Podcasts about covid-19

Objective of the Plan Lower healthcare costs for Americans. Extend expiring ACA subsidies temporarily while transitioning to a new system. Shift financial benefits from insurance companies to individuals. Proposed Measures Two-year extension of Enhanced Premium Tax Credits (originally expanded during COVID-19). Income eligibility cap for subsidies at 700% of the federal poverty line to prevent wealthy Americans from benefiting. Minimum premium payments to ensure cost-sharing. Encourage Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and direct tax credits to individuals rather than insurers. Push for cost-sharing reductions that were previously blocked in Congress. Financial Impact Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates reforms could: Lower premiums by 12.7%. Save taxpayers $30.8 billion. Criticism of ACA for being “unsustainable” and increasing premiums by 80% since passage. Political Context Democrats opposed previous Republican attempts to include cost-sharing reductions in legislation. Debate over whether reforms should be bipartisan or passed via budget reconciliation. Trump emphasizes “power to the people” by allowing individuals to control healthcare spending. Underlying Philosophy There is a strong focus on consumer choice and freedom. Opposition to government-managed healthcare and subsidies flowing to insurance companies. A belief that direct-to-consumer funding will reduce corruption and lower costs. Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the The Ben Ferguson Show Podcast and Verdict with Ted Cruz Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening X: https://x.com/benfergusonshowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The winter holiday season is a key time for nonprofit fundraising — an estimated 30% of annual giving happens in December. But in 2025, highly publicized federal cuts resulted in an individual giving boost throughout the year. In this episode, some nonprofits worry demand will soon outgrow those private donations. Plus: Latino immigrants say deportation fears are reminiscent of the Covid-19 lockdown, communities fight to buy back private utilities, and “This Is Uncomfortable” host Reema Khrais gives tips for sticking to financial New Year's resolutions.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

You're about to learn how government approved food policies, regulatory loopholes, and corporate lobbying have quietly reshaped what's allowed in the food supply and why these decisions are driving chronic inflammation, immune dysfunction, and neurological breakdown at scale. This episode exposes how biotoxins, ultra processed ingredients, and systemic regulatory failures contribute to long COVID, POTS, mold illness, chronic fatigue, and dysautonomia and why so many people feel sick despite following official health guidance. Watch this episode on YouTube for the full video experience: https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR Host Dave Asprey sits down with Dr. Will Cole, a functional medicine expert who works extensively with autoimmune disease, mold illness, hormonal dysfunction, digestive disorders, and complex brain related symptoms. Dr. Cole brings years of clinical experience analyzing lab data and treating patients with biotoxin exposure, neuro immune dysregulation, and chronic fatigue patterns. Together, they connect the dots between mold exposure, post viral illness, mast cell activation, low blood pressure, and why many people with long COVID or POTS feel dizzy, inflamed, and cognitively impaired. They explain how histamine overload, electrolyte depletion, cortisol imbalance, and genetics combine to disrupt blood flow to the brain and shut down human performance. The conversation focuses on practical functional medicine and biohacking tools that help rebuild resilience at the mitochondrial and nervous system level. You'll Learn: • Why long COVID, mold illness, POTS, and chronic fatigue often share the same biological drivers • How biotoxins like mold and viral exposure dysregulate the neuro immune endocrine axis • Why low blood pressure reduces blood flow to the brain and causes brain fog and fatigue • What mast cell activation syndrome is and how histamine overload affects the body and brain • Why electrolytes, especially sodium, potassium, and magnesium, are foundational for recovery • How creatine supports brain energy, hydration, and mitochondrial function • The role of cortisol in inflammation, stress tolerance, and nervous system stability • When antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers can improve quality of life • How nicotine acts as a low dose neuroprotective compound when used carefully • The benefits and risks of methylene blue for mitochondrial and cognitive support • Why removing the trigger matters more than chasing symptoms • How a functional medicine approach rebuilds resilience instead of masking dysfunction • Why creatine absorption improves when added to hot coffee • How Danger Coffee fits into performance, hydration, and brain energy Thank you to our sponsors! - IGNITON | Go to http://igniton.com/ and use code DAVE for 15% off your first order. -TRU KAVA | Go to https://trukava.com/ and use code DAVE10 for 10% off. -Caldera + Lab | Go to https://calderalab.com/DAVE and use code DAVE at checkout for 20% off your first order. -LYMA | Go to https://lyma.sjv.io/gOQ545 and use code DAVE10 for 10% off the LYMA Laser. Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade brings you the knowledge to take control of your biology, extend your longevity, and optimize every system in your body and mind. Each episode delivers cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, biohacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living. New episodes are released every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday (BONUS). Dave asks the questions no one else will and gives you real tools to become stronger, smarter, and more resilient. Keywords: long COVID, POTS syndrome, dysautonomia, mold illness, biotoxin illness, mast cell activation, histamine intolerance, low blood pressure brain fog, chronic fatigue syndrome, mitochondrial dysfunction, cortisol imbalance, electrolytes sodium potassium, creatine brain energy, functional medicine long COVID, nicotine neuroprotection, methylene blue mitochondria, brain fog causes, neuro immune dysfunction, will cole dave asprey, will cole biohacking Resources: • Dr. Will Cole's Website: https://drwillcole.com/ • Dave Asprey's Latest News | Go to https://daveasprey.com/ to join Inside Track today. • Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com/discount/dave15 • My Daily Supplements: SuppGrade Labs (15% Off) • Favorite Blue Light Blocking Glasses: TrueDark (15% Off) • Dave Asprey's BEYOND Conference: https://beyondconference.com • Dave Asprey's New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated • Upgrade Collective: https://www.ourupgradecollective.com • Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com • 40 Years of Zen: https://40yearsofzen.com Timestamps: 0:00 - Trailer 1:25 - Introduction 2:20 - Conspiracy and misinformation 9:07 - Vaccine safety and fertility 12:48 - Big Food front groups 19:38 - POTS, dysautonomia, biotoxins 20:51 - HLA genetics and immunity 25:11 - Mast cells and histamine 28:41 - Electrolytes and sodium 33:37 - Cortisol and inflammation 35:01 - HPA axis burnout 39:22 - Bioidentical cortisol support 40:27 - Methylene blue and mitochondria 46:51 - Methylation and MTHFR 49:57 - Folinic acid and homocysteine 52:52 - Creatine in coffee hack See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What does it look like when a business partnership starts in childhood and survives real pressure?In this episode of The Proven Entrepreneur Show, host Don Williams sits down with Dean Lyulkin and William Stern, co-founders of Cardiff, a privately held small business lender that has deployed more than $10 billion to Main Street businesses across the United States.Their story begins long before boardrooms and balance sheets. Dean arrived in America as a child refugee from Ukraine. William grew up alongside him in San Diego. They opened a joint bank account as teenagers, stayed friends through school and college, and eventually reunited to build a company that would weather the 2008 financial crisis, the collapse of traditional small business lending, and the economic shock of COVID.This conversation goes beyond numbers. Dean and William talk candidly about how partnerships actually work when opinions collide, why “strategic laziness” is really about delegation, and how leadership roles must evolve over time. They share lessons from scaling Cardiff with technology, navigating existential business crises, and keeping enough cash on hand when everything else feels uncertain.The episode also explores how their definition of success has changed over two decades. What started as ambition and growth has matured into something quieter and harder to protect: peace, freedom, and the ability to choose how and with whom they work.If you're an entrepreneur, founder, or business owner thinking about partnerships, leadership, or building something that lasts, this episode offers lived experience rather than theory.

The winter holiday season is a key time for nonprofit fundraising — an estimated 30% of annual giving happens in December. But in 2025, highly publicized federal cuts resulted in an individual giving boost throughout the year. In this episode, some nonprofits worry demand will soon outgrow those private donations. Plus: Latino immigrants say deportation fears are reminiscent of the Covid-19 lockdown, communities fight to buy back private utilities, and “This Is Uncomfortable” host Reema Khrais gives tips for sticking to financial New Year's resolutions.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.

Adam Ewart turned a £50 excess baggage fee into a global bootstrapped logistics company operating in 145 countries, generating over $250 million a year, and staying profitable for 15 straight years. In this interview, Adam breaks down how he built Send My Bag, the international luggage shipping service moving more than 250,000 bags annually with only 32 staff, all through ruthless automation, scrappy PR, and a customer-first obsession that outperformed airlines and traditional freight companies. What you'll learn in this interview: • How a £50 baggage fee inspired a $250M global logistics company • The exact PR strategy that landed national TV coverage for free • How Send My Bag scaled to 145 countries without VC funding • Adam's automation systems that enabled 250,000 shipments with 32 staff • How he navigated Brexit, Covid, surcharges, and international disruptions • Why customer referrals became their biggest growth engine • How he negotiated airport media, TV placements, and global partnerships • The economics behind luggage shipping and global freight networks • How to survive catastrophic industry shifts without layoffs • The mindset, execution, and resilience behind 15 years of profitable growth By the end of this episode, you'll understand how to build a lean, global service business, protect margins, automate at scale, and turn painful customer frustrations into a nine-figure opportunity. SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to ⁠⁠⁠https://your.omnisend.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠ to get started. HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+ Start your $1 trial → ⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial⁠⁠⁠ PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING? → Starting from scratch? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application⁠⁠⁠ → Already have a store? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application⁠⁠⁠ CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn → ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/⁠⁠⁠ CONNECT WITH ADAM EWART Website → https://www.sendmybag.com FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES YouTube → ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt⁠⁠⁠ Website → ⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com⁠⁠⁠ Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/foundr/⁠⁠⁠ Facebook → ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠ Twitter → ⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn → ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/⁠⁠⁠ Podcast → ⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/podcast

Apple launched the iPod in the wake of the dot-com bubble. Airbnb launched during the 2008 recession and housing crisis. In fact, half of all the Fortune 500 companies were created during a recession or economic crisis. With the rise of AI, sociopolitical unrest, and the post-COVID landscape, what new ideas and businesses will emerge in 2026? LINKS The Age of Disclosure (https://www.amazon.com/Age-Disclosure-Dan-Farah/dp/B0FMF29BBJ) Daniel Salzner: Goldman-Sachs to $40K MRR AI Agency (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/danielsalzner_i-quit-my-job-10-weeks-ago-today-i-bootstrapped-activity-7402723101932670976-rcGS/) Never Enough: From Barista to Billionaire by Andrew Wilkinson (https://www.amazon.com/Never-Enough-Billionaire-Andrew-Wilkinson/dp/1637744765) Meet location-independent founders inside Dynamite Circle (https://dynamitecircle.com/) Hang out exclusively with 7+ figure founders in DC BLACK (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black) CHAPTERS (00:00:13) Change = Opportunity (00:05:36) Idea #1: Solutions to AI Worry (00:07:59) Idea #2: Address Digital Degeneracy (00:12:42) Idea #3: Homesteading and Doomsday Prep (00:20:34) Idea #4: Religious Revival (00:23:58) Idea #5: Lifespan Optimization CONNECT: Dan@tropicalmba.com Ian@tropicalmba.com Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella. PLAYLIST: Your 2026 Business Plan in 36 Minutes (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/2026-business-plan) [FREE Resource] TMBA 539: Weathering the Storm (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/entrepreneurs-survive-economic-downturn) TMBA 546: Adjusting to the 'New Normal' (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/jim-huffman-new-normal)

-We have been deplatformed from Instagram (again) please follow our new account here: https://www.instagram.com/talkinturkeywithtom_/-Tom discussed several articles including:"The pathogenesis of Chickenpox"  Variation on a theme by Fenner"Eczema Vaccinatum""The first description of chickenpox as a disease" by William Heberden"FDA: COVID-Vaccinated at risk of sudden death for 15 years"-Tom also held a Q&A. Topics included:-Atrial Fibrillation-Vitamins-Elements in the periodic table-Vaccine shedding-The main commonality of those that didn't fall for the COVID brainwashing;  if that can that be fostered in othersSupport the showWebsites:https://drtomcowan.com/https://www.drcowansgarden.com/https://newbiologyclinic.com/https://newbiologycurriculum.com/Instagram: @TalkinTurkeywithTomFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrTomCowan/Bitchute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/CivTSuEjw6Qp/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzxdc2o0Q_XZIPwo07XCrNg

Dentomi: AI-Driven Dental Care Revolutionizes Oral Health at CES 2026 Dentomi.biz About the Guest(s): Chun Wang Chau is a PhD fellow specializing in AI and mHealth applications within the field of dentistry. He focuses on translational research for developing AI-driven solutions aimed at monitoring and treating oral diseases. His work is dedicated to advancing community dentistry through innovative technology and strategic partnerships, with a strong emphasis on improving accessibility and effectiveness of oral healthcare for underserved populations. Shun is currently involved with Denoni, a startup that is innovating in the realm of dental healthcare. Episode Summary: In this captivating episode of The Chris Voss Show, we delve into a thought-provoking discussion with Chun Wang Chau from Dentomi, whose pioneering work in AI and dental health is breaking new ground. As the CES 2026 event approaches, this episode highlights the exciting innovations in technology that will be featured at the show. Chun Wang Chau shares insights into his company’s groundbreaking AI-driven solutions, designed to transform oral healthcare by making it more accessible and effective for everyone, especially underserved populations. The episode explores the challenges within the dentistry field that Denoni aims to address. With the high cost and limited availability of dental care being a global issue, Chun Wang Chau’s startup provides solutions like AI-powered gingivitis screening tools accessible via web platforms. Highlighting his journey from academia to entrepreneurship, Chun Wang Chau’s narrative bridges technology and health to reduce the barriers to dental care. This episode is packed with SEO keywords such as AI-driven dentistry solutions, oral healthcare technology, and accessibility in dental treatment, offering listeners a comprehensive understanding of the services provided by Denoni. Key Takeaways: The Dentomi team’s mission is to enhance accessibility to oral healthcare using AI technology, aiming to fill crucial gaps in current dental treatment availability. The startup’s AI-driven solutions are designed to preemptively address dental issues, such as gingivitis, before they become severe, leveraging easily accessible platforms like smartphones or tablets. Eureka Park at CES acts as the springboard for futuristic startups like Denoni to showcase their novel concepts and technologies. Chun Wang Chau's motivation stemmed from observing difficulties in accessing dental care post-COVID, prompting the development of technology-driven dental solutions. Utilizing AI in dentistry not only enhances patient education but also empowers individuals to manage their oral health effectively. Notable Quotes: “We’re aiming to bridge the gap by bringing affordable oral healthcare to everyone at home through technology.” “Seeing a dentist may not be affordable for everyone daily; our AI solutions work upstream to address dental issues early on.” “Our gingivitis screening solution highlights unwashed areas of your mouth in red, utilizing your own devices like a smartphone or iPad for easy access.” “We want to contribute to universal oral healthcare by applying our solutions to a global context, aiding various underserved communities.” “By bringing AI into the mix, we’re not just diagnosing but also providing personalized advice to help individuals manage their oral health better.”

