aid Beauty lead with fragrance in body care?Because the brand solves problems, and fragrance is not a problem. "There's a lot of brands that are leading with their fragrance. And we will never lead by fragrance... we're there to help you fix some problem." First Aid Beauty was in body care years before the current boom, anchored by the KP franchise, and its ingrown hair pads have become a fast growing product for men and women alike. A generic shower gel or body lotion will never launch because it solves nothing.What leadership advice does Catherine D'Aragon offer?"Agility, flexibility, adaptation, resilience are all qualities that are super important." With teams split across Boston, New York, and Cincinnati, she also insists on protecting time together in person, arguing that the human interaction lost during COVID never fully returned at brands that stayed remote, and that no amount of collaboration tooling replaces it.What career advice does she have for people entering the beauty industry?Rotate through as many functions as possible in the first decade: influencer work, PR, social media, brand marketing. Stay humble through industry cycles, because some years will be tough regardless of talent. Above all: "Be curious, try a lot of things, but also be curious outside of beauty and see what other categories are doing." She notes the industry has reinvented itself roughly 25 times during her career, and curiosity is what keeps a marketer relevant through every wave.Listen to the full episode with Catherine D'Aragon of First Aid Beauty on Skin Anarchy, available wherever you get your podcasts.Shop First Aid BeautyDon't forget to subscribe to Skin Anarchy on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred platform.Reach out to us through email with any questions.Sign up for our newsletter!Shop all our episodes and products mentioned through our ShopMy Shelf!Support the show

