Podcasts about CTA

What does it take to build a $100M company from scratch? That's what I wanted to find out when I sat down with Gannon Meyer. He's figured out how to turn social media attention into actual revenue. My guest today, Gannon, went from living with his girlfriend's mom to building a thriving business in just 12 months, and he credits a huge part of that transformation to what he shares in our conversation. We dive deep into his "free, segment, upsell" framework for converting Instagram followers into paying customers, and I even get a direct critique of my own content strategy. If you're looking to monetize your audience on Instagram, you won't want to miss Gannon's insights.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:14 Converting Instagram attention into revenue03:33 Client examples and creator income levels06:47 The "Free, Segment, Upsell" funnel framework08:39 Using open-ended questions for better segmentation10:50 How ManyChat and AI interpret responses13:12 Real-world example: Adrian's camera business15:52 Good vs. bad open-ended questions18:18 Crafting a CTA for your free content22:00 Storytelling frameworks for strong retention30:07 Maximizing engagement with Instagram Stories33:22 The impact of CTAs on Instagram reach35:01 Why comments are crucial for discoverability44:19 The truth about views vs. revenue47:55 Deep diving into solving problems for revenue51:08 How Gannon's 'whiteboard' videos attract clients53:22 Gannon's life transformation in 12 months58:50 The realization: being willing to be wrong in public1:04:15 The power of putting yourself out thereIf you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I read every single one.Learn more about the podcast: https://nathanbarry.com/showFollow Nathan:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarryLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarryX: https://twitter.com/nathanbarryYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshowWebsite: https://nathanbarry.comKit: https://www.kit.comFollow Gannon:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gannon.meyerYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gannonmeyerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gannonmeyerFeatured in this episode:Kit: https://www.kit.comHighlights:01:30 Gannon's approach to helping people sell their products16:17 How to ask open-ended questions effectively30:57 The PSA story framework for Instagram46:12 Why high views don't always equal high revenue59:57 The power of being willing to be wrong in public

Episode 2: The Pool Water has a way of finding its path. Through stone. Through memory. Through places we believe are sealed shut. In Part Two of Something in the Water, the events at Table Rock Lake take an even stranger turn. After days of unsettling encounters on the water, Sara wakes in the middle of the night to find something impossible: a pool of cold water in the center of her bedroom floor. No leaking pipes. No open windows. No explanation. As fear spreads through the cabin, four members of the group decide it's time to leave. But Sara—the very person who experienced the first encounter in the lake—chooses to stay. Why? Because what she experienced didn't feel like a threat. It felt like attention. As Sarah examines centuries-old traditions surrounding the Underwater Panther, a disturbing pattern emerges. Across cultures and generations, stories of the entity share one detail above all others: it chooses. And once it notices you, leaving the water may not be enough. By morning, the mysterious pool has vanished. But the towels used to clean it up have been moved. Folded neatly at the foot of Sara's bed. Sometimes the most terrifying thing isn't what we see. It's the feeling that something has seen us.