Time to give the voice a rest, using the convenient excuse of the holiday! That's right! It's Arbitrary Metric Day, the annual festival celebrated by making dad jokes about writing the wrong dates on things called "checks," whatever they might be. To mark the occasion and keep some number of you company today, we continue on our Christmas re-run timeline, presenting our January 1, 2021 episode. Back then, it was a brand-new, pre-recorded show, for a brand new year! Scott Anderson had the day off, so it fell to me to summarize the day's show. And boy, did I ever not want to do that! The only logical thing to do was to half-ass it, and I am nothing if not logical. The Senate advanced their work in overriding the NDAA veto yesterday, and everyone's a little bit puzzled as to how it's going down, and what it means for the prospect (if there ever was any) for $2,000 relief checks before this Congress dissolves. In the meantime, maybe just ask Moscow Mitch directly. In coronavirus news, a nurse who got his first dose of vaccine has caught the 'rona in-between jabs. But don't worry! That actually doesn't mean much. Masking appears to have helped India tamp down on the virus' spread, though there's some debate over how widespread the practice really is. Meanwhile, Russia appears to be 'fessing-up to its real losses. Here in the US, we may not be systematically underreporting losses, but we're not covering them as aggressively as we could be. More dopey Republicans have walked straight into the COVID buzzsaw. Good news! Trump is finally taking "action" about those bounties on our troops! The bad news is, he's only targeting China for it. Republican nutcases are still plotting to put on a futile display of upending our democracy. But some of the key Republican players on Jan. 6 probably aren't on board. Arizona's own Republican nutcases might have really stepped in it. As a parting New Year's present, here's a plausible theory for invalidating some of Trump's impeachment-connected pardons.

Consequences of weight loss with weight loss drugs...Enter myostatin inhibitor drugsMy latest HgbA1c is 5.9, and I'm doing everything right. What gives?I'm approaching 80. Could you discuss aging?

What are your thoughts on Alpha-ketoglutarate for healthy aging?A treatment for warts?Am I destined to develop diabetes given my strong family history of diabetes and high blood pressure?