We're back with the third episode in our series on the podcast in which we're working our way through Pam's book, The Unschooling Journey: A Field Guide. Today, we're continuing our exploration of the deschooling phase of the journey with stage seven: Shifting From Control to Connection. Last time, we questioned our beliefs about learning and now, we’re questioning our beliefs about parenting. We talked about how parenting doesn’t have to be adults vs children, that children are capable of making their own choices, that equal doesn’t mean fair, how quitting is not a failure, and how strong relationships are the key. We also remembered to allow ourselves the time and space to grow and change. Exploring these parenting mindset shifts was so much fun! We hope you find this episode helpful! Watch the video of our conversation on YouTube. THINGS WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE Learn more about Pam's book, The Unschooling Journey: A Field Guide. We invite you to join us in the Living Joyfully Network, a warm and welcoming online community of like-hearted parents. It's a non-judgmental space where you can steep in these unconventional ideas around parenting, relationships, and learning, and explore what they might look like day-to-day in your uniquely wonderful family. We offer a free month trial so you can see if it's a good fit for you. Click here to join us. Sign up to our mailing list on Substack to receive our email newsletters as well as new articles about learning, parenting, and so much more! Check out our website, livingjoyfully.ca for more information about exploring unschooling and navigating relationships. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT PAM: Hello everyone, I’m Pam Laricchia from Living Joyfully and I’m joined today by my co-hosts Anna Brown and Erika Ellis. Hello to you both. And we are back with another episode in our “A Field Guide” series. We are working our way through my book, “The Unschooling Journey: A Field Guide”, which is framed around the hero’s journey and is a weave of myths, contemporary stories, and tales from my own journey. And we are deep in the de-schooling phase of our journey right now. In the last episode of the series, which was episode 408, we dug into some of the popular conventional paradigms about learning and found new truths buried in there. And as we continue our journey on the road of trials, in this stage, which is stage seven, we are exploring some unconventional truths about parenting. If you’re newer to unschooling and this is your first time exploring these truths, you’re likely dancing with these ideas more intellectually to just understand what they mean, what are we talking about, and maybe some of the further reaching implications that come along with it. And if you’ve been unschooling for a while and feel like you already intellectually embraced these ideas and have been bringing them into your family’s lives, now’s the time to peel back some more layers to build more connections and contacts around them. Strengthening your web of understanding with your own experiences, building your wisdom around this. And this is where you move towards, what feels to me anyway, believing these truths in your bones, you own them. These are your truths. So, the first truth that we’re going to explore is that parenting is not adults versus children. And right off with that phrase, there are so many aspects to that one truth. Does the conventional approach of pitting adults against children really make sense for us? What assumptions are we making if we believe that to be true? Does it mesh with our experiences with our own children and with the families that we see around us? The presumption of parental power over children is definitely widespread in our culture. We are meant to assume good parenting means power struggles will happen, a battle of wills over whatever the issue at hand happens to be. Yet many of us see right in front of us that it’s a draining and stressful way to live. And that so many adults who grew up in that environment continue to have strained relationships with their parents. That’s always been a curious one for me. So what if, let’s play with what if we choose to drop the assumption that the one right way to successfully parent is to exert power over your child to ensure that they do the right thing at the right moment? It can be challenging when we have little idea of what else to do. Because shifting away from power and control doesn’t mean doing nothing. So to that end, I personally found it really helpful on my journey to focus on connecting with my child rather than directing them. That’s what I could do instead. That helped me shift my energy in the moment to be open to seeing more of what was actually happening rather than that tunnel vision that comes with trying to control something to go one particular way and my way. And to instead get curious about how they were seeing the moment too, recognizing them as other human beings who are with me in this moment, not ones I’m trying to show the right way to go. Anyway, I found this a huge part of my unschooling journey. ANNA: Oh my gosh, it really is this fundamental shift that changes everything. And I feel like we’re handed these ideas about parenting and what the dynamic between parents and kids should look like. This does not feel innate to me. It really feels like something that’s coming from outside. And I truly don’t believe that it feels good to anyone to be locked in power struggles with the people they love most in the world. And I think people press on because they think they’re supposed to. They think this is how it is. This is what I have to do. Even when they have these niggling feelings inside that it doesn’t feel good and I don’t want to interact with my family this way. Because it really just doesn’t make any logical sense. Control, manipulation, and punishments do not work well in any healthy relationship. So take it outside of that parent-child dynamic. It does not work. These are not tools we want our kids to use. They aren’t the tools that we use in our close relationships as adults. So why would we want to bring those tools into the relationship with these beings we cherish above all else? Why would we want to model that? That just never made sense to me. The idea that really helped me the most was understanding that needs drive behaviors. So behind every behavior is an unmet need. Conventional parenting is about controlling behavior, but it never gets at that underlying need where change can actually happen. And if we look for that underlying need and address it, what you find is that behavior that may be offending or challenging at the time can really melt away because the need is being met. And not only that, but it deepens our understanding of each other and our connection. Like you were talking about Pam, that’s how we get to that connected piece by understanding each other. And so for me, that kind of defines the shift from control to connection, from trying to control behaviors, to connecting to understand the needs and address them together. And once there, it just feels better to everyone. And in that environment, we are all learning critical relationship skills that set us up for success, how to express our needs, how to hear another person’s needs, how to problem solve together to meet the needs. That will play out over and over and over again in every relationship in our life, from the clerk at the post office to our closest partner. And that is where I wanted to spend my energy on us all fine tuning those skills together in a safe environment. ERIKA: I agree. This is such a game changer. Moving from that power over dynamic that we’re all so familiar with just from living in our culture, to this place of connection. It just makes such a huge difference in my relationship with my children. And really, like you’re saying my relationship with everyone. And I think it’s surprising to people when they first think about this or first see it in action, because people are not used to this dynamic. I’ve had many experiences, in relating to my kids, friends, with teenagers who are just like, what is this? This is an adult who’s not just trying to tell us to stop, an adult who’s just telling us what to do, or an adult who’s criticizing and judging everything that we do. I’m an adult who is interested in them and wants to hear what they are interested in. And I just have had so many comments like, this is so weird to me, my parents don’t want to hear about this, that I don’t understand this idea of adults who are nice to us. And I think a lot of teenagers have that experience, it really feels like adults are just against them. And so I think it's kind of mind blowing. It really surprises people. But it helps me to remember how I felt when I was a child, and how I felt like I was a whole person, and then people would treat me like I wasn’t, but I knew that I was. And so that feeling is the feeling that kids have. And so the power over dynamic does not make sense to them, it does not feel good to them. We can have people pleasing kids who go along with it. And then we can have kids who push against it, because it doesn’t make logical sense, and it feels terrible. And then about those kids we'll say, Oh, they’re a difficult child or whatever. But kids are people too. We’re all people. And so if I think about how I would have preferred to be treated when I was a kid, that’s a good place for me to start, with respecting children and not wielding my power over them. And what I’ve found in my family is that it’s just so peaceful. Our interactions have a lot more peace, understanding, and mutual respect. There’s not a reason for them to be pushing back so hard against me. There’s not a reason for them to ignore everything I say, because they think I’m just trying to control them. All of those elements that you typically see in mainstream media relationships between teens and adults, it’s just not there. It’s just so much more peaceful. And I think that helps all of us, it helps all of our nervous systems to not constantly be in battle with each other. And it has that feeling of, we’re solving problems together, you’re talking about the underlying needs versus me trying to force my will on to someone else regardless of what they want. And so again, these are our most important, most treasured relationships. So I just think why would we want to bring that power over dynamic into that space that’s so important to us. PAM: I know, I love that. I love all the little bits you guys brought to it. I love having this conversation. But when you think back on, especially, the teen relationships and the teen years, it’s like, oh my gosh, what a huge difference. I didn’t have a lot of conflict with my parents. But I also basically didn’t have a lot of conversations with them at that point, right? Because you knew they were, from best of intentions, but only looking through their eyes. It's about how they think you should do something. So much of it is their baggage from their experiences, right? And I want you to have a better life. It’s almost like inhuman expectations that they share and put on you, like, if I could help my child be the perfect teen into an adult and launch into that whole thing. Those are the kinds of stories that they’re bringing. And yeah, it just feels like one demand after another, right in the conversation. So you don’t start the conversations for the most part. Because you know where they’re going to go. So I, why set myself up for that, right? So that’s the distance that conventionally you see with teens and parents. If we don’t talk, then I'll never know what they’re bringing with those stories. I think when you tweak it to the kid, older kids, like wanting to build their independence, absolutely. That doesn’t mean the connection’s different. The connection is still strong. It’s still there. Of course they can do that. But I think we tend to blame all of that on the teens wanting independence, but so much of it is just because they are bucking against the control, right? ANNA: Absolutely. It’s just so disconnecting. PAM: So, the second truth we are going to dive into is that children are capable of making choices. And this is another one I think can be so surprising for people to discover, right? Because conventionally many parents make most of their children’s decisions for them. Just believing that they’re modeling the right thing to do. And then assuming that their children have learned it and will make those same choices when they grow up and are finally in control of their own lives. And again, most often it’s not done with any malice, right? We love our kids and we want them to learn good choices. But what if we aren’t telling our kids what choices to make? What do we do instead? Again, because it’s not about doing nothing. It’s not about leaving them to their own devices, all these phrases that you hear getting tossed about. It’s about processing with them. What are their questions in this moment? How are they seeing things? What choice makes sense to them? When we aren’t struggling with our kids and are actively trying to nurture that secure and supportive environment, they have the space to consider things from various angles. And make the choice that makes the most sense to them in this particular moment. And have conversations with us about it both before and after the thing. They learn how to make choices by making choices. And I think a key thing to remember as we make this shift in our parenting is to recognize that their choice may well be different from the choice that we would make in similar circumstances. Because, again, people are different. People are so different. I love how different people are. ERIKA: Yes, and I’m so glad you ended with people are different because I really think that is the key here. If I stay stuck thinking that what I would do in this case is the only right answer in that situation, then it can feel impossible to allow my children to make a different decision. But since they’re different people, it doesn’t really even make sense for me to try to impose my preferences on them. Because that takes away their learning. It takes away my learning about them. They can trust me as a sounding board if they want. But if my kids have the space to make their own choices about their own lives, which, you know, maybe that is a big paradigm shift right there, realizing that these are their lives, not mine. I don’t own their life as their parent. Then they can add to their own web of learning about what works for them. So how their choices play out for them will be so much more meaningful if they were the ones who made the original choice. If they’re just doing something that I suggested, and then however it works out, it’s like, why do they even care? It doesn’t really have that same sort of importance to them, because they didn’t choose it. I love the point too, about the opposite of us making choices for them is doing nothing. And it really is not that. It’s being present, building that trust, being trustworthy, being non judgmental about the things that they’re interested in and the things that they want to do. And so they will come to me if they’d like to imagine different scenarios, or if they’re not sure about something. And I know also just by having that connection, when they might need a little push or a little confidence booster, you know, you can do this, you’ve got this. And I know when to trust that even if it doesn’t work out how they thought it would. And sometimes I even know that it won’t. And sometimes I’m right about that. And sometimes I’m wrong about that. But even if it doesn’t work out, I just believe that what they’re learning about themselves and the trust that it builds for themselves, trust in themselves, and then also trust in me that I’m trusting them. There’s just so much trust building that’s happening. I think it’s just huge. ANNA: It really is. I love how you describe that interplay. Because I do think that’s a common first reaction. I’m not supposed to be over involved. So I’m just going to go away. And it isn’t hands off, but it is this what you were describing really being in tune with who they are and trusting in their journey, trusting in your relationship with them. Knowing when you can have conversations and when we can add a little something here. When do I need to just observe or listen or reflect back? And yes, this is where people are different means everything, because we really do tend to think that people see and experience the world in the same way that we do, and that they want to move through the world in the same way that we do. And they just don’t. So how I said it to myself in the early days was that I just don’t know what’s best for another person, even my child, ever. And that just helped stop me and help me stay open and curious about – what is their unique experience here? What are they getting out of this? And it also helped me learn about myself and what things were uniquely mine. And I like how you said, Erika, now, maybe I just lost it. But it’s that sometimes you’re right, sometimes you’re wrong. Sometimes it didn’t work out. But it’s not about it working out, right? It’s just about the unfolding of it, because we’re learning all along the way by just taking a step by trying something. I love that so much that this is even about letting go of some end goal of something that we’re all trying to get to. No, it’s about this exploration and learning about ourselves. And I just find kids are so capable. They know from the start, what they need at any given moment, and if they don’t have a fully formed vision of what that is, they know the next step they want to take, just so intuitively. I saw over and over again, they just don’t have the baggage that we’ve had, that I think can make things so much harder. And I think that baggage, kind of in light of what you were saying, is that we tend to have a fixed goal, like, this is what we’re trying to accomplish, so we have to be tunneling in on this endpoint. And I think kids are much more naturally playing with things and figuring things out. And then, like you said, Pam, oh my goodness, we learn how to make choices by making choices. I don’t know how many times I said that to people when my kids were little. I’m like, how can you say that you want them to make good choices, but you don’t let them make choices? How are they going to learn how to make choices? And in that process of making choices, we do learn what works for us, what doesn’t, when to slow down, when to go full steam ahead, when to pivot. All these things come from the doing, not from being told which decision to make. That just short circuits all the learning, and begins this external orientation that’s actually really hard to break. We’ve talked about this a lot too, that once that external orientation is fixed into you, from school, or even family, it’s really hard to step outside of thinking, what does everyone else want from me here? Versus, what do I want?. And I just found kids to be super capable of solving problems. Earlier I mentioned looking for these underlying needs, they have these best suggestions for solving issues. And I will say, if this is new for your family, it can take some time to develop that trust. Can I really say something here? Am I going to be heard? But it can develop, and with that trust, just like you were saying, Erika, it’s trust, trust, trust all around, everyone feels safe advocating for their needs and really helping each other meet their needs. I just love that. I know it’s a big shift to think that kids know best for themselves, but I truly believe that each one of us knows best for ourselves, and if we can give it some space and observe, you will start to see how different we all are, and how there is this knowing. And I feel like my kids helped me get back to my own knowing. It’s organically there in them from the start, and as adults, we may have to peel back some layers of conditioning, but I think it’s there for us too. PAM: Yeah, I think so. I love that. And I mean, as you were saying that, it just became more and more clear. That giving them the space to make the choices that feel like they make the most sense for them, is such an effective way for them to learn more about themselves, which they bring to the next choice and the next choice. It’s just this beautiful cycle. And then the reminder too, that it can take some time to build up that trust, absolutely, trusting that somebody’s not going to come back and tell them, no, no, no, that’s not the right way, do it this way. Or, see how it turned out after you made that bad choice, I told you so. Okay, so the third truth is, fair doesn’t mean equal. I found this one really interesting to think through. It was so interesting, we don’t want to show favor to one child over another, right? We want all our children to feel equally loved by us, and conventionally, we extrapolate that to treating our children equally. So, like, all kids get one piece of cake, and you’re careful to make them all the same size. That’s just one little example, but it’s like the epitome of fairness, right? But again, people are different, so instead, can we consider what the moment looks like through each of their eyes. How does it feel to each of them? So, I remember when I was thinking this through, I tested this little hypothesis. At the next birthday, I asked everybody how big a piece of cake they would like. And I was flabbergasted, nobody said the whole cake. But, so even as kids, I’d get different answers that really depended on how much they’d liked that particular cake or dessert, whatever we were having to celebrate, how hungry they were at the moment, if they were actually even fancying something sweet, right? So, getting the amount of cake they wanted felt fair to them. They felt seen and heard just by being asked, not just, this is the size that all kids get, and here you go, and, finish it, or you don’t get more. The whole thing, equal does not mean fair. I began to see fairness, not as that quantitative measure of anything that parents give, but as the qualitative measure of the value that each child receives. So, looking back over different seasons, one child may need more of their parents’ time, while another has a passionate interest that needs more of the family’s money to support it. We may be giving each of our children very different things in any particular moment, that take varying amounts of time, of our effort, of our money, but when their unique needs are being met, they each feel secure and happy, they feel seen and heard as who they are. And, in my experience, they do feel equally loved. What a difference, right? ANNA: Oh my gosh, all of these things are so important. This one is huge also, and it’s one I cannot get my mother to understand. It’s funny, because she really does think that doing exactly the same thing for all three of us is fair, and that shows that she loves us the same, and that we’re all equally loved. But gosh, being on the receiving end of that just feels super disconnecting, I don’t feel seen and heard or understood at all. But at this point, she’s 92, so there’s no real changing her, so the three of us will just roll with it. But again, there are three of us, we have a huge age gap, brother, sister, and then I’m the baby, huge age gap. We’re all so different. I think that’s why we talk so much about, people are different, because just understanding how different and unique we all are, just lights people up. They want you to know them, to see them, see their unique gifts and beauty. And so yeah, this whole, everybody needs to be treated exactly the same, does not do that. So, I knew that with this one, I wanted to examine it deeply and do it really differently with my kids. My girls are very different, I just have two, very different, though, and it really would have been a disservice to think in those kinds of black and white, equal is fair, terms. And