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're talking with Tim MacLeod, a former nurse who escaped the financial treadmill by flipping couches—and now teaches others how to do the same. Are you a church leader feeling the financial squeeze? Looking for a side hustle that doesn't require debt, special skills, or hours you don't have? Tim's story offers a practical roadmap—and encouragement—for anyone needing to close that income gap. Burnout and financial pressure. // Tim became a nurse at 21, newly married, supporting his wife through teacher's college, and quickly thrown into adult responsibilities. The only way to stay financially afloat was by working overtime once or twice a week. When their second child was on the way, he realized the path he was on was unsustainable. Finding financial freedom. // Options like upgrading his nursing degree, relocating, or working in dangerous psychiatric facilities were unappealing. Tim needed something flexible, part-time, and profitable enough to replace overtime. He discovered flipping phones and iPads first, but competition was fierce. Then, after borrowing a trailer and responding to a free couch listing, everything changed. He cleaned it up, sold it the next day for $280, and instantly covered more than an entire nursing shift. Why flipping couches works. // The opportunity exists because of a gap in the marketplace. Most people don't own trucks, can't move heavy furniture, and face tight deadlines when moving. Sellers value reliable pickup over price; buyers value affordable furniture delivered to their door. Tim steps into this gap. With polite communication and kindness, he creates a “win-win-win”: sellers get rid of furniture quickly, buyers get affordable delivered couches, and Tim earns a consistent profit. He estimates most beginners can make $1,000/month by flipping just five couches—buying each for around $50 and selling for $250 with delivery included. A side hustle with time freedom. // One of the most surprising parts of Tim's business is the flexibility. He built the early stages of his flipping business in the evenings with his wife and baby riding along—road dinners, cheap pizza, and trips to pick up inventory. Now he schedules pickups during school hours, stacks deliveries based on availability, and can pause or accelerate the business as needed. It's ideal for ministry families with unpredictable schedules. Why you can succeed at this. // Many of Tim's students are pastors or church employees, and he says ministry workers have unique advantages: access to storage at the church, a heart for helping people, strong communication skills, and the ability to bring calm to awkward interactions. Many pastors live outside their ministry communities—creating the perfect “import/export” opportunity where they can buy in one market and sell in another. And unlike many side hustles, flipping couches doesn't conflict with ministry—it simply provides supplemental income with minimal stress. A free resource to get started. // Tim created a free Google Doc of scripts—his exact messages for starting conversations, vetting couches, and negotiating with integrity. To get it, simply comment scripts on any of his Instagram videos and he’ll email it your way. He also offers an affordable course walking through his full system, including storage setup, videos, delivery strategies, and scaling beyond $1,000/month. To learn more or access Tim's free scripts, visit him on Instagram @thefulltimeflipper or explore his full course at tim-macleod.com. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey, friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. So glad that you have decided to tune in. We’re definitely having a very un-unSeminary episode today. You know recently I heard some statistics that I was like, man, we gotta do something about this. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics—you’re like, it’s a little early in the year for the Bureau of Labor and Statistics—but there’s a 13% gap between what religious workers—people who are clergy actually, is the title—and the average income in the country makes – a 13% gap. In fact, it even gets worse when you look at people, there’s a category called “religious workers, other”, which these would be like not the senior pastor types. This is like everybody else that works in a church. There’s a 40% gap between those people and the the average salary in the country. Rich Birch — And so why am I bringing this up? Because I know that there are people that are listening in today that are feeling that gap. Here we are in January and they’re feeling the pressure of that. And I want to help you with that. And so I’ve got a friend, like a friend from real life, friends. This is like we’re in the same small group. We know each other, incredible leader, and I want to expose you to him. But more importantly, I think he can help you with that gap.Rich Birch — It’s my friend, Tim MacLeod. Tim was a nurse with the dreams of fatherhood and home ownership, but after a few years was faced with reality and no time, no amount of overtime was really going to fill the gap that he needed to make things work. And after being stuck on that kind of financial treadmill, he found a way out. He found the niche of, wait for it, friends, flipping couches. What? Flipping couches and was able to quit his nursing job and now does this full time. And I’ve asked him to come on. Uh, because I think what he did at the beginning, even part-time, I think could help some of us today that are, that are listening in. Tim, welcome to the show. So glad you’re here.Tim MacLeod — Thanks so much for having me, man. I’m excited.Rich Birch — This is going to be a good conversation. Kind of fill in the story. Tell us a little bit, uh, tell us about your background, and how did you get in? How did you go from nursing to flipping couches?Tim MacLeod — So I wanted to be obedient and I got married maybe a little bit too young at 21. My wife was still in teacher’s college. And so very, very quickly I was thrown into adulthood of two cars, rents and all the things that come with that.Tim MacLeod — And nursing was good. I was a registered practical nurse, so not a university educated RN making bank, but doing okay with a college diploma. And I got the comfy gig at a long-term care home because I preferred eight-hour shifts and not the, I didn’t want nights.Rich Birch — Midnight and all that.Tim MacLeod — I just wanted, yeah, exactly.Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah, yeah.Tim MacLeod — I wanted the free parking and the the reliable six to two shifts. That was just the lifestyle that I liked. And the only way that I could stay afloat financially was with doubles. I had to do my six to two and then at least once a week, usually twice, if I wanted to have any money to play with, um I would work the two to ten.Rich Birch — Wow.Tim MacLeod — And that was cool while my wife was in college or while she was finishing up teacher’s college, that was fine. And then, we had a newborn baby and that was fine. Because anytime that I would have to do those doubles, she’d go to sleep, go for a sleepover at her parents’ place. And, uh, and I would just drudge up the shifts.Tim MacLeod — And, but then when we were pregnant with number two, I knew that there was difficulties coming. And the road ahead did not look very good. And so I needed something different and all my options for replacing the income suck. Like I could go back to school and upgrade to RN, but I scraped through the first time. So that was nuts.Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — I didn’t have much hope in myself in that avenue. And I could go, I could relocate, I could move or I could commute about an hour and 20 away to the mental health hospital and make like danger pay in like an asylum, basically with my current qualifications.Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — And everything just looked terrible. I hated all of that. And all I needed was something better than overtime. I just needed to replace that portion of the income. And I needed something better in my evenings that hopefully I could do with my wife or from home. And so I was looking at side hustles.Tim MacLeod — And I had a little bit of success flipping phones and iPads because that’s all that I really understood…Rich Birch — Okay. Yeah, yeah.Tim MacLeod — …all I understood at the time. And I live about an hour north of where my in-laws live, which is a pretty dense population. I’m in the sticks and the supply was really light there. So I could reliably go for a free meal at my in-laws place, pick up an iPhone or three and for like 300 bucks and then bring them home and sell them for 450 bucks. And so that took that took the pressure off and that was like grocery money.Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — And it was really consistent, really reliable. And and it was fun too. I really liked it. I liked the negotiations. I liked, I liked not trading time. Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — Like I liked making making a profit instead of a wage. And that I was hooked on that, but there was competition. Like I wasn’t that clever doing that.Tim MacLeod — There was there was kids that were closer to the inventory ripping around in little Hyundai Elantras and uh i remember meeting this this Indian kid named Lucky, at least his Canadian name was Lucky, and he was beating me to all the goods. And and I met him one time to buy a phone for myself and I actually got to meet him and ask him some questions and he was making four grand a month flipping phones.Rich Birch — Wow.Tim MacLeod — And I thought that is so sick, and it’s just a pure cash hustle. And he was making more doing that than whatever his office or IT job was at the time. And I was super inspired by that, but I didn’t want to compete with him. So that kind of that kind of festered with me a little bit.Tim MacLeod — And um I just got an awesome idea. Well, was gifted to me by the Holy Spirit, I think, based on how fast and how fierce it came, that I need to get skills and tools to sell in a different category, something with a higher barrier to entry. And I wanted something where I didn’t have to compete with the Honda Civics and the Hyundai Elantra’s that were closer to the action.Rich Birch — With Lucky. Yes.Tim MacLeod — Yeah, exactly. He was smoking me. And and it also, it was a little bit of that and then also a little bit of me coveting. I wanted to get like, um I wanted an excuse to buy a Ford Ranger. I wanted a truck at the time.Rich Birch — Love it.Tim MacLeod — And so this combination, this combination of like wants and needs at the time, had me pitching an idea to my brother, Ross. I’m just like, Hey, what do you think about instead of phones and iPads? What if I got a truck and I started doing like washers and dryers or appliances or something like that? And he said, that’s a cool idea.Tim MacLeod — You’re good at the phones and iPads thing. And I definitely like, you’re good at the negotiations, all that. But don’t start eight grand in debt. That’s so stupid. Why don’t you just borrow my trailer and just try it? And I said, well, I don’t have a, I don’t have a hitch on my car. He said, get a hitch on your car, buddy. Okay. So, put that on the Visa, did not have the money for it. Rich Birch — Wow. Tim MacLeod — Put that on the Visa, put a two inch two inch hitch and four prong wiring on Mazda 5 like the little four cylinder, little mini minivan.Rich Birch — Oh, I wish I would have saw this at that. I wish I would have s seen this at this phase. Cause that, that, that would have been amazing to see him getting pulled around.Tim MacLeod — It was it was pretty cute and it was a big trailer too 12 by 6 aluminum being pulled by this little aaaaahhh. And it was stick shift and and…Rich Birch — Nice.Tim MacLeod — …and the first day I got the trailer, the only thing I could find, because I was just itching to use it, was a free couch. And it was one of those beige microfiber, like gets dirty if you look at it wrong.Rich Birch — All right. Yes.Tim MacLeod — Like they hold on to every water stain.Rich Birch — Yes. Yes.Tim MacLeod — And it was that and it was free and it needed a little bit of TLC. And I went and I got it for free. Brought it home and with a damp cloth, scrubbed out all the little marks and had it looking good. Took a picture of it, listed it with an offer of delivery and it sold the next day for 280 bucks.Rich Birch — Wow. That’s amazing.Tim MacLeod — It was awesome. Because a nursing shift net was like 180.Rich Birch — Wow, OK.Tim MacLeod — I think I was, I think I was 28 bucks an hour for an eight hour shift after taxes. Yeah. Probably like 180 hit the account.Rich Birch — Wow.Tim MacLeod — And so 280 for that. And it was one of those trips of free meal at, at the in-laws and then a free couch and then bring it home and then solve somebody’s problem of, I just got an apartment. I don’t have a car or my car’s too small and I need a couch.Rich Birch — Yes, yes.Tim MacLeod — And their option was, rent a U-Haul or go to Leon’s and finance something that comes delivered. Both are not very good options for most people. And then lo and behold was this guy who said, I got a couch, I can bring it by. And it was just the easiest yes for them. It was a win for everybody. Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — The person who needed the couch picked up, didn’t care about the money. They needed reliable pickup more than they needed cost recovery of the item because they had a deadline. I needed a way to make some cash and the person on the receiving end needed a couch that was affordable that came delivered. So it was just a win-win-win for everybody. I was like, okay, forget about appliances. Couches – I love this. And it was easy, it was it was easy enough to lift by myself. Rich Birch — Did you ever do appliances? Did you ever do appliances in there? Tim MacLeod — Yeah. I did a washer and dryer and ate a loss on that because it needed repair and I didn’t… Rich Birch — Love it. Tim MacLeod — …I paid for someone to assess and they were like, yeah, this thing’s broken. Was like, sweet. Okay. So a hundred bucks to you for, for, to tell me that it’s hopeless, and then pay for junk removal too.Rich Birch — Yes.Tim MacLeod — Like it was just such a loss. But couches, I could reliably sit on it and be like, well, that’s not broken. And I can handle that little stain or I can, my wife could stitch that up.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Tim MacLeod — And, uh, it was just so safe. And I loved it. If, if I were handier, I’m sure I could, flip snowblowers or lawnmowers or cars or something like that, but I’m not handy. I’m just, I have the ability to relocate stuff. Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — And so couches were just so perfect where I could just accurately be like, that’s 300 bucks to me. Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — And they only want 60 for it. Perfect. Let’s do that.Rich Birch — So and let’s double click on that. A part of what, so friends, like with the reason why, I think you’ve seen why I’ve got Tim on the the line today. I want to inspire you to think like, hey, you you could in part-time make a little extra a month. And I’m going to get to that with Tim. I’m going We’re going hammer down on, okay, what exactly would be some of the first steps that you take? But let’s unpack a little bit more. You’ve talked about once this insight, which I think is just a stellar insight that’s obviously at the core of your business. It’s this whole timing thing. Like people, you know they think a couch is worth certain certain amount, but they’re moving on X date, and the value of that couch goes down. But then it’s literally the reverse. Someone on the other side, they have an empty living room and they’re like, I need something here.Rich Birch — Unpack that a little more, kind of double click on… that value exchange and how you’re in the middle of that. What’s it talk us through what that looks like.Tim MacLeod — Yeah, there’s there’s a gap. There’s a gap in the marketplace. On the one end, we’ve got people who need it picked up and their options are hope that someone will pay the price that they want. And then if they hit a deadline, then their option is junk removal or put it to the curb. And so there’s a gap to fill there. Tim MacLeod — And then on the other side, there’s a gap of people who need a couch dropped off but can’t do it themselves. Like how many, what’s the population of people that own a truck that can actually do it is probably less than 10%. Most people have cars and hatchbacks and SUVs and stuff like that.Rich Birch — Right. Tim MacLeod — And then there’s also the how many people can lift a couch. I would say easily less than half the population. And so there’s just this huge gap that can be filled. And so by just committing to being the dude, you can help a lot of people solve a lot of problems. And there’s a little slice in it for you too.Rich Birch — So one of the things I’ve heard you say is that you have found this process of buying couches and then, you know, sitting on them for a while, maybe cleaning them a little bit and then turning around selling them is really flexible. Talk us through that. You know, it feels like you’re, you know, you’re, you have some time control. Talk us through what that looks like for you in your current world.Tim MacLeod — Yeah, the time freedom is crazy. And that was the appeal in the beginning was [inaudible] I didn’t want to be strapped to a location, a building to to make money. I had to be away from my wife and kids. But when it, couches just took off so fast that the first time I flipped a couch, I immediately called the scheduling office and reneged on all of my overtime. I said cancel all my two shifts.Rich Birch — Oh, wow.Tim MacLeod — I’m done. I’m I’m I’m just doing my 10 shifts. And, and then it didn’t take too long before i wanted to quit so fast, man. I wanted to be out of there. My, my my passion for the, like, I was so replaceable. Like as soon as if if I’m gone, someone’s going to fill the shift.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Tim MacLeod — Like, ah but there was a, there was a huge, there was a need that, and it was fun for me too. It was a game. I forget the question.Rich Birch — Yeah, I was just talking about the time flexibility, like how you feel like it’s, you know, you have a fair amount of time freedom. Part of what I’m trying to get to is pastors are busy people. Church workers are busy people. Is this even the kind of thing that they could fit into, you know, an existing as like a side hustle kind of thing?Tim MacLeod — Yes. Yeah. The time freedom is crazy. And so on the buying side, I’m just letting people know when I’m available. And sometimes I’ll tie it up with ah with a $50 deposit so that they can market it sold with confidence and they know that I’m not going to ghost on them. And that I have the peace of mind of nice, that’s mine for when I need it. And I’ll squeeze them for a deadline so that I make sure that I’m providing the service of reliable pickup in a manner that works for them. Tim MacLeod — But yeah, I’m just stacking pickups when it’s convenient for me. And in this current season, it’s during school hours. Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — So I’ll drop the kids off at school and then rip south and grab some stuff. But in that season, it was I’m available in the evening. And so I would come home from school, I’m sorry, work from my nursing job. And my wife would pack up, we pack up a little cooler bag of like a road picnic of dinner.Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — We had a one-year-old baby at the time and, uh, oh, that summer there was a lot of 50% off pizzas. Pizza Hut had a, the, the apps, we had all, all the apps, lots of road dinners. Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. Tim MacLeod — And Costco was clutch too.Rich Birch — Yeah.Tim MacLeod — But, um, yeah, just when I had an availability, I would acquire inventory and then they’d sell when they sell. And and again, full flexibility of, okay, I’m available at this time. I can squeeze in a delivery or someone could come pick it up. But yeah, the the time freedom is crazy and it’s sweet to to to just dabble in profits instead of relying on a wage. Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — Yeah, time freedom is awesome.Rich Birch — Well, you talked about the fact that your you know your brother was telling you you’re good at negotiations. I know there are people that are listening in today that are feeling like, oh, there’s no way that I would be good at negotiations. Obviously, you’ve got to buy the thing for considerably lower than what you’re selling it for. Talk us through even just a couple, help us get over that hurdle in our brains. Man, I just don’t know that I could do that.Tim MacLeod — Yeah. So the first thing is I’m scrolling a lot. And not not frequently. I’m not glued to my phone. But when I do it, I lock in. Like today was the shopping session and it was headphones in with some instrumental music, just kind of vibing. And I’m probably scrolling, looking at probably 400, 500 couches. Rich Birch — Okay.Tim MacLeod — And I’ll message probably 20 to 30 of them. Because a lot of them are crap. A lot of them are actually new. There’s no opportunity with new coaches. like There’s lots of warehouse stuff that’s still on first Facebook Marketplace and stuff like that. But what I’m looking for is very specific. I’m looking for private sales from real people. You got to be able to spot the scammers and weed them out. Tim MacLeod — And I’m looking for couches that I would want in my lockers. I’m not worried about the price whatsoever. Because the price is super subjective and it’s just kind of like what they’re hoping for. It’s not actually what they’re necessarily going to get. So the price is irrelevant. I’m just looking at pictures and I’m compiling lists of couches that I would want. And I’m starting conversations so that it’s kind of like I’m, I’m, it’s it’s like I’m offering my service. I’m starting the conversation to see why they’re selling it, if there’s a deadline, and if they would be someone who would be receptive to my service. And it’s kind of like they’re paying me for my reliable pickup service with a smoking and deal on a couch.Tim MacLeod — And so I have to get them there. And it’s not just, I can’t just go around lowballing everybody because you burn the bridge and you hurt feelings. Rich Birch — Right. Tim MacLeod — So I’m starting conversations and I’m filling in the gaps on the item. So I’ll read the description and see what’s missing. Like, did they specify that there’s pets in the house? I want to know, is there pets? Are there smokers in the house? Does it need any repairs? Does it need any stain removal or restoration if it’s leather? And I’m filling in all the gaps. So I have a complete picture of what it is that I’m actually buying. And that’s all kind of like a trauma response from my many, many drives of shame of I didn’t ask the right questions.Tim MacLeod — And so it’s it’s definitely preventing the drive of shame. And I’m just running through these scripts that I have. And it would sound like it’s a lot of typing, but I’ve actually made keyboard shortcuts for all of it. So my opening question is, I’ll never say, hi, is this still available? Because everybody hates being asked, hi, is this still available? On Facebook Marketplace, right? Because they’ve made it ah they’ve made it a button… Rich Birch — Yes. That’s why it’s up. Tim MacLeod — …where it’s just like, hi, is this still available? But that upsets people, which is fair, because it’s annoying. But at the same time, most people don’t have empathy for the fact that, how else are they going to start the conversation? Why would you ask questions if you’ve got someone lined up for it? So I’ll ask the exact same question, but in a way that annoys nobody. And I’ll say, is anyone scheduled to pick this up? It’s the same question, but upsets nobody.Rich Birch — Same question, just in a different way.Tim MacLeod — So that’s, that’s my first shortcut is, good morning, good good afternoon, good evening, whatever. And then any, and so on my keyboard, any with two wise expands into anyone’s schedule to pick this up. And then the next one is, does it need any repairs or stain removal? That’s if it’s fabric. And that’s does D or D O E S S and then D O E s S S S or with three S’s is, does it need any repairs or restoration? That’s if it’s leather. And so it’s just these quick little, my thumbs are just, and just… Rich Birch — So cool. Tim MacLeod — …I’m, I’m drafting up this quick little paragraph that fills in all the gaps, firing that over. And then, And then they’ll reply and fill in the gaps. And then I park it. I pause the conversation by saying, okay, awesome. Thanks so much. Just starting to have a peek at options, might get back to you.Tim MacLeod — And that one line separates me from everybody on Facebook. Because most people ask a question and then they just leave it on read. They got that little picture, that little tiny profile picture of yourself that says that, hey, he read it, but he’s gone and it’s crickets.Rich Birch — Yes.Tim MacLeod — And it’s a very, very infuriating experience. And that’s kind of like part of my service is that I am very, very different on Facebook Marketplace. Like an experience selling to me is better than anybody…Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — …because of how I talk. Like I’ll receive offers every day from people that don’t use words. They just send a number. Rich Birch — Just money. Tim MacLeod — Like I’ve got a couch listed for 1150 and someone just sends 700 – no dollar sign, no question mark, no good morning, nothing like that. And, and that’s a fair offer. Like he’s… Rich Birch — Yeah. Tim MacLeod — …I paid, I paid a fifth of that, like 700 is a fair offer, but I automatically hate this guy. I don’t, I don’t hate, I don’t hate him. Rich Birch — Yes. No, I get what you mean.Tim MacLeod — But, but it’s immediately just like, dude! Rich Birch — Yes. Tim MacLeod — You like say, say hi, say please. Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. Tim MacLeod — Even a, even a question mark would be, you know, so that’s the kind of people that I’m dealing with. And I’ve got thick skin and I always operate on the mindset of, I do want to sell this guy and I, and I do want to see him later today. So I’m not going to match his energy. Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — I’m never, I’m never a thermometer. I’m always a thermostat. I always set, set the temperature in the room, you know?Rich Birch — Right. Love it. Yep.Tim MacLeod — And so that’s ah that’s a big factor. But yeah, running through those scripts and and just getting people to their best price. And so after pausing it of, thanks so much, just starting to have a peek at options, I’ll reconnect with them.Tim MacLeod — Now, this is this is if their price is optimistic and it’s not a price that I’m willing to pay. I’ll slow play it a little bit by pausing the conversation. And then I’ll come back and then I’ll hit them with my my secret weapon is my polite lowball offer. And the number they might hate the number, but it comes gift wrapped in this like apologetic, like, Hey, I’m…Rich Birch — Oh, you got to tell me more that you’re, you’re setting that up. Well, you’re like, what is the polite low ball offer?Tim MacLeod — For me, I’m shopping in Toronto, which is like 90 minutes, two hours away.Tim MacLeod — And so my apologetic offer is: It’s so far, is there any chance you’d consider this much, any chance you’d consider for an out of towner? And then I just plug in the number. And, and it’s always received well. And even if it’s even if it’s even if they’re firm, that’s fine. Now I know. Rich Birch — Right. It’s data. Tim MacLeod — But and ah honestly, if somebody accepts my offer, then I didn’t offer low enough. Like I’m i’m really pushing the limit.Rich Birch — Oh, interesting.Tim MacLeod — I’m flirting with the line between an optimistic offer and a rude offer, but because I’m so nice about it. And it’s, it’s kind of like, it’s my secret weapon to get them to their best price. Because the the worst way to get someone to their best price is what’s your best price?Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — Like whenever someone asks me that, it’s again, it’s just like, that’s annoying. I don’t like you.Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. Right, right, right, right, right.Tim MacLeod — But to politely lowball and then their counter is their best price. So I just want to squeeze them for their counter offer. And now I know what their best price is.Rich Birch — Right. Okay. That’s cool. There’s a lot there. And I know you’re want to stay tuned because Tim’s got an offer of some free help that he wants to give you that we’re going to, we’re going to get to here in a minute. So I know some of you were like, go back and ask questions on that. But I know that the free offer to help is going to help with some, some of those things. Rich Birch — What about negotiation on the other side? So I get a sense of what you’re talking about to try to get them, you know, there’s a time thing there and we’re going to wait and all that. But now on the other end, you’re trying to obviously maximize or get the biggest money for that couch you just bought, bought. What are some things we should be thinking about on that? How are you offering the couches in a way that, you know, captures people’s imagination and says like, oh, okay, that’s this, I want to do business with this guy.Tim MacLeod — So a big thing is where I’m selling it. It’s almost like I have an import business. It’s that I’m I’m ripping down the city and I’m shopping in the Tesla BMW neighborhoods where nobody has trucks and they sell really slowly. Rich Birch — Yeah.Tim MacLeod — And I’m loading a trailer and then bringing it home to the sticks where there’s not as much supply. And I’m selling to people who do have pickup trucks. Like where I live, there’s lots of people with trucks and trailers, but they weren’t doing that drive to the city like I did.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Tim MacLeod — So I’m destroying a Toyota Highlander in kilometers, which is really hard to do. It’s at 400,040 and she ain’t quitting anytime soon. It’s been a great car.Rich Birch — Love it.Tim MacLeod — So that is definitely like the fact that it feels like an import business feels like cheating.Rich Birch — Well, and can I just, I just want to interrupt you for a second here. This, because that dynamic, this is a part of why I wanted to have you on the show. Because one of the things that I’ve seen is like, it’s super common, like super common for church leaders to not live in the community that they serve. Because frankly, they can’t afford to live there because of that gap that I just told you about.Rich Birch — There is a wage gap between what people make and the communities they serve in. And so they typically live you know, 45 minutes, an hour away. I actually think that that, the fact that they’re just driving into the office could be, and then going back to wherever they live, could actually set them up for running this kind of business just because they’re in and out of where they’re at.Tim MacLeod — Oh, yeah. Yeah, that’d be cheating. If you could, if you could grab a couch on your way home from on your way home from work to bring it back to the sticks, that’d be awesome.Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah. I see that all the time.Tim MacLeod — For sure. And at a lot of…Rich Birch — So the distance is one way. So there’s like an import out, out, port anything else that you get, it’s kind of an interesting part of how you negotiate on to try to increase the, the, the price.Tim MacLeod — Knowing what it’s worth and how quickly it would sell is definitely a factor. And just patience wins on both sides.Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — Being the dude who um can pick it up and someone is now, they had their optimistic kick at the can and now it needs to go and their patience has run out. Patience wins there. And then on the selling side to where I don’t, it’s not in my foyer. It’s not in my living room. The new couch hasn’t arrived. It’s in a storage locker ready to be picked up anytime. And my lockers are fairly affordable being in a rural spot.Tim MacLeod — And so it’s kind of like if if we were playing poker, I’m holding aces. I can deliver it. I can sell to anybody. I’m not relying on people on the small demographic who can pick it up. I can sell to the Honda Civic crowd. I can sell to seniors who can’t lift a couch themselves. I can finesse it into a patio door by myself. And so there’s the there’s the skill gap there as well. And all of the all of the hindrances that make selling a couch difficult are not a factor for me. I can lift them by myself. I can I have the best trailer. I have storage lockers. They can take as long as they need to sell. And I live in a market where there’s not as much supply. So it’s just, it feels like cheating. Like I’m just really, really set up for it. And it’s super easy to be patient.Rich Birch — Now, I don’t know if I’m going to force you to give away one of your secret weapons here, but talk about the videos that you shoot ah of the, you know, of the products. Because i to me, I think this is one of the things you do that I think is super unique. What is what’s unique about the videos that you might shoot? Say got this nice leather couch. It’s like, you know, it sells for $5,000 somewhere else. You’re selling it for whatever, $1,500, $2,000. What’s actually in that video that might set your your listings apart?Tim MacLeod — Yeah, so that was something that I feel like I pioneered. And since then, Facebook has now added a feature where you can add a video to a listing. But it’s so nice to have. So I’m I’m posting flattering photos. So it’s it’s a scroll stopper when they’re on Marketplace.Tim MacLeod — And they’ll inquire. And then my video is super, super honest. And the goal is for it to be so detailed that they could confidently say, okay, he just showed me all the reasons not to buy the couch because all my stuff is used. I’m not selling anything new. It’s all pre-owned. They all have some blemishes or some quirks or worn spots or something like that. But to include ah a video that shows all of the reason not to buy it really, really greases the wheels because no one’s coming to see a couch and then being disappointed when they get there. Everything was already shown.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Tim MacLeod — So they’re coming to just give, basically just come sit and sniff and make sure that it’s something that they would want in their house, or something they’d want to sit on for two hours a day. And, um, and so those videos really, really saved me so much time and gasoline. And since then they’ve added that where you can add a feature. So, or where you can add a video into the listing. And so as long as the video is less than a minute, so I’m aiming for 59 seconds, I’ll fill the whole thing and I’m showing every inch of it and I’m packing it with dialogue on the neighborhood that it came from, the people, the house. And a lot of times that’s a selling feature of this this couch came from North York. The house was ridiculous. Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — It’s one of those houses with three living rooms. And this is the one that had the Christmas tree for a month a year. Like this was barely used. And I’m just packing it with dialogue and really, really selling it.Rich Birch — Yeah.Tim MacLeod — And my goal is that I could deliver it with them like sight unseen that they could firm up. And that when that couch arrives, there are absolutely no surprises. It’s everything they ask for [inaudible]…Rich Birch — Which from from your point of view, like this isn’t the only couch you’re hoping to sell this week. And and a part of the way that you have to protect your time and protect your business, frankly, is not having a bunch of people come and check out couches and then decide against it. Whether they’re coming to your locker or you’re driving it to their place. That’s like the worst case scenario is they show up and they’re like, oh, I don’t want this. So you might as well be fully upfront and be like, hey, here’s some stuff that’s not great about it.Rich Birch — And you do it in a really clever way. I love those videos. You helped me sell a car, which was fantastic. And I love the video you did for, you know, for that, because it was the same thing. It was this kind of like fun, um you know, here’s five reasons why you shouldn’t buy this, which which is just endearing. People, you know, lean in and want to hear more about that.Rich Birch — Well, what about the lifting piece? So, you know, if you’re not seeing one of these clips, Tim is a man of a certain size. He’s got some girth to him. He can pick stuff up. But what if I can’t? What if I’m not that guy? What if it more like me? You know, you’re like, hey, I’m not sure that guy can pick up 20 pounds. Like, is that like, I know that’s a part of what your you offer. Obviously, it’s a part of your advantage. But, you know, not everybody can do that. Talk us through that hesitation.Tim MacLeod — Yeah, I don’t think that it’s a deal breaker for having success. I think that if you can carry in a stubborn load of groceries in from the house that you could make a lot of money flipping couches.Rich Birch — That’s good.Tim MacLeod — And it it feels like a very unique form of laziness. Like I’m the kind of guy that if I need to go start start the barbecue or go run and grab my wallet from the car, I’m going to walk across the whole house and look for my flip flops instead of bending over and lacing up my boots that are right there. Like it’s a very unique form of laziness where I could jackknife park the trailer up to the storage locker. I have the dolly, but I’d way rather just, hey-yep-hey-yep-pep-pep just, just he-man lift it myself. And I’ve got a lot of really good mechanics lifting it. Tim MacLeod — Lifting a couch solo actually is not very heroic. And, and I’ve taught a lot of people how to do it. And there is, there are some heroic angles where, where the couch is on the ground and all four feet are on the ground to like clean and jerk it up overhead is that would definitely take some mass and some explosive power, but you can always also lift the couch up from the side until it’s vertical and then kind of like let it teeter and, fall on you in ah in a safe manner. And the lift itself, like once it’s up, it’s it’s as easy as like portaging a canoe. It’s not it’s not as heroic as it seems.Tim MacLeod — And I’m still reliant on other people. I am a one man show and it’s not, the money’s not good enough to pay an employee to sit in the car with me for four hours for 30 seconds of actual work. And so that’s one of my, one of my questions that I’m asking people, lift with two T’s on my phone expands into is anyone available to help me lift it? I’ll be alone. So I do need muscle.Tim MacLeod — And, um, if it’s in the garage, I can do it solo, like dragging a couch onto my trailer is easy enough. They slide very well. And I do have the dolly if there’s anything overly technical, like the pullouts, it’s nice to have a dolly. But yeah, a lot of the times there’s people, there’s someone there to help me lift it. And very, very rarely is it, sorry, I had back surgery or sorry, I’m a single senior lady or something like that. There’s usually, and even even when they say that, sometimes I’ll press a little further. Like, do you have a helpful neighbor? Rich Birch — Right. Meet us.Tim MacLeod — Do you have a son-in-law who can who could that I could coordinate with? Yep. And a lot of times I’m just handing it, or I’m squeezing them for a cell phone number of whoever the the muscle is. And now I’m on their schedule.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s cool.Tim MacLeod — So solo lifts are not required, but they are, they are helpful sometimes, especially at the locker when I’m by myself.Rich Birch — So this is how many years you’ve been doing this full time? Like you, so you left nursing, you know, I know this goes way back to the beginning the story. You left nursing and then how many times, how many years you’ve been doing this?Tim MacLeod — July, 2019, I borrowed the trailer from my brother. And I did full-time nursing plus evening couches for about a year, pulled back from full-time to part-time, part-time to casual. And I think it was May, 2021. Like I did a year of COVID nursing and hated every second of it. Like as soon as COVID was announced, I wanted to be out of there, but I had mortgage approval on the brain and T4 income, or W2 income for the Americans, is much more preferred for lenders than self-employed income. So I held on for that reason. And eventually left just because I hated nursing. I was getting like ulcers on my ears from wearing masks all day. Just the the charades of COVID were really, really ruining it for me.Rich Birch — So we’re going I want to get to that, that help that you’re, you know, you’re offering, which is fantastic. But I want to think about like a person that, you know, they, we want people to stay in their jobs. We don’t want them necessarily to leave. And so ah somebody that wants to make maybe like an extra thousand bucks a month, maybe that’s like, which is, you know, to lots of people, that is like a, that’s a game changer. Like that’s like, that makes all the difference in the world.Rich Birch — Give me a sense of what you think that would take to actually get to that point where, okay, yes, I could, you know, how much time do you think they would need to invest? You know, what would, what is that going to look like? How many couches do you think I’d have to move? You know, I know that’s hard to say. It’s like all North America wide, but give us a sense of kind of the framework of for an extra thousand bucks a month, what would that look like for somebody? Maybe it’s like a youth pastor that’s that’s listening in or an executive pastor. Or and they’re like, Hey, if I just had an extra 1000 bucks that’d make a huge difference in my life. What what would that look like?Tim MacLeod — Sounds like five couches to me.Rich Birch — Five couches. Okay.Tim MacLeod — Buy them for 50, sell them for 250. Delivered. Yep. And that’s that’s a great way to start is just three-seaters. Just rinse and repeat. Three-seater, three-seater, three-seater. But the money is sets and sectionals. That’s where my focus is now.Rich Birch — Okay, okay.Tim MacLeod — Now that does require trailer privilege. But with a with a minivan, you can pick up a three seater. Most three seaters will fit inside a Dodge Caravan or an Odyssey or a Toyota Sienna. And that’s a really good way to start lean and mean with a U-Haul, enclosed trailer, you just need a V6 all wheel drive. So obviously preferred, especially if you have the kind of weather we do, but, um, yeah, for 45 bucks for a U-Haul enclosed, that’s, that’s insured so that you could get in an accident and you’re not paying for it. Always take the insurance. Always. It’s only like five bucks. Tim MacLeod — But um yeah, 45 bucks for 12 by 6. And then you can pick up couch, love seat twice. But yeah, just fill in those trailers. But yeah, starting lean with what you have available and scaling up when it’s smart. And once you’ve proven that it’s possible in your market as well. But everyone’s using couches, so I think it’s good alright.Rich Birch — Yeah, so five, so five couches. How many conversations do you think I’d have to get into take to buy five couches, maybe on that side first?Tim MacLeod — I think, yeah, with the numbers, I think that if you were to start 30 conversations a month, that there would be, there would be five people that hit deadlines and they’d be like, sure. 50 bucks. If you can actually show up, it’s yours.Rich Birch — Right. Right. That’s that feels very doable. That doesn’t feel like crazy out of reach. Like there’s no way that feels like a good, you know, a great starting point for sure.Tim MacLeod — And nobody wants to do it. The barrier for entry is, is ah high enough that it’s it’s basically a private little fishing pond. A lot of people to help.Rich Birch — Right. So let’s talk about, I want to, you’re going to help people, which is amazing. And so you’ve put together some resources to help them kind of get the the ball rolling on this front. And how do, first of all, tell us what it is and then talk to us about how we can get that contact information. We’ll put links and all that in the show notes, but talk us through this.Tim MacLeod — Yeah. So those scripts that I was talking about, um, I’ve made a Google doc that is available. All you got to do is comment scripts on any of my videos and, uh, my little robot Tim will fire over, um, just squeeze you for an email and then I’ll fire that over. And, uh, it’s a good little list and you can plug those in just copy and paste and plug them into keyboard shortcuts in your phone. And then you can use those. Tim MacLeod — And it doesn’t have to be for couches. Like a lot of them are pretty couch specific, but just using those as inspiration for starting conversations and getting people to their best price and making sure that you have all the information so you’re making an informed purchase and there’s not any surprises. And and you’ll see with the with the flow of the conversation, I really am just gifting the blueprint on getting people to their best price. Tim MacLeod — And yeah, and then in my in my bio on instagram I’ve also got the couch course and I’ve run that before as a high ticket offer um and I had help from an agency to, to get leads and all that stuff. And I didn’t like it cause I didn’t like how much people were having to pay in order for me to afford that team. And I just want it to be an impulse buy price range. Tim MacLeod — So for a one hundred bucks, you can come along on a three month ride along with me while I’m pulling like $15,000 months. And, uh, the summer that I recorded that, was 2023 and I did 180k in sales with a gross profit so just sales minus cost of goods was north of a 100k, I think, after tax. I think it was like an 80k a year income. Rich Birch — That’s amazing. Tim MacLeod — And I had a three-year-old with me the entire time. My wife had gone back to work and was using her teaching license and I had a little three-year-old tow. And I also got 75 rounds golf in that year. So it’s, it’s…Rich Birch — That just got some people’s attention. Yeah, that’s amazing.Tim MacLeod — Yeah. The time freedom is stupid. The money is incredible. And, uh, it was, yeah, that was a really, really fun year.Rich Birch — Love it. So what we want to do is send people to your Instagram. Would that be the best? So @thefulltimeflipper, @thefulltimeflipper. And again, you can just comment on any one of his videos.Rich Birch — Well, first of all, Tim’s a great follow on social media. I’ve said this to lots of folks. It’s just such a fun follow. You know, it makes something like flipping just like I was like, man, I think I could do that. And, but just comment scripts on any of those and we’ll get access to those scripts.Rich Birch — And then if you’ll find the link to tim-macleod.com on there as well, which takes you to the course, it’s only a hundred dollars friends. That’s worth your investment. It’ll, it’ll really literally outline. There’s a bunch we could have talked about today and there’s a bunch of details to get into. It will drive into all of those. Literally just take his approach and just do it. Like just, take his scripts, take the what he’s done and apply it. And you’ll for sure be able to find that extra thousand dollars a month or more, you know, down the road. So, yeah, I would love that. and Anywhere else we want to send them. So Instagram, @thefulltimeflipper, anything else about that?Tim MacLeod — Oh, that’s lots. That’s good. And I was feeling pretty pretty silly that I never asked to come on your podcast earlier because a lot of my students are in church ministry in the States. And I think it’s such a sweet side hustle.Tim MacLeod — For me, it was an escape from a job that I didn’t like. But the fact of that most people need supplementary income is pretty across the board and especially in ministry. And a lot of my students have um have had that background and are still in it. And a lot of the time, the people that are in church ministry have an advantage of storage where the church, like they’re like, oh, I got free storage at my church. Pastor said the back room is available. And he said, as long as I just keep a rotation of couches for the student ministry…Rich Birch — Oh, that’s a good call.Tim MacLeod — Yeah, there was a lot of advantage there for church leaders. But yeah, it’s awesome, reliable, supplementary income. And it’s nice to not rely on your ministry for income. Like people aren’t in ministry for the big bucks. They’re there because they that is their purpose. That’s their calling. But the pressure of having to rely on that for income isn’t always the best.Rich Birch — Well, and I do think, um you know, I think folks who are in church ministry, a part of what I why why I think this is great that we’re talking about this is you might underestimate that even like a part of your core, it’s like literally core to your business is like, be kind to people and like be helpful. Tim MacLeod — Yeah.Rich Birch — And, you know, you don’t need to be sleazy. You don’t need to be, ah you know, some sort of like, oh, you’re like a used car salesman of couches. No, that’s not what it is at all. You’re just being kind and helpful and you want to try to close this gap in the market. And and I think there’s a lot of people in ministry who are like, my I could totally do that. I can make that happen for sure. So, Tim, I really appreciate this.Tim MacLeod — It really does feel like stewarding my gifts, you know?Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s great. So again, that is, if you just go to Instagram, @thefulltimeflipper, you should follow them there and then comment scripts for any of those. Appreciate you being on the show today, sir. Thanks so much.Tim MacLeod — Thanks, man.

Happy New Year! While our team is off for the holiday, we want to take this opportunity to revisit our conversation with Hawaii State Senator Troy Hashimoto. Host Ryan Coonerty and Hashimoto reflect on the devastating 2023 Maui wildfires, including lessons around preparing for and building resilience against natural disasters, as well as best practices for coordinating disaster safety efforts across multiple levels of government. Senator Hashimoto also discusses his efforts to address Maui's housing crisis and improve the local economy after tourism took a major hit from COVID and the fires. In addition, he explains how he approaches his legislative leadership roles as the Assistant Majority Whip, and Vice-Chair of the Housing Committee. Tune in to learn about Senator Troy Hashimoto's path to public service and the reasons why Maui should be your next destination. IN THIS EPISODE:  • [00:00] State Senator Troy Hashimoto shares his protocol for natural disasters. • [05:11] How to prepare and build resilience for the next disaster. • [09:24] The Senator's recommendations for cross-government disaster safety coordination. • [12:05] Understanding Maui's housing crisis and how Senator Hashimoto is addressing it. • [17:49] The ins and outs of the Land Exchanges Bill that he championed. • [19:39] How Senator Troy Hashimoto got into public service, and his path to Senator. • [24:10] The challenges of state legislative leadership, and Maui's general political stance. • [27:56] Assessing Maui's tourism economy: Past, present, and future. • [32:18] Senator Troy Hashimoto's top reasons for why you should visit Maui.

In this episode of Front Cover: A Rough Notes Podcast on the Agency Intelligence Podcast Network, Jason Cass sits down with Jeff and Eboné Granger, Managing Partners at Granger Financial, the agency featured on the January 2026 front cover of Rough Notes Magazine.  Key Topics: The significance of being featured on the front cover of Rough Notes Magazine Building the agency from the ground up during COVID and scaling intentionally over time Expanding beyond insurance into multiple financial service verticals to better serve clients Creating a culture centered on mission, legacy, and long-term impact Using community service as a core business driver, not a side initiative Developing and retaining talent through an ownership mindset, culture, and values Reach out to: Jeff Granger Eboné Granger Jason Cass Visit Website: Granger Financial Rough Notes Magazine Produced by PodSquad.fm

In this episode of Green Side Up, Jason and Jordan sit down with Ryan Hudson, General Manager of Baker Commercial Landscaping – Tampa, for a candid, funny look at what it really takes to run a serious commercial landscape operation. Ryan shares his journey from mowing for his dad's company Bushmaster Landscape Maintenance as a kid, to grinding through a 10‑year business degree, to managing an 80-person Tampa branch within a 300-employee, two-branch company. They break down how Baker structures its teams (from crews to ops managers to department heads and the GM), the constant tension between sales and production, and how Ryan often plays "cut man" between Trey Rolquin's big sales vision and the operations crews. The conversation hits on Baker's work in Tampa's Water Street district—rooftop landscapes, tricky access, parking tickets, right-of-way drama, and slow-paying big clients—plus the real economics of palm tree trimming and why it often serves as a loss leader to win better work. Ryan also explains how relationship-driven networking (BOMA, CAI, etc.) and a diversified mix of offices, HOAs, condos, shopping centers, and hotels helped them survive COVID. Mixed in are plenty of stories—from trimming at a nudist resort to 3 a.m. bucket-truck work downtown. If you're in landscaping or tree work and want real-world insight on scaling commercial maintenance without racing to the bottom, this one's for you.