I think a big part of this is watching my own language, countering the cultural messages about fair, like you did with the cake, right? And so you created a new fair, which is, hey, how much do you want, and let me help you get that. And I think it takes some digging in, to figure out what the need is in any given situation. Sometimes you can just ask, but sometimes there’s a little more to it. And also, just to build the culture of trust, that we will work to meet all the needs, and to recognize our choices in each moment. I think the other byproduct of everyone trusting that they’ll get their own needs met, is actually, they’re pretty happy when other people are getting their needs met too, because we can all celebrate each other doing our own things, and because we know that if we want something, we’ll figure it out, there’s no doubt about that. So, as I was thinking about this one, I’m not even sure you can step away from this kind of equal as fair cultural idea, without moving to a more connected idea of everyone getting their needs met. I think it kind of goes hand in hand, so you don’t have any kind of backlash or misunderstanding about it. ERIKA: Yeah, when I was growing up, we definitely had a huge, equal is fair, message in our family as well. And I think the funny thing is that, by constantly emphasizing trying to make everything equal among the three kids, we became so fixated on looking for the little discrepancies of, like, that’s a little bit more, that’s a little bit less, and we were also focused on it, and it gives you that feeling of scarcity, right? We were always on the lookout for, that’s not fair, how come she got that, I only got this, like, all of those things. And so when I contrast my memories of that with my own children’s experience, it’s just so interesting. From the beginning, I was so careful not to ever indicate that our food, my attention, our toys, whatever the resource was, I made sure I was showing them that there’s abundance, they don’t have to fight over it. And so we provided what we could to each one, but it was what they individually wanted, and, like you both have said, people are different, so I’m not just handing both of them the same thing. Maybe sometimes, and in fact, sometimes that really helps too, to create that feeling of abundance, we don’t need to fight over things, but we don’t need all the same things, we all get what we need. And so, when my kids were younger, my mom would play with them, but it was overwhelming, because if you have little kids, you know, a lot of times they’re both talking at the same time, wanting something, wanting her attention. And I remember she would set a timer. Okay, I’m going to play with Maya for 15 minutes, and then it will be your turn, Oliver, which feels really fair, but it really is just equal, because one might not need the full 15 minutes, and then the other one’s just focusing on what they’re not getting for those 15 minutes. And so, even though it was at times overwhelming in those younger kid days, I did try to just include them both at all times. So I’m hearing them both, you know, kind of being like, oh wow, oh wow, oh, you know, it’s just the spec, and that’s all they really wanted. They wanted to be able to say what they wanted to say in the moment. It was more chaotic, I think, but they didn’t really notice that, they just knew that I was there, they both felt I was there for them, and they don’t have a feeling of competition between each other, and still don't, to this day. And so I feel like many of these paradigm shifts boil down to, people are different. This one feels like that too. If we can recognize that people are different, we know that meeting each person’s needs in our family is going to look different, and that’s what makes a family really interesting and unique. PAM: Yeah, I love that you guys are both pointing out how so much of these boil down to, people are different. And it’s just recognizing that difference and incorporating it into the different aspects, that really is one of the fundamental paradigm shifts. Okay, so fourth truth, and that is, quitting is not a failure. Choosing to quit an activity, I mean, think about it just for a second, it is as much a learning experience as starting an activity. So conventional wisdom says that if we let children quit whatever they want, they will never finish something when the going gets tough, right? They’ll just say, oh, that’s too hard, I’m going to quit. And I see you guys both smiling, that is just not what we see, and I bet you, anyone listening, if you watch your kids in action for any length of time, it’s not what you’ll see either. In fact, if we continue to insist that they finish what they start, what they’re likely learning more fundamentally is to not try out new things unless they’re quite sure they’ll enjoy it. Because they can’t quit it, they’ll have to stick it out, as it were, you committed to this, like, all those kinds of messages. So they’re just going to only want to engage with something that they’re pretty darn sure they’ll be happy to follow through. So what that means is less exploration and less learning. When we favor connection over control, our children gain lots of experience with wanting to try something, choosing different ways to explore it, and seeing how well those different paths meet their goals. They’ll discover things that they like, they’ll discover things that they don’t like, and they will get a better feel for the clues that help them decide when they want to lean into something and when they want to quit and move on. And each time they choose to quit, they’re learning so much. Okay, I just got a rush of goosebumps, because I love this point. How does that choice feel moving forward? Do they miss the activity? If they miss it, that’s not a failure, that’s not wrong. What do they miss about it? That’s more learning. What are they doing with the time that quitting the thing freed up for them? Are they enjoying that? Are they enjoying that more? There’s just so much that comes when you quit something, that’s not the end, it’s not like, you therefore are not allowed to think about it ever again, right? There’s just so much processing that unfolds even beyond that one act, and it’s not forever either. ERIKA: Oh yeah, I think mainstream parenting culture is just so hooked on this. They really want kids to stick it out, and I feel like it’s in this way that we don’t expect ourselves to. And yeah, I think it’s a little short-sighted, right? It’s trying to teach responsibility and commitment and all of these things, but who wants somebody who is committed to something that they’re no longer enjoying? This is a path that does not lead to success, it’s a path that does not lead to good places. I still carry with me some feelings of failure that I have, due to, you know, in quotes, quitting something. I don’t even like the word quitting, because that kind of makes me feel like, I’ll never go back, I quit it. But I don’t view it like that with my kids, they can stop doing an activity and come back to it later, and there’s really no weight to that. But if I look back, I can see that my choices were valid, and that my life path has ended up being amazing, but looking back at certain things, I still feel the pressure and the weight of that, what felt like failure at the time, just because of the messages that I absorbed. Sometimes we don’t know how something’s going to feel until we try it. When we do and it’s not a fit, sometimes it’s an immediate thing, right? Like when I tried taking computer programming in college, I was like, immediately, no, my brain doesn’t do this. For some reason, I thought it would, it didn’t. And so sometimes it’s right away, but sometimes we’re just changing and growing over time. We all know, we’re growing and changing so much, even as adults, but our kids are certainly growing and changing, we see it happen right in front of us. And so maybe it’s like, this used to be great, now it’s not anymore. And so I think it’s just a gift to be able to listen to our inner voice, and make a choice that fits us right now, without that pressure of, this is a forever choice, or this is a failure if I don’t do this. There’s just no one right way to live, and each choice we make, it’s going to lead us somewhere, so we could just try things, quit things, shift gears, dive deep into something, and as long as we’re listening to our own voice, we can trust that we are building a life that works for us. I think we only really get stuck if we’re focusing on the external voices that don’t know us on the inside, and know what we really want and need. ANNA: It really is a clue, that those outside voices are taking up way too much space, because those outside voices, the peanut gallery about the quitting, they’re not the ones that are going to be there doing the thing, they’re not the ones that know how you’re feeling. So it really is just that, slowing down to recognize that and push it away, because this idea of quitting equals failure, is so ingrained, and it’s so counterintuitive, because you’re right, Pam, if kids are forced to stay with something that isn’t working for them, what they learn is to not try, because, I’m going to be stuck with it forever. And they’re so young, you know, they don’t know if they’ll like piano or baseball or that specific art class, there’s so many factors involved, and all the time that they’re stuck in something that they don’t love is time they aren’t getting to try other things to find out what they do love. And I love your point, Erika, that sometimes we know right away, nope, this is not for me, but sometimes interest wanes, right, and we grow and we change, and we’ve gotten what we’ve wanted out of it. I think that’s another thing, sometimes parents get caught up. Oh, but they’re so great at the piano or that sport. But that person, that unique human, has gotten what they want out of that experience, and that’s okay. All of that is okay. And goodness, I mean, I’m 57 and still I want to dabble and try things to get a better sense of if something will work for me. I can get very excited about a lot of different ideas, but until I’m actually doing it, it’s hard for me to say, does it suit me? Does it fit in my life? Do I want this? Is this how I want to be spending my time? And just quickly, if money is your sticking point here, because that's usually a big one for people, we have a podcast about this, but David really helped me move through this one with the financial idea of sunk costs. And so the reframe is that we’re paying for the opportunity. When we go into it with this idea of we’re paying for the opportunity to try this, it feels very different. The value is in learning whether it’s something we’re enjoying versus the value being in getting all of these specific instructions or finishing the class or staying on the team. And if letting the team down is your sticking point, you only have to have played a tiny bit of sport to know that someone who doesn’t want to be there isn’t helping the team at all. And you kind of alluded to this, Erika, like we really don’t want somebody that’s forced to be in any situation, sports or otherwise, or any kind of work. And all of this doesn’t mean that there’s no discussion though, right? Because sometimes there are discussions before, during, and after. And for us, thinking back, if something was a particularly pricey activity,because that happens and kids are like, I want to do this thing. And it’s a year’s commitment for thousands of dollars. We would talk about how we spend that money, where it comes from, what it impacts. Is there another way to learn more about the activity before we commit to something that’s maybe as long or as expensive as that? What I found is that kids are so creative and they often could find their own alternative paths as we’re playing with it and looking different things up. And also just talking to the organization, is there a way we can observe or trial it? People are pretty accommodating when you ask nicely. And I know for me, sometimes it is hard to ask for what I need. I don’t want to bother anybody. I know how busy and hard they’re working to do this program, but I really do find people to be understanding and generous when they can be. And that’s the information we need, right? Is it possible? If not, okay, then that’s another thing to put in the hopper for the decision. And I just love that all of us feel comfortable leaving something that isn’t working. I have seen this play out in all of us over the years. You really just won’t find any of us stuck in jobs we hate for decades, which is so common in our culture. And we know there’s always a choice and there’s always another way. And I think I just have seen it serve my kids and it serves me and David as well. PAM: Yeah. And I think that’s the whole point, with the relationships, with connection being in the lead, those processes are something that we can do actively. Like, okay, you’re stuck in a job that you really don't like, you may end up quitting immediately, but also it can be, you’re disliking it more and more and more over time, but we’re having conversations, we’re making plans. It’s not, well, you know, you have this job, it pays well, or whatever reason we say, oh, you need to stay, et cetera. No, you actually can. That's the control piece coming right back in. We can instead focus on that connection piece. We can talk through it more and even later, it feels lighter, at least for me showing up to something maybe I don’t like, but I know I’ve got a plan to move through it. I know where I’m going to keep talking. It’s not black, white, like we were talking right at the beginning there. And then there was just one other tiny piece. And now did I lose it? I’m trying to think what you, oh, oh, it was about, was it about, it was about like, how much we learn, I think, when, oh, yes, it was, it was, sorry. But it’s something that I love to do. When people come to the network. When we have the quitting discussions, et cetera. And, but then, so we talk about like, once they’re interested in something that may be expensive, I love brainstorming all sorts of ways that you can be involved in it without the expensive class. Because so often, certainly at the beginning of our journey, we turn it into – they’re interested in swimming, swimming lessons. Oh, piano, piano lessons, like dance, dance lessons. That’s our first go-to because that is what we know, right? But there are so many other possibilities that can help them experience the thing that they’re interested in and may or may not at some point want actual lessons for it, but you don’t have to wait for the lesson to become involved. You can go swimming in the public pool. There are just so many possibilities. So I love that piece of just brainstorming ideas and people get very excited and off they go to play and it’s very fun. Okay. Okay. Finally, truth number five, strong relationships are key. It’s not about parenting that parent-child power dynamic in which the overarching goal is to turn out a successful adult, right? It’s about being in relationship with your child. This is a lifelong relationship. We’re two human beings. We’re multiple human beings. That relationship shifts over time as they grow and change, as we grow and change. It looks very different when they’re young versus when they’re in their teens versus when they’re young adults versus when they’re older adults. Even if at any given moment, it feels like things will never change, right? But they really, really do. You can’t imagine when this is ever going to change. And, and getting focused on and fixating on when it will change is going to get in your way. But that’s a conversation for another day. A few years ago, I wrote a very long essay about the value of relationships to learning. And I will link in the show notes to anyone who’s interested. But oh my gosh, when I first came to unschooling because my kids were in school, it was like, oh, how are they going to learn, right? And in the last episode, we talked about paradigm shifts around learning. But I really did come to see pretty quickly that I didn’t need to worry about the learning. What I could focus on was a relationships and this shift from control to connection and recognizing that strong relationships really just drive everything like that was key for me. ANNA: Yeah, I think when we switch the lens to being in relationship, things just change dramatically across the board. I’ve talked about it before, but I would just often ask myself – Is what I’m about to say or do going to help or harm our relationship? That kept me focused on what was important to me. And that litmus test really served me well. Because if I’m tending to the relationship, we’re able to navigate the challenges together from a place of connection. So if I’m wanting my kids to be safe. As parents, we kind of see that as a responsibility. They are safest when our relationship is strong and they can come to me versus rules and punishments to try to keep them safe, which serves to disconnect us. If my kids came upon a situation that seemed a little sketchy, they would ask me about it. They knew I wasn’t going to stop the exploration just off the bat, but that I could be a sounding board and a processing partner as they navigated it. For kids who think they’re going to get in trouble, they may push down those niggling thoughts that this doesn’t feel good or something isn’t right here because they want to learn more. There’s still something intriguing about it to them and they know their parents might deem it unsafe and stop the exploration altogether. And really that puts them in harm’s way without the support of someone who cares about them. And this applies when they’re young and maybe even more so when they’re teens. We always had a policy of, I will come get you no matter what, no questions asked if they ever needed out of something. And they also knew they could use me as an excuse. My mom needs me to come home. Because then it wasn’t about me stopping their exploration. It was about giving them tools, tools to get out of situations if they needed it, tools they could use to explore safely. And that’s just the safety lens. But this really applies to all areas. If we have trusted people in our corner, we’re going to be able to explore and learn more. And I think we can see that in our adult lives too. When we feel supported and loved and cared for, we’re so much more likely to learn and grow. Those basic needs have been met, we’re so much more likely to explore and learn and push the limits of what we can do. And I think that’s the piece that you’re getting at, Pam, right? This is the basis for learning. These relationships really, that is what makes learning happen and easier. ERIKA: Yeah, I think those strong relationships with people we trust helps us in every area of our lives. And it’s the same for our children. And I love the parts about how it helps with safety and with learning. It just makes so much sense. I had a book club with a bunch of unschooling parents, and we were reading Pam’s book together many years ago. And Pam joined us on a call one week. And we were all, I mean, everybody’s like, oh my god, Pam. It was very fun. But I remember having a bit of the conversation, someone felt like they had messed things up, they maybe had an argument with their child, or in some way felt like it was just this negative interaction, it didn’t feel good. And the question was more along the lines of, how can I do better? How can I stop doing that? And Pam’s idea was about how the repair is the important part. Because we’re trying to maintain this connection and relationship with our kids. But we’re humans, and we’re imperfect. And we’re going to say and do things that hurt our children at times, or we’ll say or do things that hurt other people in our lives at times. And so we can let that moment crush us and pull us away from them. And we can just dive into negative self-talk about what a terrible job we’re doing. Or we can see those moments as opportunities to own our parts, own our words and our actions, apologize for the impact, and make the repair with the person that we care about. I get goosebumps thinking about this, because it’s such a more powerful place to be. And it doesn’t require us to be perfect, which we cannot be. But since relationships are so important in all of these ways, when hard things happen in the relationships, knowing that we will be able to move through it, that builds trust between us and the other person. And it gives us more capacity to weather the next challenging thing, whether it’s something outside of our relationship, or the next misunderstanding between each other. And so I always come back to keeping my relationship strong. How can I feel more connected? How can I give my children the feeling that I understand them, and I’m here for them? And it doesn’t always mean I’m talking with them more, or even spending more time together. It’s really figuring out what do they want from me in this particular season? And since they’re unique individuals, what is it that’s helping us feel connected in this moment, in this season? And now that they’re teenagers, we do a lot of reflecting on, remember when that was hard, and we got through it? Things like that. I feel like it really helps us all build resilience and realize that being humans is sometimes hard, and we’re always learning, and I’m always learning. And I feel like me being vulnerable in that way just develops trust between me and my kids. And looking at that, what is going to help us in this moment just to increase our connection is such a valuable place to take a look. PAM: I love that. I love that you brought that up, because yeah, the whole thing, you'd say strong relationships are key. So I need to be perfect at that. I need to do my best at that. That’s the most important thing. I might have mentioned it at the time, the attachment parenting book I had read, because it’s the thing that knocked me, it’s like, oh really? That around 50% or so of our interactions with our children go awry in big ways or in little ways, and that it is the repair that brings us back, right? It’s not trying to avoid it, because imagine what someone feels if they think someone else is perfect. Oh, they’re perfect at that. They make all the right choices. That does nothing but put pressure to be perfect on them. They’ll be putting that on themselves as well. I want to be as good, etc. So, understanding that repair piece, that is so much where trust is built. That we’re coming back, that we’re going to be engaging again. We’re going to be moving through this, and as you said, using those previous examples of times you guys have moved through challenging things, and just bringing those up when new challenging things come up. We may not know how this is gonna resolve, but we know that we’ll find our way through it. We can trust that. So I love that so much, and thank you. Thanks so much to you both for having this conversation. I feel like we touched on a lot of interesting pieces, so I hope people find it helpful. Thanks so much to all our listeners for joining us. We hope you enjoyed this dive into the second stage of the de-schooling phase of our journey as we challenge some of our conventional beliefs about parenting, and we invite you to join us in the Living Joyfully Network to continue the conversation. It is a warm and welcoming online community of like-hearted parents, a non-judgmental space where you can steep in these unconventional unschooling ideas, and just explore what they might look like day-to-day in your uniquely wonderful family. And your first month is free, so you can get a sense of whether the community is a good fit for you. We are very excited to welcome you. To learn more and join us, just follow the link in the show notes or go to livingjoyfully.ca and choose Network in the menu. Wishing everyone a lovely day. Thanks so much. Bye!