Cohosts Wilfred Reilly, Charles Love, Christy Kelly, and Brooks Crenshaw welcome Restore Childhood founder Natalya Murakhver to discuss the tremendous costs of the COVID lockdowns, the 'Zoom-in-a-room' policies of teachers' unions, and her documentary film 15 Days. Support the show

Dr. Peter McCullough walks through what he's seeing clinically — patients years out from COVID or vaccination who are still dealing with clotting issues, neurologic symptoms, immune dysregulation, mast cell activation, and unexplained decline. Not rare cases. Everyday people. Many of them functional — until they weren't.We talk about why Long COVID isn't always a new condition, but often the thing that pushes underlying vulnerabilities into the open. Genetic predispositions. Autoimmune tendencies. Histamine intolerance. Microvascular injury. Things that were once quiet suddenly aren't.May shares her own experience from the patient side — navigating worsening symptoms, being told it was hormones, stress, or anxiety, and eventually realizing the timeline didn't lie. The labs didn't either.Dr. McCullough explains why antibody levels matter, why spike protein itself is rarely measured, and why chasing secondary diagnoses (Lyme, mold, EBV, heavy metals) often leads people in circles without addressing the root issue.This isn't a protocol episode.It's not reassurance.And it's not abstract.It's a direct conversation about ongoing biological injury, what's being missed, and why so many people feel like their bodies changed — and never fully came back.If you've felt stuck in that in-between space — not sick enough for answers, not well enough to live normally — this episode speaks to exactly that gap.Guest Bio: Dr. Peter McCulloughDr. Peter McCullough is a practicing cardiologist, internist, and clinical researcher with decades of experience in cardiovascular medicine and academic publishing. He has served on the faculties of multiple medical schools, contributed to hundreds of peer-reviewed publications, and has been deeply involved in clinical research, outcomes analysis, and patient care throughout his career.Since the COVID era began, Dr. McCullough has focused extensively on understanding post-infection and post-vaccination complications, including myocarditis, thrombosis, immune dysregulation, and Long COVID–related syndromes. He continues to treat patients clinically while examining emerging data on persistent spike protein, inflammatory injury, and recovery patterns that fall outside traditional medical frameworks.Known for his willingness to question prevailing narratives and follow the data where it leads, Dr. McCullough remains a polarizing but influential voice in ongoing discussions about public health, patient safety, and the long-term consequences of pandemic-era medical decisions.Join this important mission: www.mcculloughfnd.org GET SOCIAL WITH US!

Celebrating Life at 52: Lyndon Taylor's Scorpio Squad European Birthday JauntWhen CEO and entrepreneur Lyndon Taylor turned 52 in November 2025, he proved that adventure has no age limit. Following his unforgettable Bangkok birthday celebration in 2024, Taylor and his Scorpio Squad—a group of November-born friends—embarked on a two-week European escapade that would redefine milestone celebrations. From dancing until dawn in Barcelona's legendary clubs to witnessing the Eiffel Tower's nightly sparkle and navigating London's historic streets, this journey showcased how intentional travel can transform birthday celebrations into life-affirming experiences.The Scorpio Squad tradition emerged from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Taylor missed celebrating his 50th birthday—a milestone many consider significant. Determined to make up for lost time, he connected with fellow Scorpio-born friends: one from Florida who kicks off Scorpio season on October 23rd, and another whose birthday falls on November 12th. Taylor himself celebrates on November 10th."I thought, hey, why not? I'm still here with good health. Let me go explore, make some memories, and have wonderful moments," Taylor explained during his appearance on Tripcast360. The group's chemistry stems from what Taylor describes as "vibrating on the right frequency"—a connection built over more than a decade of friendship.The tradition began with Bangkok in 2024, and for 2025, the squad set their sights on Europe. After Taylor's initial vote for Africa was vetoed due to vaccination concerns, the group settled on Spain, France, and England as their destinations, choosing Barcelona and Paris as anchor cities due to their proximity and reasonable pricing.Landing in Barcelona on November 8th, 2025, Taylor's European birthday celebration started with an auspicious welcome. His taxi driver, a single mother working in transport for 17 years, became an unexpected ambassador for the city. Their conversation flowed as if they were old friends, setting a warm tone for the entire trip.The group stayed at the Hampton by Hilton Barcelona Fira Gran, where front desk associate Victoria provided what Taylor calls a "cheat sheet"—a one-page guide covering train routes, city navigation, and budget-friendly activities. This personalized service exemplified the human connections that transformed the journey from a simple vacation into a meaningful cultural exchange.Barcelona's efficient public transportation system became the squad's primary mode of travel, with trains proving both affordable and convenient compared to taxis or rideshares. The decision to use public transit reflected the group's budget-conscious approach to European travel, where costs can quickly escalate.As Taylor's philosophy states: "Every day above ground is a gift." His 52nd birthday celebration across Europe proved that with gratitude, intention, and the right energy, that gift can be unwrapped anywhere in the world—one dance floor, one train ride, one magical moment at a time.Support the showTripCast360 --- It's all about travel, lifestyle and entertainment.Web: TripCast360.com.Twit: https://twitter.com/TripCast360FB: https://www.facebook.com/TripCast360Insta: https://www.instagram.com/tripcast360/

Vorresti ricevere notizie, saluti, auguri dalle Apostole della Vita Interiore?Lasciaci i tuoi contatti cliccando il link qui sotto e con la nostra nuova rubrica digitale potremo raggiungerti.https://www.it.apostlesofil.com/database/- Premi il tasto PLAY per ascoltare la catechesi del giorno e condividi con altri se vuoi -+ Dal Vangelo secondo Giovanni +Questa è la testimonianza di Giovanni, quando i Giudei gli inviarono da Gerusalemme sacerdoti e levìti a interrogarlo: «Tu, chi sei?». Egli confessò e non negò. Confessò: «Io non sono il Cristo». Allora gli chiesero: «Chi sei, dunque? Sei tu Elìa?». «Non lo sono», disse. «Sei tu il profeta?». «No», rispose. Gli dissero allora: «Chi sei? Perché possiamo dare una risposta a coloro che ci hanno mandato. Che cosa dici di te stesso?». Rispose: «Io sono voce di uno che grida nel deserto: Rendete diritta la via del Signore, come disse il profeta Isaìa».Quelli che erano stati inviati venivano dai farisei. Essi lo interrogarono e gli dissero: «Perché dunque tu battezzi, se non sei il Cristo, né Elìa, né il profeta?». Giovanni rispose loro: «Io battezzo nell'acqua. In mezzo a voi sta uno che voi non conoscete, colui che viene dopo di me: a lui io non sono degno di slegare il laccio del sandalo».Questo avvenne in Betània, al di là del Giordano, dove Giovanni stava battezzando.Parola del Signore.

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger PictureCanada is having problems, they are following the green new scam, since Trump placed tariffs on Canada they are desperately trying to find trading partners.Trump shows how windmills kill birds, where are all the environmentalist. The EU is now pushing the CBDC, Trump’s economy will overshadow the rest of the world. The people of this country and others must see the criminal syndicate. Without seeing it they people would have never believed there was a criminal syndicate. Trump has the leverage, more is coming in 2026 and after the midterms Trump is going to unleash hell on the [DS]. Every crime, scam and violation of the Constitution will be exposed. Justice is coming. Economy Canada Trying to Find Trade Partners   Prime Minister Mark Carney reflects a particular reality of the problem their economy will face in 2026. It appears that Canadian government officials have finally recognized the Trump administration plans to dissolve the USMCA or what Canada calls CUSMA next year.  With that reality they have a big problem. Mexico has been working throughout the year to initiate economic policies in alignment with the United States.  However, structurally and politically this is an alignment that is impossible for Canada to do.  Like many contracting European countries, the economic policies of Canada are centered around their climate change agenda and green energy goals. In order for Canada to position their economy to be in alignment with the rest of North America (USA and Mexico), Carney would have to reverse years of legislated rules and regulations.  That is not going to happen, and Canada will always be at a disadvantage because of it.   With three quarters of their economic production tied to exports into the USA, and with the USMCA likely to be dissolved in favor of a bilateral trade agreement, Canada now has to find other markets for its products or lower all the trade barriers currently in place.  Prime Minister Mark Carney is trying to find alternative markets. Carney has looked toward Europe, but that is a closed trade bloc difficult to engage.  Carney has looked to southeast Asia, but that is an export driven market with limited capabilities to import costly western products.  Carney has looked to Japan and China, but on scale there's little to be gained. The question is, where can Canada send its products if not to the USA.   The brutally honest answer is nowhere.  There just isn't any other market, or combination of markets, who could replace the consumer base of the USA.  Canada is refusing to admit this reality and 2026 is going to be a harsh awakening for the Canadian people. Source: theconservativetreehouse.com  https://twitter.com/DC_Draino/status/2006140340068291046?s=20  – A 2025 Trump administration initiative aims to enforce $1 million fines per bald eagle death. (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); Initial Jobless Claims End 2025 Near Record Lows The number of Americans filing for jobless claims for the first time plummeted last week to 199k – the lowest since the Thanksgiving week plunge and pretty much the lowest since Source: zerohedge.com https://twitter.com/amuse/status/2006392860006846799?s=20   to give them a shot at winning the midterms. https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/2006141249045291038?s=20   went to the liquor store again and tried to buy €100 worth of booze using the government-run digital currency on your iPhone, but your transaction gets rejected. Why? Because some Eurotrash EU bureaucrat decided that it’s unhealthy for you to buy so much liquor in such a short period of time, so you gets nothing. And you have no recourse, because you have become a serf whose life is at the discretion of the government. (As an aside, single-payer, government-funded healthcare will work in synchronicity with this, deciding what is best for you health-wise, because after all it’s not fair that other citizens must pay for your cirrhosis and bad judgment.) You have been warned, Europe. Political/Rights https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/2006203195165462545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2006203195165462545%7Ctwgr%5Ebc322e2414802c704b50bc3c2955bae6d38269c1%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Frusty-weiss%2F2025%2F12%2F31%2Fgavin-newsom-tries-to-keep-illegals-on-the-road-a-little-longer-sean-duffy-immediately-cuts-him-off-n2197630 including cutting nearly $160 million in federal funding. https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2006168699502215508?s=20   The Attorney General or the Deputy Attorney General can get involved in any DOJ matter they choose. It'a not a judge's job to get in the middle of those internal deliberations. That's a serious violation of the separation of powers. The American voters want violent illegals out of our country. Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr., a Nashville Obama judge, needs to get back in his lane. https://twitter.com/HansMahncke/status/2006046386190422054?s=20   on taxpayers, should not exploit welfare systems built by the native population, should speak the language, assimilate into the host society, respect its laws and norms, and should not receive special carve-outs like separate schools, parallel institutions or different rules. If even these minimal basics can no longer gain agreement, then there is no realistic path to fixing the system at all. DOGE Geopolitical https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2005795643126595959?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2005795643126595959%7Ctwgr%5E813dbbc99cf3dee762087820edf11e55af9622ca%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fjenniferoo%2F2025%2F12%2F30%2Fisis-in-texas-fbi-arrests-man-who-helped-fund-global-terrorist-organizations-n2197594   propaganda, sent cryptocurrency believing it would fund terrorist activity, and attempted to deliver materials intended for explosive devices. This is radical Islamic terrorism, and it was identified and stopped. Great work by our FBI teams @FBIDallas and great law enforcement partners. https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/2006157155666182556?s=20 https://twitter.com/AAbsaroka/status/2005723457997484150?s=20 https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2006176939854196897?s=20 https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/2005961263419883887?s=20 https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/2006095673423179995?s=20 https://twitter.com/USABehFarsi/status/2005874044319436965?s=20 Courage if it were a picture…This is a black-and-white aerial photo depicting a scene from protests in Iran (likely Tehran, based on the post’s hashtags). It shows a lone individual standing defiantly in the street, holding a long pole or banner horizontally, facing a group of about a dozen uniformed security forces or riot police on motorcycles. The image symbolizes courage in the context of human rights and anti-regime demonstrations. War/Peace https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/2006367551878844863?s=20 https://twitter.com/MyLordBebo/status/2006295058492882982?s=20 https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/2006107978504524105?s=20 Zelenskyy Urges Trump to Visit Ukraine to Seal Russia Peace Deal Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that President Donald Trump should visit Ukraine to help close a peace deal with Russia. Zelenskyy specifically urged Trump to travel directly into Ukraine rather than entering through Poland, arguing that such a visit would demonstrate confidence that a ceasefire is within reach. Source: newsmax.com Medical/False Flags [DS] Agenda Biden Housing Scandal EXPLODES: HUD Report Reveals Over $5 Billion in Questionable Rental Aid, Including Payments to Dead People and Non-Citizens  A bombshell federal report has blown the lid off yet another massive Biden-era taxpayer scandal — this time inside the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. According to HUD's own Fiscal Year 2025 Agency Financial Report, more than $5 billion in rental assistance payments during the final year of the Biden regime were flagged as “questionable” or improper, exposing systemic failures, nonexistent oversight, and breathtaking incompetence at the federal level. Among the most jaw-dropping revelations: tens of thousands of payments were made to people who were already DEAD, and thousands more went to recipients who may not have even been eligible to receive taxpayer-funded housing assistance at all, the New York Post first reported. Buried in the HUD report is a stunning admission that federal systems failed to stop payments to 30,054 deceased individuals who were either still listed as active tenants or continued receiving rental assistance after their deaths. HUD officials acknowledged that only after cross-checking Treasury databases did they finally identify the scope of the problem — meaning for years, taxpayers were unknowingly footing the bill for people who no longer exist. “[Over] 30,000 dead people receiving housing isn't an accident — it was systematic fraud by Biden and the left. HUD will hold those who defrauded the American taxpayers accountable,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner wrote on X. According to the report:   “large concentration” of these questionable rental assistance funds flowed to Democrat-run strongholds, including: New York California Washington, D.C. Yet payments to deceased recipients were found in all 50 states, proving the rot was nationwide. Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/2006068825272508679?s=20   to U.S. citizens. See 8 U.S.C. § 1623(a). There are no exceptions. Virginia violates it nonetheless. This court should put an end to this and permanently enjoin the enforcement of provisions of the Virginia Education Code that directly conflict with federal immigration law. Virginia Code §§ 23.1-502 and 23.505.1 explicitly classify illegal aliens as Virginia residents based on certain conditions. That classification makes illegal aliens eligible for reduced in-state tuition and state-administered financial assistance for public state colleges and universities while U.S. citizens from other states are ineligible for the reduced tuition and must pay higher out-of-state tuition rates. This is not only wrong but illegal. The challenged act's discriminatory treatment in favor of illegal aliens over U.S. citizens is squarely prohibited and preempted by federal law, which provides that “an alien who is not lawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible on the basis of residence within a State . . . for any postsecondary education benefit unless a citizen or national of the United States is eligible for such a benefit . . . without regard to whether the citizen or national is such a resident.” 8 U.S.C. § 1623(a) (emphasis added). The challenged act, as applied to illegal aliens, is thus unconstitutional under the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution. This Court should declare Virginia's law, as applied to illegal aliens, preempted and permanently enjoin its enforcement.” https://twitter.com/jonesville/status/2006273719602475506?s=20 https://twitter.com/thehoffather/status/2006240702213099815?s=20 https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/2006327355166589007?s=20 https://twitter.com/MZHemingway/status/2006031707724546400?s=20 https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/2006038706893836481?s=20 https://twitter.com/HansMahncke/status/2006393802714439774?s=20 https://twitter.com/amuse/status/2006028437899862286?s=20  Patronage System here in America AND help them successfully assimilate. https://twitter.com/HHS_Jim/status/2006136004294664464?s=20  against the blatant fraud that appears to be rampant in Minnesota and across the country: 1. I have activated our defend the spend system for all ACF payments. Starting today, all ACF payments across America will require a justification and a receipt or photo evidence before we send money to a state. 2. Alex Adams and I have identified the individuals in @nickshirleyy ‘s excellent work. I have demanded from @GovTimWalz a comprehensive audit of these centers. This includes attendance records, licenses, complaints, investigations, and inspections. 3. We have launched a dedicated fraud-reporting hotline and email address at https://childcare.gov Whether you are a parent, provider, or member of the general public, we want to hear from you. We have turned off the money spigot and we are finding the fraud. @ACFHHS @HHSGov https://twitter.com/DOGE_HHS/status/2006145075315929532?s=20 will expand the system to support itemized receipts and photographic evidence, and make all data/receipts, where possible, available to the public. https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/2006120694497857977?s=20   move to another state that is honest. Make sense? https://twitter.com/C__Herridge/status/2006091693259636775?s=20  alleges the probes were “buried” because it potentially implicated Biden Administration allies •Between late May 2025 and December 2025 FBI had 16 open investigations into approximately 32 healthcare and homecare providers accused of fraud •Described as massive, joint investigations including HHS Inspector General, Medicaid Fraud Unit, IRS, Postal Inspectors, MN Attorney General, MN Department of Education,  and others Probes Now Expanding In Minnesota, Investigators Are Exploring Nation-wide Fraud Schemes •FBI Surging forensic accountants and data analytics teams to MN •Identifying fraud, then “following the money” to see the “entire web” •Investigating potential links to elected officials and terrorist financing •Potential criminal violations include public corruption, fraud, cyber fraud, healthcare fraud, homecare fraud, money-laundering Investigations Include Federal Nutrition Programs •These investigations including day care facilities are exploring links to alleged fraud involving federal nutrition programs •The Feeding our Future probe exposed an alleged $250m fraud scheme that obtained federal funding during COVID for nutrition programs but almost NO meals were provided to children •It's alleged the monies were laundered through multiple entities to enrich the participants •78 have been indicted, 57 convicted, two found not guilty among the group. Just a heads up that Patel and Trump's FBI have been all over the Minnesota fraud thing for months, 78 people have already been indicted, and Kash is openly admitting that this was buried by the Biden admin. That’s not how FBI & DOJ work. Criminal investigations take months. Trials take years. No one knows yet if Bondi & Kash will measure up. It’s too early to tell. WATCH: Karoline Leavitt Says Trump “Not Afraid to Use Denaturalization” Against Somali Fraudsters — Search Warrants Being Executed and “People Will be in Handcuffs” Denaturalization, also known as revocation of naturalization, is the legal process by which the U.S. government revokes the citizenship of a naturalized U.S. citizen, effectively stripping them of their citizenship status. This is not a process that private individuals can initiate or “do” themselves; it is exclusively handled by the federal government through judicial proceedings in U.S. district court. It cannot be done administratively by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) alone, following a court ruling in 2000 that limited such authority. Grounds for DenaturalizationUnder the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), denaturalization can only occur based on specific legal grounds. These include: The individual did not meet statutory requirements for naturalization at the time, such as lawful permanent residence, good moral character, required periods of residence or physical presence, or attachment to the principles of the U.S. Constitution (INA 316 and INA 340(a)).  The person hid key information or lied during the naturalization process (e.g., on Form N-400 or in interviews), and this directly led to approval. The fact must be “material,” meaning it could have influenced the decision (INA 340(a); see Supreme Court case Kungys v. United States, 485 U.S. 759 (1988)). Within five years after naturalization, the person joins or affiliates with the Communist Party, a totalitarian party, or a terrorist organization, which is seen as evidence of lacking attachment to the U.S. Constitution (INA 313, INA 340(c), and INA 316(a)(3)). For those who naturalized based on U.S. military service, revocation can occur if they receive a discharge under other-than-honorable conditions before completing at least five years of honorable service (INA 328(f) and INA 329(c)). These grounds apply only to naturalized citizens (those who went through the full process, including application, interview, approval, and oath). U.S.-born citizens cannot be denaturalized under these provisions. The process is initiated and pursued by the government, not individuals. Here’s a high-level overview:  USCIS or other agencies (like the Department of Homeland Security) identify potential cases through audits, investigations, or tips about fraud or ineligibility. If there’s sufficient evidence, USCIS refers the case to the Department of Justice (DOJ) via the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Coordination happens through USCIS’s Office of the Chief Counsel. Judicial Proceedings: The DOJ files a complaint in federal district court under INA 340(a). The government must prove its case by “clear, convincing, and unequivocal evidence” that leaves no doubt. This is a high standard, and the process can take years. Criminal Revocation: If the case involves fraud, the DOJ may pursue criminal charges under 18 U.S.C. 1425 (unlawful procurement of citizenship). A conviction automatically revokes naturalization under INA 340(e), with proof required beyond a reasonable doubt. If the court rules in favor of revocation, it issues an order canceling the Certificate of Naturalization, which the person must surrender. Citizenship is revoked retroactively to the original naturalization date, reverting the individual to their prior immigration status (often lawful permanent resident, but this could lead to deportation proceedings under INA 237). USCIS updates records and notifies the Department of State. Denaturalization is rare—historically, around 22,000 cases occurred in the 20th century, often tied to wartime or political contexts—but it has been used more in recent years for fraud cases. https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2006013185355112758?s=20   fraud in a ginormous scale. Minnesota also lets one person vouch for 8 migrant voters’ eligibility to vote WITHOUT them having to prove it! Minnesota needs to clean house, NOW. https://twitter.com/StephenM/status/2006079447922008292?s=20 President Trump's Plan  https://twitter.com/FBIDDBongino/status/2006087308404314365?s=20   disrupted (210% increase) -2,000+ kilos of Fentanyl seized (up 31%), enough to kill 130 million Americans -Nihilistic Violent Extremism arrests up 490% -Over 6,000 child victims located (up 22%) -Historic drop in U.S. murder rate. Please read the post from Director Patel for more details on the progress that has been made, and is ongoing. https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2006091717074903047?s=20 https://twitter.com/Kimberlyrja8/status/2006193599365423586?s=20 LISTEN  (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");

Covid crashed Christmas, but things are getting back on track… Elizabeth and Andy have a heart to heart about entrepreneurship, Julia Childs inspires, a dermatologist has an odd bedside matter, and someone is winding things down…It's all covered on this week's Nobody's Listening, Right? Check out our new True Crime podcast - BETH'S DEAD Learn more at: https://www.patreon.com/cw/BethsDead Support NLR Join Patreon for bonus episodes! Buy the Merch! Find us on Instagram Find us on TikTok⁠⁠ Watch us on YouTube Shop our Amazon recommendations Here ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:50 Paying For Jury Duty 03:24 A Shark Tank Dilemma 07:07 I Want You To Dream 17:57 Little Libraries 20:16 Julia Childs 24:36 Yuppie 32:39 This Year Was Messy 34:24 Covid Fears 35:52 Awkward Dermatologist Visit 42:01 Bedside Manner 43:41 Big (The Movie) Update 45:06 Love Actually Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The good news is that we are more than halfway through this insane decade. The bad news is that things appear to be trending in the wrong direction, and one has to consider the question:  “what will even be left when 2030 arrives?”From the crimes of COVID, to the creation of ESG, to the forced introduction of up to 20 million illegals through the southern border, things in America have changed drastically since the decade began. The intentional destruction of the West started in 2020 and will be completed by the end of the decade, just in time for Agenda 2030 by the United Nations.—Watch the video version on one of the Macroaggressions Channels:Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/Macroaggressions YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MacroaggressionsPodcast—MACRO & Charlie Robinson LinksHypocrazy Audiobook: https://amzn.to/4aogwmsThe Octopus of Global Control Audiobook: https://amzn.to/3xu0rMmWebsite: www.Macroaggressions.io Merch Store: https://macroaggressions.dashery.com/ Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/macroaggressionspodcast—Activist Post FamilyActivist Post: www.ActivistPost.com Natural Blaze: www.NaturalBlaze.com —Support Our SponsorsAnarchapulco: https://anarchapulco.com/ | Promo Code: MACROC60 Power: https://go.shopc60.com/PBGRT/KMKS9/ | Promo Code: MACROChemical Free Body: https://chemicalfreebody.com/macro/ | Promo Code: MACROWise Wolf Gold & Silver: https://macroaggressions.gold/ | (800) 426-1836LegalShield: www.DontGetPushedAround.com EMP Shield: www.EMPShield.com | Promo Code: MACROGround Luxe Grounding Mats: https://groundluxe.com/MACRO Christian Yordanov's Health Program: www.LiveLongerFormula.com/macro Above Phone: https://abovephone.com/macro/Van Man: https://vanman.shop/?ref=MACRO | Promo Code: MACROThe Dollar Vigilante: https://dollarvigilante.spiffy.co/a/O3wCWenlXN/4471 Nesa's Hemp: www.NesasHemp.com | Promo Code: MACROAugason Farms: https://augasonfarms.com/MACRO —

During this holiday season, hear some recent favorites:Christopher Eisgruber, president of Princeton University and the author of Terms of Respect: How Colleges Get Free Speech Right (Hachette, 2025), talks about issues of free speech and campus politics at Princeton, and the university's relationship with the Trump administration.Seth Berkley, MD, an infectious disease epidemiologist currently advising vaccine, biotechnology, and technology companies; an adjunct professor and senior adviser to the Pandemic Center at Brown University; former CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; cofounded COVAX; founded and served as CEO of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative; and the author of Fair Doses: An Insider's Story of the Pandemic and the Global Fight for Vaccine Equity (University of California Press, 2025), talks about the need for vaccine equity and lessons learned (and ignored) from the COVID pandemic.Clay Routledge, social psychologist, director of the Human Flourishing Lab at Archbridge Institute and author of Past Forward: How Nostalgia Can Help You Live a More Meaningful Life (Sounds True, 2023) explains why nostalgia for the late '90s and early 2000s is roaringly popular among Gen Z right now and listeners share stories of life before the internet and what it is about that era that younger listeners wish for today.Rachel Louise Ensign, economics reporter with The Wall Street Journal, explains the economic forces keeping Americans stuck in their homes and jobs, and how it impacts daily life.Ilya Marritz, journalist working with The Boston Globe, talks about his new series, in conjunction with The Boston Globe and On the Media, that looks at how the Trump administration has interfered with Harvard, and how it will affect academia and scientific research going forward. These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity; the original web versions are available here:Princeton President Talks Campus Speech and Politics (Oct 1, 2025)Pandemic Preparedness Alert (Oct 28, 2025)Gen Z Wishes It Were 1997 (Aug 26, 2025)Americans are Economically Stuck (Oct 16, 2025)The Future of Academia (Nov 17, 2025)

Originally released March 21, 2025In this episode of Unglossy, Tom and Jeffrey sit down with Keenan Scott II, a prolific playwright, poet, actor, director, and producer from Queens, New York. Keenan delves into his artistic journey, beginning with his early passion for visual arts and comic books, and transitioning into poetry and performance as he navigated his formative years in Maryland. His experiences at open mic nights in D.C. were pivotal, shaping his creative expression and laying the groundwork for his future in theater. Keenan also discusses the genesis of his renowned play, "Thoughts of a Colored Man," which started as college monologues aimed at authentically representing Black experiences absent from mainstream theater.The conversation further explores the complexities and challenges of bringing a play to Broadway. Keenan sheds light on the logistical and financial hurdles, including navigating the influential theater families that control Broadway venues. Despite these challenges and the abrupt end to his play's run due to COVID-19, Keenan's work continues to make a significant impact. Looking ahead, he shares his excitement for future projects through his company, Project Toy Entertainment, aiming to fuse various artistic mediums and empower new creative voices. His advice to emerging artists—to believe in themselves and embrace perseverance—is a testament to his journey and dedication to the arts."Unglossy: Decoding Brand in Culture," is produced and distributed by Merrick Studio and hosted by Merrick Chief Creative Officer, Tom Frank and music industry veteran, Jeffrey Sledge. Tune in to hear this thought-provoking discussion on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you catch your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @UnglossyPod to join the conversation and support the show at https://unglossypod.buzzsprout.com/Send us a textSupport the show

We're being blatantly pushed towards manipulated perception and controlled actions. Systemic problems cannot be fixed by a narrowing focus on isolated groups. It's about responsibility, not getting credit. Self focus is the later result of living in the shadows. Enduring the human experience is cathartic. The control release part is hard. Dissonance begins now. Actual audits and documented info didn't work. It took a You Tuber operation to make this an issue. Think controlled exposure. Delayed outrage signals operators. Exposure is managed. Egregious fraud exists in all states. It was well documented in the first Trump term. Why just hold Walz accountable? Infiltrators are everywhere and participants are scattered. Structures survive in a controlled burn. Narrative downgrades fed by a media that hates truth. People are waiting for someone else to fix this. Gov. Bergam saw the audit results and then made them illegal. Covid shows how truth is ignored. Elder care is the next flaming fraud factory. Cuomo killed so many. Nigeria as a crypto and money laundering center. Estonia is where digital keys are broken. Quantum hybrid AI already exists. Sensationalism makes people comfortable. Real action is just the opposite. And timing is everything.

Here's an SEO-optimized episode description for The Shallow End, written to perform well on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts while matching the tone of the episode and the show's brand: As 2025 limps toward the finish line, The Shallow End with Schnebly and Toth dives headfirst into a fresh batch of gloriously bad decisions, near-miss disasters, and criminal incompetence you truly have to hear to believe. The episode opens with a painfully relatable moment of modern panic: losing your phone… while actively talking on it. From there, things escalate quickly with a near-catastrophic kitchen mistake involving a laptop and a microwave (spoiler: MacBooks are not microwave-safe). But the real headline story comes out of small-town Ohio, where an ordinary bank drive-through transaction turns into one of the dumbest criminal stories of the year. A man accidentally sends methamphetamine through a pneumatic bank tube, triggering a sheriff's department response, a canine alert, and instant internet infamy. No getaway plan. No criminal mastermind. Just a jaw-dropping lapse in attention that lands him squarely in Shallow End legend. The episode also features listener-submitted stories, including a Florida man who attempts yard work with a sword and accidentally enters a real-life medieval snake encounter, plus a stunning double-whammy crime story involving COVID relief fraud, a stolen U-Haul van, and a defendant who shows up for federal court already in handcuffs. If you enjoy true dumb criminal stories, real news absurdity, and laugh-out-loud moments fueled by human error, this episode delivers. It's a reminder to double-check what's in your pockets, return your rental vehicles on time, and for the love of all that's holy—don't mail illegal drugs to a bank. The Shallow End is where bad ideas float, good judgment sinks, and the stories are always true. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America Out Loud PULSE with Dr. Vaughn & Dr. Tankersley – It's been a great year in many regards. In particular, we hope 2026 continues the developing trend of legacy media's acceptance of the reality of the lies they peddled the past six years, specifically regarding the failures of public health. We begin with the wonderful acknowledgement that the sinister practice of 'transitioning' minors is...