Vice President of Lending for Team Hochberg at Atlantic Coast Mortgage and host of WGN's “Home Sweet Home Chicago” David Hochberg joins Bob Sirott to discuss why home prices are increasing despite the higher mortgage rates and the differences between an FHA and VA loans. He hosts “Home Sweet Home Chicago” on Saturdays from 10am […]

This week: two audio essays, on one big Iran cluster-frig. In the Collingwood corner: Donald Trump has become an unreadable politician. His credibility has burst through various levels of ‘madman theory' negotiating prowess, into a place where it may not even be clear to his most intimate subordinates where his true intent begins and ends. The result is that US policy is now a broken sail, flapping in the wind. Originally, America had four aims: dismantle Iran's nuclear programme, cap its missiles and drones, cut off its proxies, and change the regime. With nil-for-four, the window to credibly settle this beef is getting farther away – not closer. Meanwhile, chez Pilkington: The US now believes it can ‘print oil'. That the present attempt to jigger the markets by making use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and various ‘Whale of Hormuz' attempts to rig the options market are long-term sustainable. They are not, as Phil points out. What goes up must come down, and the slip-slide will not be pretty. Rather than a war of attrition, Pilko suggests, the oil price war has become the totality of conflict – a Baudrillardian quarrel over supremacy of a number – only secondarily underpinned by the drones and bombs of the Arabian Gulf. Yes, it's time to up the escitalopram – enter code HAPPYPILLS26 at checkout to redeem this offer.

The Guild Mortgage Company wants to be your home loan lender. They do all types of mortgages; FHA, VA, USDA & Conventional. Guild Mortgage Company is an Equal Housing Lender; NMLS 3274. Roy West NMLS 316801 Phone (409) 866-1901.

Hosts: Ed Jones (Owner – Nutrition World) & Clint Powell A variety of topics all related to living a healthy life Presented by: Nutrition World www.nutritionw.com Broadcasting from the Nooga Dentistry Studio www.noogadentistry.com Production of: Whitfield Media Group www.vitalhealthradio.com Title: All about Spike Proteins with Dr. Glenn, Beyond Cholesterol & Better Heart Testing with Dr. Dearing [0:00:00] – Intro: Brian Johnson, Longevity & Oxalates + Farmers Market Light banter about: Ed coining the term “peak span” and using it in interviews. Ed's social media success (8.3 million views in 90 days). Joking about Ed doing a shirtless video and his bodybuilding competition and carb loading. Ed talks about Brian Johnson (longevity guru who spends ~$2M/year trying to live to 120): Johnson recently announced an autoimmune condition where his stomach is “eating its own stomach.” Ed admires his data and “Blueprint” protocol but believes two key factors in Johnson's regimen contributed to this issue. Ed teases that one factor is excess oxalate-rich foods; the other factor is left as a teaser for Ed's social media video. Ed announces a weekly farmers market at Nutrition World: Every Wednesday, inside the store, morning to mid-afternoon. Run by a young family with clean farming practices and minimal chemicals. Nutrition World does not profit from it; framed as a service to the community and support for small farmers. [0:05:04] – Upcoming Guests, Ed's E‑Books & Podcasts Ed previews two interviews for this episode: Dr. Glenn – testing and managing spike proteins. Dr. Curt Dearing – discussing his new book “Beyond Cholesterol” and non-traditional views on cardiovascular risk. Ed's e‑books: Six e‑books available on theholisticnavigator.com, including: Quality sleep Oxalates and pain “Are You Sick and Tired?” (diet & overall health) Oral health Immune system “Core Four” foundational supplements Podcasts: Ed mentions his Holistic Navigator podcast Clint promotes Nooga Podcasts (noogapodcasts.com) – a network of 20+ podcasts. [0:09:26] – Interview with Dr. Glenn: What Are Spike Proteins & Why They Matter Dr. Glenn defines spike proteins: Discovered in the 1960s, normally part of viruses from nature. Our immune system usually recognizes and dissolves natural spike proteins. For COVID-era, lab-made spike proteins: They are not recognized properly by the body. They can persist and are not efficiently eliminated. Mechanism (simplified): Spike proteins interact with ACE2 receptors (“locks” on the cell door). They unlock and open the cell doors, enter the cells, and damage/destroy cells from the inside. Clint notes he never heard the term “spike protein” before COVID; Dr. Glenn explains: Previously, they weren't an issue because the body just handled them. This is the first time in history we've dealt with lab-made spike proteins at scale. Dr. Glenn stresses this is not simply vaccinated vs. unvaccinated: mRNA vaccines were designed to produce spike proteins. But unvaccinated people with bad cases of COVID can also carry very high spike levels. His personal story: Got severe COVID in Jan 2020, pre-official naming: 2 weeks very ill on couch/bed. 3 months to feel “recovered,” but that was just the start of long-term issues. Over the next 3+ years, progressive cellular damage accumulated, leading to a broad set of symptoms. Dr. Glenn's symptoms when spikes were very high: Whites of eyes turned gray, with burning eyes all day (constant eye drops). Tinnitus (ringing in ears). Cyclical rashes under armpits. Burning nerves in quads; needed leg massage devices nightly to sleep. Gout attacks (kidneys not handling uric acid well). Venous congestion in lower left leg. Severe fatigue, getting sick frequently despite doing everything “right.” Developed endocarditis (inflammation of heart and valves); resting heart rate jumped from 55–60 to 80–105. Subtle Bell's palsy–type weakness on left side of face and brain symptoms. Laboratory findings: Test: SARS‑CoV‑2 spike protein antibody test (semi-quantitative). Thresholds: 1000: likely too high, potential cell damage. 5000: “a whole other level of danger.” His highest result: 11,694 (measured around Oct 28, 2023). Progress over four tests: 11,694 → 11,087 → ~9,950 → 8,905 (as of June 30, current year). Many symptoms have significantly improved, though: Heart rate better but not back to baseline. Tinnitus persists. Spike level is still high, so work remains. Symptoms can vary dramatically from person to person: Because spikes can enter different “doors” (cells/tissues) in different bodies. One person's profile may be mostly neurological; another's cardiovascular, etc. Dr. Glenn's clinic policy: He will not work with someone on issues like hormones, gut, or cognitive problems without a spike antibody test, because: Otherwise they may be “paddling upstream” against ongoing spike-related damage. Observation: Many patients say: “My doctor says my bloodwork is fine,” yet they feel terrible. Conventional doctors rarely order spike protein antibody tests [0:23:01] – Managing High Spike Proteins: Testing, Risk & Protocol Who Should Test & How: Ed notes frequent COVID infections (he's had it six times) and that many people have unexplained symptoms. Both Ed and Dr. Glenn suggest: Spike antibody testing should be considered for anyone with mysterious chronic symptoms, regardless of age or vaccination status. Testing can be done through labs like Be Well Labs (which Nutrition World works with) or other local options. Reference values: < 0.08 means essentially no exposure to COVID. Out of ~130 tests Dr. Glenn has reviewed, only one person was