"Success is your child getting what they want out of life, including who they want to be and how they want to be." College is rarely the right next step for our kids, yet parents are so bought into this outdated view of education and success. In this episode, Heather sits down with Degree Free founder, Hannah Maruyama, to unpack the best ways to support our teens in building skills that help them uncover their passion at the right time, rather than shoving them back onto the "education" conveyor belt that saddles them with freedom-stealing debt. This isn't about being anti-education; it's about being pro-reality, and Hannah brings the data, the strategy, and the cultural nuance to help parents support their kids with clarity, not fear. What to listen for: ✨ Stepping into a leadership role as a parent, rather than controlling ✨ Understanding that college isn't actually the "traditional" path we think it is ✨ The moment Hannah realized that college wasn't teaching her anything "Being strategic about what I needed from work, finding what I needed to learn, and then learning it in the most effective way possible for me at the time, within the budget that I had, I was able to get to my goal very quickly."  ✨ How COVID opened parents' eyes to where the education system fails kids ✨ Why academic book smarts aren't always relevant in the real, working world ✨ Navigating the "failure to launch" and why pushing them into college isn't the fix "That space in between high school and college, where we feel like we have to funnel kids into something right then, is imaginary. It doesn't exist. The reason kids stall out at that time is that we've told them that the cutoff is coming so soon when it's not."  ✨ The fallacy of pushing kids into choosing their future profession at 18 ✨ If GPA doesn't matter after high school, why are we killing our kids over it? ✨ Questions you need to ask as a parent to help guide your child's future "You have these kids that are handcuffed, and they're 22 years old. They have no freedom. Their whole life trajectory has been laid out because they made this crucial, incorrect decision at 17 or 18 years old, all because no one asked them, 'What do you want your life to look like?'" ✨ Navigating your child's future while questioning your own in midlife ✨ Two questions you should never ask your kids if you want to support them ✨ The mindset shift that will help your kids stack skills and find their passion About Hannah Maruyama: Hannah Maruyama is the founder of Degree Free, which helps parents and their young adults create custom career roadmaps so they can launch their lives.  From tech to trades, any job under the sun. With her husband Ryan, she runs @degreefree on TikTok, which has over 500,000 followers and 150,000,000+ views, and the Degree Free Podcast (a top US Careers Podcast). She also co-wrote The Degree Free Way: How to Help Your 16-20 Year Old Build the Life They Want, which has sold more than 16,000 copies nationwide. Connect with Hannah: Website: https://degreefree.com/  The Degree Free: https://degreefree.com/book  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DegreeFree   Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@degreefree  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/degreefree/  *** For those of you who are ready to stop feeling drained, overextended, and out of alignment… join me for a one-on-one Time & Energy Audit, a focused session designed to help high-achieving women uncover what's draining them, clarify what truly matters, and create a simple plan that fits their life. We'll pinpoint your biggest time + energy leaks, identify the top areas to focus on for quick momentum, and map out exactly what to let go of so you can reclaim your energy, your time, and your joy. Ready to make your time work for you without adding more to your plate? Book a Time & Energy Audit: https://heatherchauvin.com/audit    Apply for the next Coaching Cohort: https://heatherchauvin.com/apply    Not ready for 1:1? Join the membership (cancel anytime): https://heatherchauvin.com/membership 

Doorstep delivery services boomed during the Covid-19 pandemic and they're still popular in many parts of the world: ordering hot meals, or groceries, via a mobile app to your door at the click of a button. For the customer, it's a fast and convenient service. For the rider, it's flexible work, but there's no guaranteed income, the work is physical and the hours are often antisocial - especially during major holidays like Christmas and New Year. Why, then, do so many people do it? We speak to riders in the US and UK about their experiences delivering food, drinks and other essentials to customers at all hours of the day.If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, you can send us an email to businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresenter: David Harper Producer: Victoria Hastings(Picture: A delivery rider on a scooter, travelling through a city at night. Credit: Getty Images)

“Moving forward doesn't mean leaving my child behind.” As one year ends and another begins, many people are eager to turn the page.  For bereaved parents, however, the arrival of a new year can feel heavy and overwhelming. A new calendar can make us feel like we're leaving our child behind—and that can be deeply painful.In this encore episode, Jill shares ten faith-anchored resolutions shaped by her own journey of grief after the loss of her daughter, Hannah. These are not resolutions about self-improvement or moving on, but about extending grace, caring for a grieving heart, and leaning fully on God's strength.Originally recorded near the close of 2020 in the height of the Covid pandemic, this episode acknowledges both personal loss and collective weariness, offering encouragement for grieving parents entering a new year they may not feel ready to face.In this episode, you'll hear reflections on:Why stepping into a new year can feel especially difficult after child lossBeing patient and kind with yourself as grief unfoldsExtending grace to others who don't know what to say or doLearning to communicate what you need—and honoring your limitsFinding joy in small, God-given momentsLetting go of guilt, blame, and “if only” thinkingStanding on God's truth when emotions feel overwhelmingDepending on God's strength when your own is goneThe episode closes with a prayer from Verdell Davis's book Let Me Grieve, But Not Forever, reminding listeners of the deep lessons learned in the valley and the sustaining grace of God who meets us there.I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.) ** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parentsClick HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country. Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channelClick HERE to follow our public Facebook pageClick HERE to follow us on Instagram Click HERE to follow us on Twitter Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministryContact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org

Tom discusses the bird flu- what it is & what it isn't while reviewing some studies and articles. He also talks about the ostrich situation happening in Canada.Important Resources:Attention Livestock Producers https://www.sookewapf.org/blog/attention-livestock-producershttps://www.sookewapf.org/blog/a-lattention-des-eleveurs-de-betailThe Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF), has provided form that farmers/rancher may wish to consider giving to inspectors, at the farm gate - before allowing them entry to your land. Page one of the form is for the visiting inspector to provide the names and contact information of those visiting the farm. The second, more detailed, page (Questionnaire for Inspector), asks for proof of successful isolation of the bird flu virus, proof of contagious nature of the bird flu virus, type of test that will be used and contact information of the lab that will be doing the testing. It states that this form must be filled out completely before any sample is released. Please download the Inspector Forms (two pages) and have them ready at your farm or ranch should you be visited by inspectors. Back yard chicken farmers would be well advised to do this as well.Link to forms: https://brandfolder.com/s/jbhsbzsfq6t5bftnbt5bzhxSupport the showWebsites:https://drtomcowan.com/https://www.drcowansgarden.com/https://newbiologyclinic.com/https://newbiologycurriculum.com/Instagram: @TalkinTurkeywithTomFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrTomCowan/Bitchute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/CivTSuEjw6Qp/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzxdc2o0Q_XZIPwo07XCrNg

Send us a textIn this episode of Beyond the Beeps, Leah MG Jayanetti discusses the unique challenges faced by families in the NICU during the holiday season. Joined by Alena Costume, a two-time NICU mother, they explore the emotional rollercoaster of having a baby in the NICU, the importance of community support, and strategies for coping with stress. Alena shares her personal experiences, highlighting the significance of parental presence and the impact of healthcare staff on the NICU journey. The conversation emphasizes resilience, hope, and the need for better support systems for NICU families. In this conversation, Leah MG Jayanetti and Alena discuss the profound experiences of families in the NICU, emphasizing the importance of nourishment, community support, and the unexpected connections that can arise during challenging times. They share personal stories about creating the Touching Tiny Hands organization, the emotional toll of having a child in the NICU, and the significance of hope and belonging in the journey of parenthood, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.Support the showAs always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: nicupodcast@gmail.com. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below. Enjoy!

In this episode, Eric Coffie sits down with Christine Hopkins, the CEO behind ASCII Federal Services, a 4PL (fourth-party logistics) company that manages end-to-end supply chain—from procurement and tracking to warehousing, inventory optimization, deliveries, and disposal. Christine shares how an existential crisis during COVID wiped out nearly 90% of revenue, forcing a bold pivot into federal contracting through restructuring ownership, becoming a Woman-Owned Small Business, and leveraging commercial past performance to compete. She walks through her methodical approach: getting registered, submitting "practice bids" for feedback, winning a first prime contract in 18 months, then scaling carefully to protect performance and reputation. The biggest lesson? Relationships and networking are the real differentiator—especially for agencies that avoid risk. Christine also breaks down the conferences, CEO peer network support (Vistage), and learning resources that accelerated her growth—and closes with a reminder that sustained success requires taking care of yourself so you can show up fully. Key Takeaways Relationships are the strategy: Government (and primes) buy from people they know and trust—networking isn't optional, it's the edge. Win methodically, not emotionally: Use "practice bids" to learn, protect performance, and scale slowly so you don't overload your team or reputation. Resilience + restructuring wins: A smart ownership/size restructure plus strong commercial past performance can open the door to prime contracts fast—even after a major revenue hit. If you want to learn more about the community and to join the webinars go to: https://federalhelpcenter.com/  Website: https://govcongiants.org/  Connect with Encore Funding: https://www.encore-funding.com/  Connect with Christine:  LinkedIn account: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineseal/ LinkedIn corporate: https://www.linkedin.com/company/advanced-supply-chain-international-llc Website: www.asciLLC.com

What do you think of thiamine as a treatment for Parkinson's?Is there a natural thyroid medicine you recommend that is not pork-derived?Please discuss the COVID-19 vaccine and cardiology issuesCan you help my granddaughter with guttate psoriasis?

Holiday Stress tops tax season stressWhat would Dr. Hoffman say?Is berberine truly efficacious?My doctor recommends I drink alcohol to reduce stress and improve circulation

Shoot us a Text.Episode #1231: We close the year with the smartest auto industry analyst in the game. Paul and Kyle bring on Steve Greenfield to make sense of a fast-moving 2025 and what dealers should really prepare for in 2026. From tariffs to AI-driven efficiency, this is a clear-eyed look at what's coming and what's controllable.Greenfield says the biggest unresolved story from 2025 is tariffs. Automakers absorbed the pain last year, but that likely changes in 2026 with pressure flowing to MSRPs or dealer margins.Despite political, economic, and affordability headwinds, the auto industry proved once again how resilient it is. Consumers kept buying, and dealers kept selling.Front-end grosses are already back to pre-COVID realities for many brands, making F&I performance, cost discipline, and fixed ops efficiency more critical than ever.AI isn't about buzzwords—it's about efficiency. Dealers should start with the metrics they want to move, then choose technology that directly supports those goals.For dealers and vendors alike, having a clear, practical AI strategy is no longer optional. Investors, partners, and customers all expect it.Thank you to today's sponsor, Mia. Capture more revenue, protect CSI, and never miss a call or connection again with 24/7 phone coverage and texting (SMS) follow-up for sales, service, and reception. Learn more at https://www.mia.inc/Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.Get the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/

In this episode, Evan H. Hirsch, MD, guides you through a powerful 4-step mindset practice to support your nervous system as you move into the new year. These trauma-informed techniques (gratitude, safe envisioning, belief flipping, and empowering questions) are designed to retrain the brain, reduce stress, and improve healing outcomes for those with chronic fatigue and long COVID. These steps are part of the EnergyMD Method, helping patients resolve the "Toxic Five" by creating a foundation of safety, clarity, and transformation. Whether you're just starting your journey or need a reset, this practice is simple, effective, and deeply supportive. In this episode, you'll learn: Why mindset and nervous system retraining are essential for recovery How to use gratitude without bypassing your struggles A visualization process to create safety and direction in your healing How to flip limiting beliefs into empowering ones The right questions to ask your brain to support progress How to start this practice now, even if you're overwhelmed ✅ Take the free quiz to discover if your fatigue is fixable, and get a personalized score with expert recommendations: http://myfatiguescore.com . We help you resolve your Long Covid and Chronic Fatigue (ME/CFS) by finding and fixing the REAL root causes that 95% of providers miss. Learn about these causes and how we help people like you, Click Here. Do you have fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, muscle pain, or other strange symptoms? You might have Long Covid. Take our free quiz to find out if Long Covid is behind the mystery symptoms you're experiencing, Click Here. For more information about Evan and his program, Click Here.   Prefer to watch on Youtube? Click Here.   Please note that any information in this episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.

To achieve legitimate self-government in America's extended Republic, the U.S. Constitution depends on Congress harmonizing the country's factions through a process of conflict and accommodation. Why Congress (Oxford University Press, 2023) demonstrates the value of this activity by showing the legislature's distinctive contributions in two crucial moments in the mid-twentieth century: during World War II, when congressional deliberation contributed to national cohesion by balancing interests and ensuring fairness, and during the push to end racial segregation, when a prolonged debate in Congress focused the nation's attention and delivered a decisive victory for the broad coalition united around civil rights.  The second part of the book traces the evolution of Congress, which first experimented with radical decentralization in the 1970s and then, beginning in the 1980s, embraced powerful leadership and ideological caucuses that prioritized partisan unity and electoral confrontation. This transformed institution has been unable to work through the country's deep divisions on contemporary issues like immigration or the COVID-19 pandemic. Contemporary policymaking often circumvents Congress entirely. In other instances, Congress is engaged, but it proceeds without any bipartisan cooperation or through leader-broken compromises generated by crises. Each of these patterns creates serious difficulties for legitimating American policy. The book concludes with three scenarios for Congress's future. Without significant change, the institution will sink into decrepitude. But it could still be transformed, either by progressive constitutional reform empowering the president at the legislature's expense, or by a revival of meaningful deliberation and debate facilitated by the renewal of the committee system. Philip A. Wallach is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he studies America's separation of powers, with a focus on regulatory policy issues and the relationship between Congress and the administrative state. Caleb Zakarin is the Assistant Editor of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Todd Henderson spent nearly 40 years as a Methodist pastor, but COVID revealed a hard truth: he had been making members, not disciples who could make disciples. Despite loving his congregation, he realized the prevailing church model was a "beautiful black hole" that would always consume attempts at pioneering disciple-making movements. At 60 years old, though they are scared and excited in equal measure, Todd and his wife are choosing to rediscover the life and work originally invited them into.