The Real Estate Espresso Podcast is sponsored by the Cost Segregation Guys. Cost Segregation is the key to accelerating depreciation and improving cash flow for your real estate assets. Click HERE to connect with them and get a discount on their services. ------------Today we are talking about what may be the beginning of a nuclear renaissance. I realize that this is a real estate podcast. But occasionally I come across something that has the potential to have global impact.Over the July Fourth weekend, nuclear startup company Aalo Atomics brought a reactor to criticality at Idaho National Laboratory. The reactor was manufactured in roughly forty days. That is an extraordinary achievement, but the real story is not the stopwatch. The real story is the system behind it.The first enabling technology is the coolant. Conventional reactors use water under high pressure. High pressure demands thick reactor vessels, specialized forgings, heavy components, and a supply chain with very few qualified manufacturers. These reactor vessels are hugely expensive and take an extraordinary amount of time to manufacture. Aalo uses liquid sodium, which transfers heat at low pressure and has a high boiling point. Lower pressure allows thinner steel vessels that can be made from plate, rolled, welded, inspected, and moved through an industrial process. That changes the manufacturing problem from one of heroic craftsmanship to one of repeatable production.Instead of building one plant as a unique civil project, the design is broken into truckable modules. A module can be built indoors, where tools remain in place, workers repeat tasks, and quality is measured at every station. That sounds ordinary because it is how automobiles, aircraft, and industrial equipment are manufactured. The building was completed in thirty six days, the reactor was fabricated in less than a month, and hundreds of fuel rods were assembled in 2.5 days.------------**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

We begin with Absolute Martian Manhunter, follow into the upcoming Midnight series and end with a rant on the actual value of comics. MUSICAL SPOTLIGHT: Trial By Noise DOWNLOAD Absolute Martian Manhunter By Deniz Camp And Javier Rodríguez. Absolute Martian … Continue reading →

Featured on WGN Radio's Home Sweet Home Chicago on 07/11/26: Jim Brown of The Sarah Leonard Team at Legacy Properties joins the show to talk about the biggest pricing mistakes sellers are making in today's market. To learn more about what Rob, Sarah, and her team can do for you, go to sarahleonardsells.com or call her at 224-239-3966.

This week on Home Sweet Home Chicago, David Hochberg is joined by Jim Brown of Legacy Properties to talk about the biggest pricing mistakes sellers make in today’s market. Next, Bob Schmitt of Junkluggers talks Facebook Marketplace scams and compassionate tips for summer moves. Then, Mark Milstein introduces Peak Utility Brokers and talks about a […]

Chris and Dawn Bartolini, of Bartolini’s Restaurant in Midlothian, IL surprise David Hochberg and his guests with delicious meatballs, cannoli, and cheesecake in honor of the Bartolini’s Meatball Eating Contest at the St. Augustine's Church 77th Annual Fiesta! David Hochberg himself will be the honorary MC. Amateur competitive eaters have until July 17 to qualify […]

Featured on WGN Radio's “Home Sweet Home Chicago” on 07/11/2026: Bob Schmitt of Junkluggers joins the show to inform WGN Radio listeners on how to spot Facebook Marketplace junk removal scams, compassionate tips for handling summer moves, downsizing, and estate cleanouts, and explains how donating and recycling can help local families. To learn more about […]

Featured on WGN Radio's Home Sweet Home Chicago on 07/11/26: Mark Milstein of Peak Utility Brokers introduces himself and his company to WGN listeners. Listen as Mark discusses their new Battery Program featuring a whole house backup battery for single family homes. Mark also highlights how Peak installs and provides batteries at NO COST to homeowners […]

Tell us what you think of the show! This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in clean energy and climate featuring Paul Gerke of Factor This and Tigercomm's Mike Casey.This week's episode features special guest Martha Muir from The Financial Times, who discusses how the cost of clean energy power purchase agreements is set to rise 40 to 120 percent as Inflation Reduction Act subsidies wind down.This week's “Cleantecher of the Week” is Dr. Bill Ho, CEO of GRST, whose company makes a PFAS-free, water-soluble battery binder. Conventional binder relies on "forever chemicals" and toxic solvents to process. GRST's version dissolves in water, making recycling to high-purity black mass simpler and cheaper. Congratulations, Bill!This Week in Cleantech — July 10, 2026 In the woods of Maine, searching for an answer to a ticking climate bomb – The Boston GlobeOne-third of India's new renewable energy capacity faces curtailment – PV MagazineWhy Europe Still Struggles to Scale Its Homegrown Climate Tech – Heatmap NewsEurope's next climate adaptation boom isn't solar panels — it's asphalt –  ReutersUS clean power prices set to soar as AI demand coincides with subsidy cuts – Financial TimesWant to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing  Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.comMore episodes of Factor This Policycast

EPISODE 737 - Ben Schenkman - Challenging readers' conventional thinking and the complexities of moral dilemmasIn this engaging conversation, author and voice actor Ben Schenkman returns to chat about his creative journey, his latest release My Brother's Keeper, and the many realities of being an independent author in today's publishing landscape.Ben opens with a personal story about his family's love of vintage guitars—a nod to his musical roots and his identical twin brother's collection connected to their Woodstock‐era mother. From there, the conversation evolves into one of the most honest explorations of indie author marketing you'll hear. Ben breaks down what really works when promoting your books and what doesn't, drawing from firsthand experience running Facebook, Amazon, and BookBub ads. His message is simple and refreshing: books sell books, and advertising a single title rarely pays off until an author has multiple works available.Ben shares practical, field‑tested advice inspired by David Gaughran's “Demystifying Facebook Ads” series, explaining why Facebook remains one of the few ad platforms that can still produce results—if authors learn to take control and target the right readers. He then contrasts ads with BookBub Featured Deals, describing how well-timed offers can create lasting exposure, especially for multi‑book series. But long before any ads go live, he emphasizes, authors must focus on collecting authentic reviews, not just from friends and family but from real readers whose balanced feedback adds legitimacy.The heart of the episode revolves around My Brother's Keeper, the darkly magical first installment in The Cycle of Ash. Set in an alternate New Haven, Connecticut, the story blends Jewish mysticism, urban fantasy, and noir detective grit. Private investigator Max Asher returns home to bury his twin brother—and quickly discovers the death may not be what it seems. The novel's emotional depth, grounded world‑building, and spiritual underpinnings reflect Ben's personal connection to his Jewish heritage and his lived experiences as a twin.Ben also pulls back the curtain on his creative process—how he uses beat sheets from Save the Cat Writes a Novel to manage pacing, why reader feedback matters more than formulas, and why no story can satisfy every audience. For aspiring writers, his candor is invaluable: embrace imperfection, learn your genre, and write with emotional truth.As the episode wraps, Ben looks ahead to the March 30 release of My Brother's Keeper and a virtual launch celebration with the Fantasy & Sci‑Fi Fanatics podcast in early April. He also reminds fellow creators to celebrate every milestone—whether it's finishing a first draft or earning that first genuine review—and to recognize that publishing any book is an extraordinary achievement.Key Takeaway:Success as an indie author isn't about chasing algorithms or outsmarting ad platforms; it's about writing honest stories, connecting with real readers, and valuing progress at every stage of the creative journey.https://benschenkman.com/Support the show___https://livingthenextchapter.com/podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca

In this episode, host Mary Greensmith sits down with French homeopath Mel Mizrahie to discuss a very important topic: navigating a Parkinson's diagnosis with the gentle support of natural remedies. If you or a loved one are looking for ways to improve your daily comfort, this conversation is full of hope and practical insights. The Sneaky Early Signs Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition that affects movement and the nervous system. While most people immediately associate the disease with tremors, Mel points out that the early signs are often very "sneaky". Before any major motor issues appear, individuals might experience fatigue, constipation, anxiety, or changes in their sleep patterns. Because these signs are so common, they are easily overlooked by patients. A Holistic Approach to Care Receiving a diagnosis can bring up intense fear and uncertainty for the future. Conventional medications are routinely prescribed and are often very successful at reducing physical symptoms, but they can unfortunately bring unwanted side effects. Homeopathy offers a wonderful complement to this care. Mel emphasizes that homeopaths never ask clients to stop taking their prescribed medications. Instead, homeopathy works safely alongside Western medicine to enhance your overall quality of life. By sitting down for an in-depth consultation, a homeopath learns your complete history and finds a constitutional remedy tailored specifically to how you uniquely experience the disease. Support for Caregivers A chronic diagnosis affects the entire household. Family members and primary caretakers often face massive emotional shock and carry a very heavy physical load as the condition progresses. Mel highlights that homeopathy is incredibly beneficial for these caregivers, providing them with the emotional and physical resilience needed to support their loved ones. Important links mentioned in this episode: Visit Mel's website: https://www.thefrenchhomeopath.com/ Know more about Mel: https://homeopathy247.com/professional-homeopaths-team/mel-mizrahie/   You can also subscribe to our podcast channels available on your favourite podcast listening app below: Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/homeopathy247-podcast/id1628767810 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/39rjXAReQ33hGceW1E50dk Follow us on our social media accounts: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeopathy247 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeopathy247 You can also visit our website at https://homeopathy247.com/

Filling, stainless steel crown, pulpotomy or extraction — how do you actually decide on a deciduous tooth? Why is the lower first primary molar the one that always seems to flare up? When should you reach for silver diamine fluoride instead of the drill — and when is a child's cooperation telling you to change the plan entirely? And how do you actually do a pulpotomy, step by step, without it blowing up under the crown? This is a paediatric dentistry masterclass with Dr Nidhi Kotak — “The Baby Tooth Dentist,”. It's built for the general dentist who treats children and wants clearer rules: when to fill versus crown, how to read the radiograph, silver diamine fluoride, local anaesthetic and behaviour guidance, isolation, and a full pulpotomy and stainless steel crown technique. The through-line is simple — in children you decide fast, protect the airway, and treat for predictability rather than heroics. https://youtu.be/3OscfwF7SIQ Watch PDP274 on YouTube Protrusive Dental Pearl: Strategic Flexibility You cannot be rigid when treating children. The mindset shift is to stop asking “what should be done for this child?” and start asking “what can be done for this child?” With children you have to be fast and efficient, and curveballs are constant — sometimes the parent is harder to manage than the child. So the plan has to bend. The worked example: you planned a conventional prepped stainless steel crown, but cooperation drops mid-appointment. Rather than abandon the visit, switch to a no-prep whole-crown approach and protect the tooth anyway. It stays in the child's best interest — and it's far kinder to your own mental health. It's a mindset worth carrying into all of dentistry, not just children's. What You'll Take From This Episode When to fill vs crown — the surface rule for baby molars, why crowns are so predictable in children, and where composites still work. The “D” devil tooth — why the lower first primary molar flares up, and why mesial caries on a D is an automatic crown. Pulpotomy indications — the signs that say vital pulpotomy, the ones that say extraction, and why a pulp exposure in a primary tooth is an automatic pulpotomy. SDF, sedation and isolation — arresting decay without drilling, matching sedation to the child, and protecting the airway. The pulpotomy technique — a full step-by-step from caries removal to cementing the stainless steel crown, including the modern medicament choice. Highlights of This Episode 00:00  TEASER 00:59  Pediatric Dentistry for GDPs: The Strategic Flexibility Mindset 07:24  Why GDPs Struggle Treating Children 08:19  When to Fill vs When to Crown a Baby Tooth 12:18  Class II vs Stainless Steel Crown: The Surface Rule 13:41  Reading Pediatric Radiographs & When to Take Bitewings 19:15  SDF vs Fluoride Varnish: When to Use Each 22:37  Resin Infiltration (Icon) for Children’s Teeth 25:15  Pulpotomy in Primary Teeth: When It’s Indicated 26:19  The “D” Devil Tooth: Why Mesial Caries Means a Crown 27:31  Hall Crowns and the Modified Whole Crown Technique 27:48  Midroll 38:39  Local Anaesthetic & Behaviour Guidance in Children 40:38  Sedation Options: Oral, Nitrous & Intranasal 46:22  Rubber Dam vs Isolite: Isolation for Kids 48:59  How to Do a Pulpotomy: Step-by-Step Technique 58:03  OUTRO Dr Nidhi Kotak is a dual US and Canadian board-certified paediatric dentist — a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and a Fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada.  Follow Dr. Nidhi for more paediatric dentistry tips

Today we're bringing you an episode from our friends at KUOW's data podcast Control F. We’re heading into a long holiday weekend. If you’re taking a road trip, you’ll need to fill up the gas tank, maybe even get some new tires. For a longer journey, a rental car can be helpful. Don’t forget to pick up toiletries and refill your prescriptions. If you’re in town hosting grab some extra lawn chairs for the guests. You can get all of this at Costco – along with your groceries. Conventional wisdom is that Costco is a good deal. But grocery prices are up. Grocery inflation is up 27 percent in the last 5 years following pandemic supply chain disruptions and international turmoil. So, will shopping at our local bulk retailer Costco save you some money this holiday? We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Housing market update for this week: inventory finally topped last year, with 841,000 homes versus 831,000. Sellers are getting more realistic on price, and mortgage rates sit at 6.65%. Josh Lewis and Jeb Smith break down what it means for buyers, then answer your questions live.In this episode: national and Orange County inventory, new listings and pending sales, price reductions at 39%, mortgage spreads at 2.02, jobs week data, Cleveland Fed inflation nowcast, real home prices by state from Visual Capitalist, and California's proposed AB 736 transfer tax.We answer YOUR mortgage and real estate questions live every Wednesday. Drop a question in the comments or join us live next show.Get connected with Josh's mortgage team or a realtor anywhere in the country:https://jebsmith.net/starthttps://theeducatedhomebuyer.com/startNew podcast episode every Monday. Next week: our mortgage rate forecast for the second half of the year. Search The Educated HomeBuyer on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.Chapters 0:00 Housing Market Update: Inventory Finally Tops Last Year 9:45 Jobs Week: JOLTS, ADP + Payrolls Preview 12:38 Real Home Prices, New Inflation Data + Fed Hike Odds 17:50 Mortgage Rates Today: 6.65% 18:55 LIVE Q&A: Ask Us Anything Mortgage or Real Estate 19:25 Max Seller Concessions on a Second Home? 20:35 Who Builds the Cheapest New Construction Homes? 22:20 Roof Replacement Cost 23:55 New Construction Tips 27:50 Realtor Commission 31:20 FHA vs VA vs Conventional 36:25 Is a $1,000 HOA Document Fee Normal? 37:50 California's Proposed Transfer Tax: AB 736 39:42 Can I Beat a 6.2% Rate? 43:00 Pay Down PMI or Wait It Out? 45:40 Offering Below the Competition 50:20 Is It a Good Time to Refinance? 51:00 75 Days on Market, Is That Normal?Josh Lewis, BuyWise Mortgage, NMLS #1942Jeb Smith, Realtor#housingmarket #mortgagerates #realestate

The Guild Mortgage Company wants to be your home loan lender. They do all types of mortgages; FHA, VA, USDA & Conventional. Guild Mortgage Company is an Equal Housing Lender; NMLS 3274. Roy West NMLS 316801 Phone (409) 866-1901.

Mortgage and real estate expert David Hochberg joins John Williams to talk about U.S. housing inventory growing, where mortgage interest rates are right now, consumers trying to fight inflation, and why you should be careful of lenders quoting rates in the 4's. David also answers all of your mortgage questions. David hosts “Home Sweet Home […]

When it comes to transfer bonuses, conventional wisdom has been not to transfer unless there's specific use in mind. But sometimes the bonus is too good to ignore.Speculative Bilt transfer bonuses(00:16) - Conventional wisdom: don't transfer without specific use in mind. But...(01:19) - With Bilt 2.0, earning hundreds of thousands of Bilt points is not so difficult anymore(04:11) - So which bonuses are worth doing for airline programs?Transfer bonuses where Greg & Nick disagree (or both said maybe)Southwest Airlines Rapid RewardsAir France-KLM Flying BlueBritish Airways AviosAvianca LifeMilesCathay Pacific Cathay Japan Airlines JAL Mileage BankTurkish Airlines Miles&SmilesVirgin Atlantic Flying ClubTransfer bonuses Greg & Nick would NOT doEtihad GuestEmirates SkywardsTAP Air Portugal Miles&Go(26:15) - So which bonuses are worth doing for hotel programs?Transfer bonuses Greg & Nick would definitely doHyattAccorTransfer bonuses where Greg & Nick disagree (or both said maybe)I PreferSubscribe and FollowVisit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie YoderMentioned in this episode:Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of Voyascape, a podcast network that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsored content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.Voyascape Podcast NetworkFrequent Miler Beginner's Guidehttps://frequentmiler.com/start-here/

Returned Part 3 is coming out, so Jason Strutz joins us once again. We got mad at both parts 1 and 2, but stood up and cheered on this one! Give it a listen, and check out the Kickstarter! DOWNLOAD Returned … Continue reading →

Through much of the Fall, Element will be answering questions posed by those at Element. We do this to help us understand the Bible and Jesus better. Today we deal with the phrase, "God helps those who help themselves" which is probably the most often quoted phrase that is NOT found in the Bible, yet people think it is. We can chalk this up to “conventional wisdom.” Conventional wisdom is something that we put in the place of God's wisdom because we tend to think we are smarter than God. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

Featured on WGN Radio's Home Sweet Home Chicago on 06/27/26: Center Guard Plumbing's Mike Epping joins the show to highlight a satisfied customer who got a new water heater installed with no pressure, gimmicks, and a price that beat all other competitors by $630! Mike also talks about their current water heater sale and gas inspection […]

This week on Home Sweet Home Chicago, David Hochberg is joined by Center Guard Plumbing's Mike Epping to talk about Center Guard’s lack of gimmicks and how they beat their competitors. Next, Frank Wasilewski, CEO of Access, joins the show to inform listeners about high pressure bathroom sales that are robbing you of quality work and money. […]

Featured on WGN Radio's “Home Sweet Home Chicago” on June 27, 2026: Frank Wasilewski, CEO of Access, joins the show to inform listeners about high pressure bathroom sales that are robbing you of quality work and money. Frank also announces the winner of the WG Grab Bar Raffle from the Abilities Expo! To learn more about what Access […]

Featured on WGN Radio's Home Sweet Home Chicago on 06/27/2026: Lewis Shapiro of Redo Cabinets joins the show to talk the benefits of cabinet refacing over full kitchen replacement. Lewis also shares Redo’s current promo for Independence Day: $1,776 OFF a cabinet project with a free backsplash and no payments for 12 months. To learn […]

Guest Dr. Veronique Desaulniers:  "I'm increasingly excited about the program that we launched in 2023 and have been expanding ever since: Conquering Breast Cancer with Conventional Treatments and Natural Remedies.  The reason I added this aspect of healing breast cancer and supporting women is, because we realized after many years of working with women around the world, along with medical and integrative doctors, that there comes a time in a woman's journey that she may need more support than traditional medicine alone." Dr. Véronique Desaulniers, better known as Dr. V, is the founder of Breast Cancer Conqueror® and creator of the 7 Essentials System®. Her signature process has empowered thousands of women in over 65 countries. Dr. V has personally conquered breast cancer twice, which gives her an empathetic perspective to understand other women facing a healing journey.  Her first book, Heal Breast Cancer Naturally, was a #1 Amazon Best Seller in 10 categories. In late 2025 she and Dr. Michael Karlfeldt released Breast Cancer Breakthrough: Integrating Conventional & Natural Medicine for True Healing. This combines their decades of clinical experience and dedication to integrative breast cancer healing to transform women's health, mindset and bodies.

Featured on WGN Radio's Home Sweet Home Chicago on 06/20/26: Justin Bartley, President and Owner of NEXT Door & Window joins the program to tell a story about a loyal listener and educates the panel on how Illinois’ updated energy-efficiency codes apply to replacement windows and doors. To learn more about what NEXT Door & Window […]

Featured on WGN Radio's Home Sweet Home Chicago on 06/20/26: Kyle Erdmann from Erdmann Outdoor Living joins the show to help you create a more enjoyable outdoor living space. Kyle discusses ways to extend the use of patios, decks, and covered outdoor areas with features like ceiling fans, heaters, misting systems, bug screens, and strategic […]

Featured on WGN Radio's Home Sweet Home Chicago on 06/20/26: Dave Schlueter of the Law Offices of David R. Schlueter joins the show to talk about Ryne Sandberg’s trust and estate arrangements dispute and last minute changes to documents and what that might mean for you and your planning. To learn more about what Dave Schlueter can […]

This week on Home Sweet Home Chicago, David Hochberg is joined by Justin Bartley, President and owner of NEXT Door and Window, to talk about Illinois’ updated energy-efficiency codes. Next, Kyle Erdmann of Erdmann Outdoor Living, helps you extend the use of your patios, decks, and covered outdoor areas. Then, Dave Schlueter of the Law Offices […]