We began the EarthWorks Podcast back when Covid brought everything to a halt, and now we're approaching our 300th episode this coming March. For the past six years, the final week of the year has been our "Best of the Year" tradition. This time around, we've chosen one standout episode from each of our hosts—Kevin Hicks, Jack Higgins, and Joel Simmons.Kevin, who just might have the best podcast voice out there, had a fascinating conversation with Grant McKnight and Eric Blanton from DuraEdge. In that episode, they delved into some innovative ideas about building root mixes for sports fields—definitely one of Kevin's favorites.Jack Higgins went live with Zack Holm, the turf manager from Central Park in NYC. It's an incredible story—Zack handles millions of visitors and keeps the turf thriving in some of the toughest urban conditions, all without pesticides.We wrap up with this year's most listened-to episode featuring John Reilly from Long Boat Key Golf Club in Sarasota, Florida. Joel chatted with John, a former Rutgers student, about organic matter management—a hot topic in the turf world.From all of us at EarthWorks, we wish you a very Happy New Year and thank you for your ongoing support. Here's to a fantastic 2026 with more great guests and insightful, fun conversations. Our goal remains the same: to leave you with at least one piece of useful turf wisdom each episode!Visit EarthWorks at: https://www.earthworksturf.com Podcasts: https://www.earthworksturf.com/earthworks-podcasts/ 2 Minute Turf Talks: https://www.earthworksturf.com/2-minute-turf-talks/

Product managers are saving hours with AI, yet feel more uncertain than ever about whether their products will succeed. What's going on?In this episode of The Product Experience, Lily Smith and Randy Silver sit down with Axel Sooriah, product management evangelist at Atlassian, to unpack the findings from a large-scale survey into the state of product management today.Axel shares why so many teams are stuck on the hamster wheel of execution, how cross-functional collaboration still breaks down in practice, and why 84% of product managers doubt their products will succeed despite loving the craft. The conversation explores the real reasons behind PM anxiety, the role of leadership in creating confidence, and how reframing work around customer progress can re-energise teams.Chapters00:00 – Money, motivation, and product work01:12 – Axel Sooriah's product background02:16 – What a product management evangelist does05:38 – Why Atlassian ran the state of product management survey07:01 – AI productivity and the strategy time paradox11:32 – The hamster wheel of execution14:01 – Leadership, incentives, and product manager agency16:16 – Using AI in customer discovery18:17 – Cross-functional collaboration in practice22:06 – Why 84% of product managers doubt success26:16 – Discovery, evidence, and decision-making confidence28:47 – Fear and curiosity in the age of AI30:50 – Getting started with AI as a product manager32:54 – Profit focus and product team motivationOur HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She's currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She's worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath. Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury's. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group's Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He's the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager's Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon's music stores in the US & UK.

TALK TO ME, TEXT ITA countdown, a wig switch, and two stories that stick: we dig into what your blood type might say about your health, then climb to the rooftops with the man who sets Times Square's confetti loose at midnight. The science comes first. We break down how types A, B, AB, and O relate to risks like norovirus, ulcers, heart attack, stroke, and clotting, and why hospitals treat AB plasma like “liquid gold” while relying on O-negative donors in emergencies. We talk through universal recipient and donor rules, the differences that may influence COVID-19 severity, and how to use these insights without turning them into fate. Practical, plain-English takeaways help you ask smarter questions at your next appointment.From there, the show lifts into the human layer. Meet the confetti king coordinating more than 100 volunteers and 3,000 pounds of paper across Times Square's skyline. His radio call syncs with fireworks and “Auld Lang Syne,” but what makes the spectacle unforgettable are the wishes on each slip—tiny notes gathered online and from a wishing wall, drifting over a million strangers. One message about a mother's cancer led to a phone call, a pause, and quiet sobs that turned a city ritual into something intimate and real. We love the logistics, but we linger on the feeling: the way simple craft delivers a shared heartbeat at midnight.We close with a question for you: if your wish could ride a confetti flake over Times Square, what would it say? Hit play, then share your line. If the conversation gave you something useful or moved you, follow, rate, and send this to a friend who needs a nudge of science and a spark of wonder.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREE Thanks for listening! Liberty Line each week on Sunday, look for topics on my X file @americanistblog and submit your 1-3 audio opinions to anamericanistblog@gmail.com and you'll be featured on the podcast. Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREESupport the showTip Jar for coffee $ - Thanks Music by Alehandro Vodnik from Pixabay Blog - AnAmericanist.comX - @americanistblog

Book a Free Talent Strategy Call In this engaging conversation, Brian Zimmerman, CEO of Cleveland Metro Parks, shares his journey from a young golf enthusiast to a leader overseeing a vast network of parks and recreational facilities. He discusses the challenges and rewards of managing such a large organization, the importance of teamwork and leadership, and the evolving expectations in the golf industry. Brian emphasizes the significance of community engagement, workforce development, and the need for aspiring professionals to be detail-oriented and proactive in their careers. He also reflects on the hidden gems of Cleveland Metro Parks and his aspirations for future projects that will leave a lasting legacy. What You'll Learn Why "managing to an outcome" isn't the same as leading expectations and why that distinction matters The real differences (and misconceptions) between municipal and private golf experience How Cleveland Metroparks thinks about standards, reinvestment, and long-term stewardship Brian's "present leadership" approach: being visible when things are hard, great, or average What he looks for in candidates immediately (shoes, handshake, eye contact, preparation) How to handle post-COVID realities: play up, maintenance windows down, and expectations rising Practical operating moves that improved customer experience (ex: 10-minute tee times, time-ticketing) Career advice for superintendents who want to move up: look the part, do the part, build exposure A reminder leaders forget: don't burn ladders on the way up or down Links Connect with Brian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-m-zimmerman-34072b43/  

America Out Loud PULSE with Dr. Vaughn & Dr. Tankersley – It's been a great year in many regards. In particular, we hope 2026 continues the developing trend of legacy media's acceptance of the reality of the lies they peddled the past six years, specifically regarding the failures of public health. We begin with the wonderful acknowledgement that the sinister practice of 'transitioning' minors is...

Is ongoing hair loss more than just aging or genetics? More than 35 million men and 21 million women experience hair loss to some degree. Pharmacist and physician liaison, Bryana Gregory, takes a root-cause approach to understanding hair loss and hair regrowth. She explains how factors like hormonal imbalance, nutrient deficiencies, chronic stress, thyroid dysfunction, inflammation, and post-viral immune stress can disrupt the natural hair growth cycle and lead to excessive shedding. Hair loss is often the result of the body prioritizing survival over auxiliary functions like hair growth, especially during periods of prolonged inflammation.   Bryana introduces a proprietary compounded Hair Support Solution designed to address both hair loss and regrowth simultaneously. This topical formulation combines three synergistic ingredients to support circulation, collagen production, and follicle regeneration, and help reactivate dormant hair follicles. Together, these ingredients work locally at the scalp without systemic absorption, supporting healthier follicles and longer growth phases.   The episode also emphasizes the importance of supporting hair health through proper nutrition, adequate protein intake, stress management, and avoiding inflammatory hair products. Bryana explains how consistent topical use, combined with lifestyle awareness, can help restore balance at the follicular level. For those experiencing chronic hair thinning, post-COVID hair loss, or hormone-related shedding, this compounded solution offers a targeted, physician-guided option for addressing hair loss at its source.   Watch now and subscribe to our podcasts at www.HotzePodcast.com.   To receive a FREE copy of Dr. Hotze's best-selling book, “Hormones, Health, and Happiness,” call 281-698-8698 and mention this podcast. Includes free shipping!

Staying in business for decades requires more than machines, processes, and good customers.In this episode of Machine Shop Mastery, I sit down with Bonnie and Ken Kuhn of Kuhn Tool, a multi-generation, family-owned shop in northwest Pennsylvania that has quietly endured for more than six decades. What makes this conversation special isn't just the longevity of the business, but the way Bonnie and Ken have built it together. From surviving offshoring waves and major customer losses to steadily growing from a handful of employees into a thriving operation, their story is rooted in flexibility, trust, and an unwavering commitment to people. They share how niching down, staying conservative with growth, and protecting employees through uncertain times helped them build a resilient company. We talk deeply about culture and what it really takes to create a workplace where people want to stay until retirement. Bonnie and Ken explain why respect, kindness, and genuine relationships aren't soft ideas, but strategic advantages in a demanding industry. Their stories about employee loyalty, family involvement, and moments of personal hardship reveal the human side of leadership that often gets overlooked. This episode is a powerful reminder that long-term success in manufacturing isn't driven solely by machines or technology. It's built through steady decisions, adaptability, and leaders who understand that people are not tools, they're the business. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... (0:00) Ken reflects on flexibility as a core requirement for small businesses (3:11) The origins of Kuhn Tool and its evolution into a highly specialized job shop (5:22) How Factur can help you fill your sales pipeline (6:30) A snapshot of the business today, including services, capabilities, and team size (9:16) What it takes to operate in a low-volume, high-mix, high-precision environment (12:10) Why niching down became a critical strategic decision (15:03) Surviving offshoring and losing major customers during industry downturns (17:59) How cold calling from the Thomas Register helped rebuild the business (22:07) The importance of being proactive instead of waiting for work to return (25:42) What it takes to build a company where people want to retire (28:13) Why respect is the foundation of long-term employee retention (28:55) Hiring challenges and using social media and referrals to attract talent (30:32) Why we love SMW Autoblok for workholding  (31:43) How technology investments replaced hard-to-find toolmaker skills (33:55) Early adoption of five-axis machining and why it paid off (38:05) Leveraging waterjet technology to improve flexibility and resilience (42:23) Meaningful moments that define ownership beyond profits (44:57) Bonnie's powerful story about returning to the shop after COVID (47:54) The role of NTMA and peer groups in leadership development (52:12) Why community and shared learning matter for small business owners (55:23) Embracing technology, including AI, as just another leadership tool (59:19) Why you should head to the 2026 IMTS Exhibitor Workshop  Resources & People Mentioned Get a free custom report from Factur at Facturmfg.com/chips Why we love SMW Autoblok for workholding  Why you should head to the 2026 IMTS Exhibitor Workshop  Connect with Bonnie and Ken Kuhn Kuhn Tool & Die Connect with Bonnie on LinkedIn Connect with Ken on LinkedIn  Connect With Machine Shop Mastery The website LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Subscribe to Machine Shop Mastery on Apple, Spotify Audio Production by PODCAST FAST TRACK

On today's podcast:1) Covid-era subsidies that help Americans pay for Obamacare health plans will expire today. It will result in more than 20 million Americans paying higher premiums next month. Democrats have tried to extend the additional support beyond the December deadline, but Republicans have balked, citing the cost of some $350 billion over the next decade. Meantime, a handful of House Republicans have joined Democrats in a maneuver that will put a three-year extension of the subsidies to a vote next month. 2) Russia and Ukraine struck each other’s Black Sea ports overnight, damaging infrastructure including an oil refinery. A drone attack on the Russian coastal city of Tuapse damaged a berth at the port and equipment at the local refinery, according to a statement from the emergency services. Fires at both sites were put out, while several residential buildings were also damaged. Two people were hospitalized. The Tuapse refinery, owned by Rosneft PJSC, has a processing capacity of about 240,000 barrels a day and produces mainly fuel oil, naphtha and diesel for export. In Ukraine, Russian forces struck the port city of Odesa, injuring at least six people and damaging residential properties and infrastructure, according to the local authorities. Some residents are without power, water and heating.3) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Iran should heed President Trump Warning's about not restarting its nuclear program. Speaking Tuesday to Fox News, he added that Iran is 'trying to' rebuild its missile capacity at new sites, and said he is aligned with Trump on wanting to give the new Syrian government a chance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special New Year's Eve solo episode, Dr. Mark Bonta steps away from the guest format to reflect on a landmark year for Ditch the Labcoat and to share where the show is headed next.After surpassing 50 episodes and approaching episode 100, Dr. Bonta looks back on how the podcast evolved in 2025. What started as a more traditional interview-style medical show has grown into deeper, more philosophical conversations about performance, longevity, mental health, neuroplastic symptoms, and the human side of healthcare.Using a surprising year-end analytics insight from his recording platform, he explores why the word “athlete” became one of the most frequently used terms on the show, and what that reveals about how healthcare, high performance, parenting, and recovery intersect. He also shares a candid and self-aware resolution for 2026, including how small environmental changes can shape better habits both personally and professionally.Looking ahead, Dr. Bonta outlines meaningful shifts for the podcast in 2026. Expect fewer episodes, greater depth, clearer thematic focus, and more intentional preparation to better honor guests and their work. He also highlights future areas of exploration, including neuroplastic and invisible illnesses, long COVID, chronic fatigue, high-performance mindsets, and the role of technology and AI in improving care.The episode closes with a deeply personal reflection on caregiving. A simple moment at home caring for his daughter leads to a broader meditation on touch, nursing, administrative burden, burnout, and why “caring” remains the most essential and fragile element of modern healthcare.This episode is both a thank-you to listeners and a statement of purpose for the year ahead.Mark Bonta's Links : https://ditchthelabcoat.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-bonta-/ Episode Takeaway 1. Healthcare as Performance: Why the Athlete Mindset Keeps Appearing — Recovery, sleep, nutrition, and training principles apply far beyond elite sports.2. Filler Words Reveal Thinking: What “So” Says About Deep Conversation — Pauses often signal reflection, curiosity, and cognitive processing, not incompetence.3. Behavior Change Starts at Home: Environment Shapes Outcomes — The easiest habits are the ones your surroundings make unavoidable.4. Longevity Is Not Biohacking: It's Consistency Over Intensity — Sustainable routines outperform extreme interventions every time.5. Quality Over Quantity: Fewer Episodes, Deeper Impact — Better preparation and focus create more meaningful learning for listeners.6. Invisible Illnesses Are Real: When Scans Don't Explain Suffering — Neuroplastic symptoms demand credibility, nuance, and evidence-based care.7. Administrative Burden Erodes Care: Documentation Steals Time From Healing — Systems often pull clinicians away from the bedside.8. Burnout's Red Flag: When Caring Disappears — Loss of empathy is a warning sign that support and reflection are urgently needed.Episode Timestamps05:08 – Why “Athlete” Became One of the Most Used Words on the Show07:27 – The Most Commonly Used Word on Ditch the Labcoat (And Why It Matters)09:44 – Setting Yourself Up for Success: Habits, Environment, and Behavior Change11:39 – Longevity Lessons from Athletes and Everyday Life14:02 – Quality Over Quantity: How the Podcast Evolves in 202617:25 – Neuroplastic and Invisible Illnesses: What Medicine Still Misses19:25 – Caregiving, Touch, and the Administrative Burden of Modern Medicine24:15 – Burnout, Red Flags, and the Importance of Never Stopping CaringDISCLAMER >>>>>>    The Ditch Lab Coat podcast serves solely for general informational purposes and does not serve as a substitute for professional medical services such as medicine or nursing. It does not establish a doctor/patient relationship, and the use of information from the podcast or linked materials is at the user's own risk. The content does not aim to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and users should promptly seek guidance from healthcare professionals for any medical conditions.   >>>>>> The expressed opinions belong solely to the hosts and guests, and they do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Hospitals, Clinics, Universities, or any other organization associated with the host or guests.    Disclosures: Ditch The Lab Coat podcast is produced by (soundsdebatable.com) and is independent of Dr. Bonta's teaching and research roles at McMaster University, Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Queens University. 

In this episode of And Another Thing With Dave, host David Smith and guest Jack dig into what they call “the dumbest time in human history” — the COVID era — and follow the thread all the way into UFO sightings and government secrecy.What begins as a rant about mask mandates and casino hypocrisy morphs into a raw discussion about media fear, misplaced policy, and pandemic payouts before jumping headfirst into alien encounters, Bob Lazar, and Operation Blue Beam — a theory about staged extraterrestrial or messianic “invasions” powered by holographic tech.The result?A high-energy, irreverent, and thought-provoking ride through the last five years of collective confusion — full of barroom honesty, humor, and a reminder to “keep thinking for yourself, people.”