Have you been told you have IBS, been given a prescription, and sent on your way? That's exactly what happens to tens of millions of people. An IBS diagnosis doesn't explain anything. It's just a label for symptoms with over 30 possible underlying causes, most of which conventional medicine doesn't investigate. In this episode, I'm joined by my friend Dr. Izabella Wentz, who shares her irritable bowel syndrome experience and her husband's ulcerative colitis diagnosis that went into remission within eight weeks of using a root-cause protocol. She breaks down exactly how gut dysbiosis, parasites, mold exposure, glyphosate, stress, hormonal imbalances, and even your medications could be driving your symptoms. If you've been living with IBS and not getting answers, this episode has a helpful roadmap. Izabella walks through the first steps you can take today, how functional testing would help, and why the right protocol depends entirely on finding your root cause.   "There are over 30 root causes of IBS. Conventional medicine doesn't really talk about most of them, and most of them are glossed over." ~ Dr. Izabella Wentz   In This Episode: - Izabella's experience with IBS - What IBS really is and its most common root causes  - How different toxins lead to gut dysbiosis - Why conventional doctors miss IBS - How stress and anxiety trigger IBS - Probiotics: when they help and when they hurt - First steps to identify your root cause - GLP-1 medications and digestive side effects - Functional stool testing and GI-Map explained - Her husband's ulcerative colitis remission story   Products & Resources Mentioned: Izabella Wentz's book, "IBS: Finding and Treating the Root Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome": Check it out at https://thyroidpharmacist.com/ibs-book-order/   Puori Grass-Fed PW1 Whey Protein: Use code WENDY20 to save up to 32% off your order and a free shaker worth $25 at https://puori.com/wendy Tru Energy Skincare Bio Adaptive Hydration Oil: Try the oil and save up to $197 at trytruenergy.com/wendy5  Organifi Collagen: Save 20% with code MYERSDETOX at https://organifi.com/myersdetox  Organifi Happy Drops: Save 20% with code MYERSDETOX at https://organifi.com/myersdetox    Heavy Metals Quiz: Check your toxicity score and receive a free video series on how to detox your body at https://heavymetalsquiz.com    About Dr. Izabella Wentz: Dr. Izabella Wentz is a compassionate, innovative, solution-focused integrative pharmacist dedicated to finding the root causes of chronic health conditions. Her passion stems from her own diagnosis with Hashimoto's thyroiditis in 2009, following a decade of debilitating symptoms. As an accomplished author, Dr. Wentz has written several best-selling books. Her latest, IBS: Finding and Treating the Root Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, explores a root cause perspective on gut health. Drawing on professional insight, current research, and real-world strategies, she outlines clear, practical steps to help readers identify the drivers of gut dysfunction, follow gentle healing protocols, and finally feel better from the inside out. Learn more about her work at https://thyroidpharmacist.com/    Disclaimer The Myers Detox Podcast was created and hosted by Dr. Wendy Myers. This podcast is for information purposes only. Statements and views expressed on this podcast are not medical advice. This podcast, including Wendy Myers and the producers, disclaims responsibility for any possible adverse effects from using the information contained herein. The opinions of guests are their own, and this podcast does not endorse or accept responsibility for statements made by guests. This podcast does not make any representations or warranties about guests' qualifications or credibility. Individuals on this podcast may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to herein. If you think you have a medical problem, consult a licensed physician.

In this episode of the HVAC Know It All Podcast, host Gary McCreadie talks with Keith Gipson, Founder and CEO of Facil.AI, about how artificial intelligence is changing building automation and HVAC energy management. Keith explains how his AI platform continuously analyzes building data and makes adjustments to improve efficiency in central plants and rooftop unit portfolios. The conversation explores why some traditional energy-saving strategies may not deliver the expected results and how AI can uncover better operating conditions by making thousands of optimization decisions every day. Gary and Keith also discuss autonomous control, human oversight, implementation in existing buildings, and the role AI can play in helping facility owners reduce energy consumption while maintaining comfort and system performance. Gary and Keith discuss how AI is being used to improve HVAC and building performance through continuous optimization and automated decision-making. Keith explains how Facility AI connects to existing building automation systems, analyzes operating data, and makes adjustments every five minutes to reduce energy use. The conversation covers central plant optimization, rooftop unit performance, and why some common energy-saving strategies may actually increase costs. They also talk about autonomous AI control, human oversight, and how the technology can help facility owners save energy while improving system efficiency and comfort across large building portfolios. Expect to Learn: How AI can continuously optimize central plants and building systems to reduce energy consumption. Why some traditional HVAC energy-saving strategies may not deliver the expected results. How autonomous AI systems make operating decisions while still allowing human intervention when needed. How Facility AI connects to existing building automation systems with minimal implementation effort. How building owners can improve efficiency and lower operating costs across large portfolios of facilities.   Episode Highlights: [00:00] - Sponsor: Factory Direct Filters ad [00:42] - Intro to Keith Gipson in Part 02  [02:20] - AI agents cost 11 cents per hour, work alongside human controls [04:01] - Running HVAC at night saved 9% energy (drug store portfolio test) [05:47] - 30,000 daily optimizations; Cal State saved 47–48% on average [08:13] - Conventional wisdom (coldest condenser water) is wrong; total plant KW matters [12:34] - Software-only install, remote setup, works with 30+ control systems [13:57] - White-box AI logs decisions every 5 minutes, fully traceable [17:03] - Pricing: ~$1.50–$2/month per ton of chiller capacity [19:40] - Keith's non-salesy, deep technical approach   This Episode is Kindly Sponsored by: Cintas: https://www.cintas.com/hvacknowitall Cool Air Products: https://www.coolairproducts.net/ Factory Direct Filters: https://www.factorydirectfilters.com/ SupplyHouse: https://www.supplyhouse.com/tm Use promo code HKIA5 to get 5% off your first order at Supplyhouse! Follow the Guest Keith Gipson on:  LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-gipson/   LinkedIn - Facil.AI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/facil-ai/     Follow the Host on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-mccreadie-38217a77/  LinkedIn - HVAC Know It All Inc.: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hvac-know-it-all-inc Website: https://www.hvacknowitall.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/HVAC-Know-It-All-2/61569643061429/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hvacknowitall1/  Follow the Podcast on:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HVACKnowItAll   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LCBJGw0EHG03rdWHxUMce  Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hvac-know-it-all-podcast/id1359253455 

Conventional wisdom says the hardest part of building a startup is building the product. Shanea Leven says the harder challenge is figuring out what customers will actually pay for. Before co-founding Empromptu.ai, Shanea spent more than 15 years building products at companies including Google, eBay, Docker, and Cloudflare. In this conversation, she explains why sales is every bit as complex as engineering, why customer interviews aren't enough to validate an idea, and why early-stage founders need to spend more time testing demand than perfecting roadmaps. We discuss the case-study approach she uses to find customers, the controversial belief that the only real product validation is money, and what happened when a LinkedIn post generated a 1,000-person waitlist almost overnight.  Shanea also shares how she used more than 100 customer calls to shape Empromptu's direction, why she stopped fundraising when the company took  off, and the go-to-market challenges that still keep her up at night. If you're a technical founder trying to figure out whether you're building something people truly want, this episode offers a practical framework for separating genuine demand from wishful thinking. Listen to this episode if you're trying to figure out: why sales validation should happen before you commit to a roadmap how to find your first customers using the case study method what a viral waitlist can teach you about product-market fit how to distinguish customer feedback from customer demand why technical founders need to learn sales earlier than they think which early traction signals are worth trusting — and which aren't how to validate an idea before spending months building it RUNTIME 49:06   EPISODE BREAKDOWN (3:16) What Is Empromptu.ai, and Who Is it For? (6:25) Sales Is Just as Complicated as Engineering (8:14) The Case Study Method for Finding Early Customers (11:56) Why Al Is Rewriting the Product Playbook (13:37)   The Only Real Product Validation Is Money  (17:10) The S***ty Purple Website That Predicted Impromptu's Viral Launch (21:38) What 100 Waitlist Calls Taught Shanea About Customer Demand (26:28) "We evolved the platform." (34:57) "Ninety-nine percent of VCs are great at one thing." (36:20) The GTM Problem That Still Keeps Shanea Up at Night  (39:02) A Process for Selecting Your First Sales/Marketing Hires (40:59) Why She'd Hire a "Scrappy" Marketer Over a Former Meta Employee "Every Time" (44:05) The Early Traction Signal She No Longer Trusts (45:28) A 30-day Experiment Founders Can Run To Validate Their Idea LINKS Shanea Leven Empromptu.ai Empromptu raises $2M pre-seed to help enterprises build AI apps, 12/9/2025, TechCrunch SUBSCRIBE

June is World Infertility Awareness Month, a month dedicated to the one in six couples worldwide who are quietly navigating the heartbreak, questions, and uncertainty that go along with the fertility journey. A short while ago, I had the privilege of launching my book, Your Fertility Blueprint. That day, I gave a presentation where I shared everything I wish I had known earlier in my own journey, including the framework that can change how we understand fertility, the hope that often gets lost along the way, and the truth that you are far more than your unexplained infertility diagnosis. I truly believe that something unexplained is simply something uninvestigated. In honour of Infertility Awareness Month, I'm sharing that presentation with you today. Whether you're in the thick of it yourself, supporting someone who is, or you simply want to understand the infertility experience better, this episode is for you. The products I used unknowingly, which poisoned my system with endocrine-disrupting chemicals: Hair straighteners Conventional beauty products Chemical chlorine-laced tampons Bath and Body Works fragranced lotions Plastic water bottles Bio: Stephanie Gray Stephanie Gray, DNP, MS, ARNP, AGNP-C, ABAAHP, FAARFM, is a functional medicine provider who helps men and women build sustainable, optimal health and longevity.  A nurse practitioner since 2009, Dr. Gray completed her doctorate focusing on estrogen metabolism from the University of Iowa in 2011 and holds a Master's in Metabolic Nutritional Medicine from the University of South Florida's Medical School. Dr. Gray is one of the Midwest's most credentialed female healthcare providers. She completed an Advanced Fellowship in Anti-Aging, Regenerative, and Functional Medicine in 2013 and became Iowa's first BioTe certified provider—now the state's only platinum provider with over 10,000 pellet placements. She is also certified as a SIBO doctor-approved practitioner, mold-literate provider, and ReCODE 2.0 practitioner for cognitive decline prevention. An Amazon best-selling author, Dr. Gray wrote Your Longevity Blueprint and Your Fertility Blueprint, and hosts the Your Longevity Blueprint podcast. She co-founded Your Longevity Blueprint Nutraceuticals with her husband, Eric. After her own ten-year fertility journey, she now specializes in helping couples optimize reproductive health through functional medicine. Having lost her grandmother to vascular dementia, she is personally committed to helping families avoid cognitive decline. Dr. Gray founded the Integrative Health and Hormone Clinic in Hiawatha, Iowa. In this episode: I describe my 10-year journey of trying to conceive, including testing, treatments, IUIs, IVF, failed transfers, and my emotional struggle  How, even as a nurse practitioner with a doctorate in functional medicine and over 15 years of clinical experience, I still struggled with infertility Why I believe unexplained infertility is simply uninvestigated infertility I outline six major factors that contributed to my infertility, explaining why they needed to be addressed together, not in isolation How the functional and integrative medicine approaches differ from those of conventional medicine I highlight the windows for egg and sperm development and explain how changes made during that time can improve egg and sperm quality The combination of conventional and functional medicine treatments I used, which ultimately led to the birth of my sons Links and Resources: Interested in purchasing Your Fertility Blueprint or watching the full book launch presentation? Visit: https://yourlongevityblueprint.com/yourfertilityblueprint/ Guest Social Media Links: @stephaniegraydnp Relative Links for This Show: ⁠⁠⁠https://yourlongevityblueprint.com/product/coq10-100-mg/ Use code ENERGY to get 10% off ⁠⁠⁠MITOCHONDRIAL COMPLEX Follow Your Longevity Blueprint  On Instagram| Facebook| Twitter| YouTube | LinkedIn Get your copy of the Your Longevity Blueprint book and claim your bonuses here Find Dr. Stephanie Gray and Your Longevity Blueprint online   Follow Dr. Stephanie Gray  On Facebook| Instagram| Youtube | Twitter | LinkedIn Integrative Health and Hormone Clinic Podcast production by Team Podcast

This episode is sponsored by…NCH:Set up an LLC to protect your investments! – https://nchinc.com/rtrBLUPRINT HOME LOANS:Get pre-approved with one of RTR's preferred lenders at https://bluprinthomeloans.com/renttoretirement/ Alabama new construction is getting serious attention from real estate investors — and in this episode of the Rent To Retirement Podcast, Matthew Seyoum is joined by Frank Merry to break down why.Frank shares what makes Alabama attractive for out-of-state investors, including lower property taxes, landlord-friendly laws, affordable new construction, strong rental demand, and major employment drivers across markets like Birmingham, Huntsville, Kimberly, Tuscaloosa, and Columbiana.

Today's show is sponsored by The Cost Segregation Guys. If you own investment real estate and haven't looked seriously at cost segregation, you could be leaving significant tax savings on the table.  If you click on the link you will be connected with them directly and qualify for a discount. -------------If you're a mid-size multifamily investor. You're not a mom-and-pop landlord with two units and you're also not an institutional shop with a dedicated capital markets team. You're in the middle — and historically, that middle ground has been underserved by the lending market. The big agency programs were built for big loans. Local banks could handle the small stuff, but once your deal got past a certain size, things got awkward and the terms got worse. Sound familiar?That's exactly the investor Freddie Mac's Conventional Small program was built for.On April 15th, 2026, Freddie Mac renamed their Small Balance Loan program — previously called the SBL — to Conventional Small, and folded it directly into their core Conventional platform. Loan sizes run from two million to ten million dollars. The cap was raised from $7.5 million to $10 million as part of the April 2026 upgrade — meaningful for anyone who was bumping up against the old ceiling. Fixed-rate terms are now 5, 7, 10, 12, or 15 years — the 12 and 15-year options are brand new additions. Amortization goes up to 30 years. As of June 2026, rates are running approximately 5.73%-----------**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

What if the same brain states people spend years chasing through psychedelics could be accessed through meditation alone, and in as little as seven days? In this fascinating solo episode, Darin Olien explores groundbreaking new research from University of California San Diego, Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and University of Montreal suggesting that meditation may produce brain patterns remarkably similar to those observed during psychedelic experiences. From the suppression of the default mode network and increases in neural complexity to neuroplasticity, endogenous opioids, and measurable biological changes in the bloodstream, Darin unpacks the science behind one of the most powerful, and completely free tools available to human beings. He also walks listeners through a practical seven-day protocol combining focused-attention meditation, Vipassana, breathwork, walking meditation, and loving-kindness practices designed to help cultivate greater awareness, emotional resilience, cognitive flexibility, and inner peace. What You'll Learn The groundbreaking UC San Diego meditation study and its surprising findings Why meditation may create brain states similar to psilocybin What the default mode network is and how it shapes everyday thinking How meditation may reduce rumination, anxiety, and self-referential thought The concept of brain criticality and cognitive flexibility Why post-meditation blood samples stimulated neuronal growth How meditation influences neuroplasticity and whole-body biology The differences between Samatha and Vipassana meditation What advanced monks are teaching scientists about consciousness The limitations and caveats of current meditation research A practical seven-day meditation protocol anyone can begin Why meditation may be one of the most powerful health interventions available today Chapters 00:00:03 – Welcome to SuperLife 00:00:33 – Sponsor: Alkemis and the hidden toxicity of indoor air 00:00:57 – Conventional paints, petrochemicals, and endocrine disruptors 00:01:24 – Why VOCs and PFAS may be affecting your home environment 00:01:55 – Fire-resistant mineral paints and healthier living spaces 00:02:27 – Cradle to Cradle certification and sustainable design 00:03:23 – The meditation study Darin can't stop thinking about 00:03:33 – Scanning the brains and blood of meditators 00:03:44 – Brain activity resembling psilocybin experiences 00:04:09 – The promise of a seven-day meditation protocol 00:04:22 – Psychedelics, consciousness, and dissolving the sense of self 00:04:47 – Ancient practices and modern scientific validation 00:05:23 – Why meditation research is entering a renaissance 00:05:41 – Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, and advanced consciousness mapping 00:06:00 – University of Montreal's study of monks with 15,000+ hours of practice 00:06:16 – Why psychedelics and meditation are converging scientifically 00:06:37 – What listeners will learn in today's episode 00:06:54 – Breaking down the UC San Diego retreat study 00:07:18 – Thirty-three hours of meditation, breathwork, and group practice 00:07:42 – EEG scans, blood draws, and laboratory neuron testing 00:08:05 – Reduced activity in the default mode network 00:08:24 – The science of mental chatter and rumination 00:08:50 – Blood plasma stimulating new neuronal growth 00:09:02 – Neuroplasticity and new neural connections 00:09:29 – Increased cellular metabolism and endogenous opioids 00:10:13 – Samatha vs Vipassana meditation explained 00:10:42 – How different meditation styles reshape the brain 00:10:50 – Harvard's advanced meditation consciousness studies 00:11:18 – Mapping concentration states and consciousness cessation 00:11:46 – Ancient contemplative traditions meeting modern neuroscience 00:11:50 – Important limitations of the research 00:12:05 – Why advanced monks aren't average practitioners 00:12:20 – Correlation versus causation in psychedelic comparisons 00:12:48 – What may actually be happening inside the brain 00:13:03 – Understanding the default mode network 00:13:26 – Anxiety, depression, addiction, and overactive self-talk 00:13:53 – Why meditation and psilocybin share common neurological effects 00:14:10 – Beginner studies showing measurable brain changes 00:14:28 – Brain criticality and cognitive adaptability 00:14:48 – The most surprising finding: meditation changes the blood 00:15:05 – Meditation as a whole-body signaling event 00:15:18 – Better sleep, digestion, hormone balance, and recovery 00:15:39 – Neuroplasticity, immune function, metabolism, and pain regulation 00:15:56 – Why meditation may be the ultimate free medicine 00:16:10 – Introducing the seven-day meditation protocol 00:16:34 – Sponsor break: Alkemis Paint 00:19:02 – Building a research-backed at-home meditation practice 00:19:24 – Why consistency matters more than total hours 00:19:41 – Combining focused attention and open monitoring 00:19:53 – Days 1–3: Stabilizing attention 00:20:02 – Morning focused-attention meditation instructions 00:20:34 – Evening body scan practice 00:21:04 – Preparing the brain for deeper awareness 00:21:08 – Days 4–5: Opening awareness through Vipassana 00:21:31 – Letting thoughts, sensations, and sounds pass freely 00:21:39 – Evening box breathing for nervous system regulation 00:22:01 – Why days four and five often feel more challenging 00:22:11 – Days 6–7: Deepening and integrating the practice 00:22:27 – Walking meditation and embodied awareness 00:22:52 – Loving-kindness meditation and compassion training 00:23:02 – Vagal tone, heart rate regulation, and inflammation reduction 00:23:18 – Three rules that determine success 00:23:26 – Eliminating distractions and protecting attention 00:23:36 – Why you should never judge your meditation sessions 00:24:00 – Extending the practice beyond seven days 00:24:19 – Psychedelics, meditation, and the search for transformation 00:24:51 – What the medicine always teaches: sit with yourself 00:25:03 – The wellness industry's tendency to monetize stillness 00:25:20 – Why you don't need expensive tools to transform 00:25:36 – Meditation as radical self-reclamation 00:26:02 – Meeting yourself without distraction 00:26:17 – Final reflections and closing thoughts 00:26:29 – Outro and farewell Thank You to Our Sponsors Alkemis: Go to https://alkemispaint.com/ and use code DARIN10 for 10% off your order. Manna Vitality: Go to mannavitality.com/ and use code DARIN12 for 12% off your order. Join the SuperLife Patreon: This is where Darin now shares the deeper work: - weekly voice notes - ingredient trackers - wellness challenges - extended conversations - community accountability - sovereignty practices Join now for only $7.49/month at https://patreon.com/darinolien Find More from Darin Olien: Website: darinolien.com Instagram: @darinolien Book: Fatal Conveniences Platform & Products: superlife.com New Show: Roadmap to Happiness Key Takeaway "Perhaps one of the most profound discoveries emerging from modern neuroscience is that many of the states of awareness humans have sought through substances, rituals, and external interventions may already be available within us. Meditation is not simply a relaxation practice—it appears to be a biological, neurological, and consciousness-altering intervention capable of reshaping the brain, changing the body, and transforming how we experience reality. The question is not whether the door exists. The question is whether we are willing to sit still long enough to walk through it." Bibliography/Sources: Here is the fully formatted bibliography for the "Seven Days to a New Brain" episode. It is organized by category, formatted in strict APA Style (7th Edition), and includes a direct link for every single source : Primary Studies Brewer, J. A., Worhunsky, P. D., Gray, J. R., Tang, Y. Y., Weber, J., & Kober, H. (2011). Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(50), 20254–20259 . https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1112029108 Lieberman, J. M., Rahrig, H., Britton, W. B., et al. (2025). Toward a neuroscience of consciousness using advanced meditation. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews . https://meditation.mgh.harvard.edu/files/Lieberman_25_NeuroscienceAndBiobehavioralReviews.pdf Pascarella, A., Jerbi, K., et al. (2026). Meditation induces shifts in neural oscillations, brain complexity, and critical dynamics: Novel insights from MEG. Neuroscience of Consciousness . https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41287816/ Patel, H., et al. (2025). Intensive meditation retreat induces rapid changes in brain activity, blood-based biomarkers, and neurotrophic signaling. Communications Biology . https://today.ucsd.edu/story/meditation-retreat-rapidly-reprograms-body-and-mind Shinozuka, K., et al. (2025). Neuroelectrophysiological correlates of extended cessation of consciousness in advanced meditation [Preprint]. bioRxiv . https://meditation.mgh.harvard.edu/files/Shinozuka_25_bioRxiv.pdf Van Lutterveld, R., et al. (2025). An intensively sampled electroencephalography case study of advanced concentration absorption meditation (jhana) [Preprint]. SSRN . https://meditation.mgh.harvard.edu/files/VanLutterveld_25_SSRN.pdf Supporting Press Coverage & Explainers Harvard Gazette. (2026, January). Your brain on advanced meditation . https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2026/01/your-brain-on-advanced-meditation/ Medical Xpress. (2026, February). Study of 12 monks finds meditation heightens brain activity, reshaping neural dynamics . https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-monks-meditation-heightens-brain-reshaping.html PsyPost. (2026). Brain scans of Buddhist monks reveal how different meditation styles alter consciousness . https://www.psypost.org/brain-scans-of-buddhist-monks-reveal-how-different-meditation-styles-alter-consciousness/ ScienceDaily. (2026, April 6). Scientists say 7 days of meditation can rewire your brain . https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260406192913.htm UC San Diego Today. (2026). Meditation retreat rapidly reprograms body and mind. UC San Diego News Center . https://today.ucsd.edu/story/meditation-retreat-rapidly-reprograms-body-and-mind Université de Montréal. (2026, January 5). Meditation doesn't rest the brain, it reshapes it. UdeMNouvelles . https://nouvelles.umontreal.ca/en/article/2026/01/05/meditation-doesn-t-rest-the-brain-it-reshapes-it