CORE RESOURCES: Rutherford's Vascular and Endovascular Therapy 10th Edition, Chapters 88, 89, 91, and 94 Atlas of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy 2nd Edition, Chapter 9 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Audible Bleeding Episodes Holding Pressure - Carotid Endarterectomy: https://www.audiblebleeding.com/2024/02/27/holding-pressure-carotid-endarterectomy/ Holding Pressure Case Prep - Endovascular Basics: https://www.audiblebleeding.com/2023/04/23/holding-pressure-case-prep-endovascular-basics/ Videos TCAR Technical Video: https://jnis.bmj.com/content/14/8/842 Articles Society for Vascular Surgery clinical practice guidelines for management of extracranial cerebrovascular disease:  https://www.jvascsurg.org/article/S0741-5214%2821%2900893-4/fulltext Technical aspects of transcarotid artery revascularization using the ENROUTE transcarotid neuroprotection and stent system: https://www.jvascsurg.org/action/showPdf?pii=S0741-5214%2816%2931862-6 Referenced Studies ROADSTER-1 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30611582/ ROADSTER-2 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32811386/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35381327/ TCAR Surveillance Project https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2757579?utm_source=openevidence&utm_medium=referral https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36172943/   OUTLINE:   CAROTID ARTERY DISEASE 1. Pathophysiology/etiology Carotid artery disease is primarily driven by atherosclerotic plaque deposition.  Risk factors: hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking, and advanced age. Nonatherosclerotic etiologies: fibromuscular dysplasia, carotid dissection, vasculitic disease, carotid webs, and trauma. When the endothelium is damaged, monocytes migrate to the site and differentiate into macrophages that take up oxidized LDL particles to become foam cells. Meanwhile, an inflammatory response occurs where activated platelets release thromboxane A2, platelet derived growth factor, and inflammatory cytokines that promote further platelet aggregation and vascular inflammation. Smooth muscle cells migrate and proliferate, forming the structural framework of the atheroma.  Within the lesion, necrotic debris and lipid accumulate, creating a vulnerable plaque. Plaque rupture exposes this material to the bloodstream, serving as a nidus for thrombus formation which can lead to ischemic events. Carotid bifurcation is particularly prone to plaque formation due to turbulent blood flow. Embolization of plaque from this area can result in TIA or ischemic stroke.  2. Presentation Patients are often asymptomatic and stenosis is incidentally found on imaging.  Symptomatic patients present with neurologic symptoms including unilateral motor and sensory loss, aphasia (difficulty finding words), dysarthria (difficulty speaking), amaurosis fugax (temporary monocular vision loss due to embolus to the ophthalmic artery), transient ischemic attacks Physical exam findings may be notable for auscultation of a carotid bruit. Patients may also have evidence of retinal artery embolization on fundoscopic examination (Hollenhorst plaque) or asymptomatic cerebral infarction.  3. Diagnosis USPTF recommends against screening for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis.  In patients with no risk factors, SVS recommends against screening for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis. However, they do recommend screening for asymptomatic clinically significant carotid bifurcation in certain groups of patients with multiple risk factors.  These risk factors include patients with clinically significant peripheral vascular disease, patients 65 and older with history of CAD, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, and patients prior to coronary artery bypass.  Relevant findings on physical exam or imaging findings may warrant screening, but screening is not recommended for the presence of neck bruit alone without other risk factors, as this finding has a low sensitivity and specificity for detecting clinically significant carotid artery stenosis.  Carotid duplex ultrasound: first-line imaging modality for both screening and initial evaluation of stenosis, noninvasive, low-cost CTA: rapid, high-resolution, three-dimensional imaging of vascular anatomy, risk of contrast and radiation exposure MRA: high-quality, three-dimensional imaging without radiation or contrast, expensive with longer acquisition time, can overestimate stenosis in severe disease DSA/angiography: gold standard, expensive, invasive, not generally recommended for routine diagnostic evaluation or screening 4. Classification Carotid artery stenosis is classified by degree of luminal narrowing. NASCET method: standard in current practice. Compares the minimal residual lumen at the point of greatest stenosis to the diameter of the normal distal internal carotid artery.  Classification of stenosis: Mild: 70 bpm, and ACT >250 seconds to optimize cerebral perfusion and minimize thrombotic risk. Clamp the carotid artery just proximal to the arterial sheath to establish active flow reversal.  Flow controller settings: Low setting High setting Flow-stop button: allows for temporary cessation of flow (used when we inject contrast).  Confirm flow reversal via two different ways:  The first way is to stop flow to the venous return sheath with the stopcock, clearing the line with hep saline injection, and then opening the stopcock and seeing the blood returning to the controller in a reverse fashion. The second way is to perform an angiogram with a small amount of contrast injection while holding the flow-stop button. Using the angio we want to make sure that contrast is flowing retrograde in the cervical ICA thereby confirming flow reversal.    Carotid artery stenting, balloon angioplasty, and completion angiogram At this point, a standard carotid angioplasty and stenting procedure is performed. ENROUTE transcarotid Neuroprotection System device:  inner diameter of 8F and an outer diameter of 10F Has its own carotid artery stent system but is also compatible with all FDA-approved carotid stents.  Final angiogram is performed to confirm stent position, vessel patency, and absence of complications including vasospasm at the distal end of the stent and filling defects from protrusion of atheromatous material through the stent    Cessation of flow reversal and sheath removal Allow the flow reversal to run for a few minutes after the final balloon angioplasty to clear any debris.  Antegrade flow is restored by releasing the carotid clamp and closing the stopcocks on the neuroprotection system.  The patient is auto-transfused the blood from the flow line back to the venous system.  As the arterial access system is removed and the puncture site is closed with the U-stitch.  IV protamine is administered to reverse the heparin. Standard closure is performed at the incision site. Meanwhile, hemostasis is achieved after removal of the femoral vein sheath with brief manual compression.  Postop care/complications Postop care All patients after a TCAR should be monitored in the ICU setting for 24 hours, as an embolic stroke, hypotension with or without bradycardia, or hypertension can occur.  Should a TIA or stroke be observed, a carotid duplex scan and CT angiogram should be immediately obtained to assess the stent site and the presence of an embolic or thrombotic filling defect, dissection, or occlusion.  Dual antiplatelet therapy: continue for 45 days to 12 months Aspirin and statin therapy: continued indefinitely Surveillance duplex imaging: 4 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months, and annually thereafter. Postop complications Hematoma Stroke Myocardial infarction Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome Sudden and excessive increase in cerebral blood flow to previously hypoperfused brain tissue is met with vasculature that cannot constrict appropriately from chronic vasodilation Leads to breakthrough hyperperfusion. This results in cerebral edema, intracerebral hemorrhage, and neurological symptoms.  Cranial nerve injury Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) injury: ipsilateral tongue deviation. It is the most commonly injured cranial nerve.  Vagus nerve (CN X) injury: hoarseness and possible vocal cord paralysis.  Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) injury: soft palate dysfunction.  Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury: voice hoarseness and inability to cough as it innervates all of the voice box muscles except for the cricothyroid muscle Marginal mandibular nerve injury: ipsilateral lip droop, injury is rare in TCAR.  Stent restenosis Pseudoaneurysm Access site infection

Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS breaks down website anatomy, emphasizing that a "pretty" site is useless if it doesn't function technically. He explains the psychology of website navigation, detailing three types of scrolling: eye paths, scroll paths, and decision zones. Guest speakers advocate for starting with a simple, high-converting one-page website on platforms like Wix, rather than getting overwhelmed by complex builds. The conversation also covers the importance of proper logo linking, customized social media icons, and integrating live chat to reduce friction and boost sales.>>

Something in the Water - Part One Six friends arrive at Table Rock Lake in the summer of 2010 expecting a quiet week in the Ozarks—swimming, boating, and long evenings beneath the Missouri stars. What they find instead is a place with a history far older than the dam that created it. This week on The Devil Within, we begin a three-part campfire case rooted in documented history, Indigenous tradition, and the uneasy possibility that some places remember what was buried beneath them. When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed Table Rock Dam in 1958, they flooded an entire valley, submerging roads, foundations, churches, and whole communities beneath more than 43,000 acres of water. But the flooded towns were not the first things to disappear from this landscape. Long before the lake existed, the Osage people lived along the White River and carried stories of powerful beings dwelling beneath the water. Among them was a mysterious figure known across the Mississippi watershed as the Underwater Panther—a guardian of thresholds, deep places, and the dangerous boundary between worlds. Then one swimmer feels an impossible cold in the middle of an August afternoon. Something brushes against her ankle. The next day, someone else is pulled beneath the surface. And before the week is over, the group begins to wonder whether the lake is merely covering something—or keeping it. Because some waters are deeper than they appear. And some things beneath them are still waiting.

Why AI, automation, and self-service only improve customer experience when they reduce effort without removing humanity. Summary n this episode of The Customer Service Revolution Podcast, Denise Thompson and John DiJulius challenge one of the biggest assumptions in business today: that modernizing service delivery automatically improves the customer experience. Companies are investing heavily in AI, automation, chatbots, self-service tools, and digital-first platforms. But customers are still frustrated, stuck in loops, repeating themselves, and fighting to reach a real person. The problem is not service innovation itself. The problem is bad customer service disguised as innovation. John explains how leaders should evaluate whether a new service model is actually better for the customer, not just faster or cheaper for the company. He discusses why high-stakes moments, complaint situations, financial concerns, health issues, and grudge-buy experiences still require human judgment, empathy, and service recovery skills. This conversation also explores why weak culture shows up through strong technology, why employees need transparency during AI transformation, and why companies must beta test new service tools before rolling them out broadly. The real future of customer experience will not belong to the companies that automate the most. It will belong to the companies that use innovation to make customers feel known, valued, heard, and helped. Takeaways Service innovation does not automatically create better service. A process can become faster and still feel worse to the customer. Customers are not rejecting technology. They are rejecting automation that feels like deflection, abandonment, or extra work. Efficiency and experience are not the same thing. A service model is only better if it is easier and more reassuring from the customer's point of view. High-stakes moments still require human judgment. Health, finance, complaints, service recovery, and emotionally charged situations should not be fully automated. Every company has a grudge-buy moment. Even pleasure-based businesses become grudge-buy businesses when something goes wrong. Technology exposes culture. If employees are fearful, undertrained, or disconnected, new tools will amplify those issues. AI transformation requires transparency. Employees need to know whether technology is designed to help them, replace them, or reshape their roles. Soft launches matter. Companies should crawl, walk, and run before rolling out new technology to the full customer base. The best service innovation helps both customers and employees. It removes friction, reduces repetitive work, and preserves the human option when it matters. The winner is not the fastest company. The winner is the company that gets the experience right. Quotes "Customers are not rejecting innovation. They are rejecting bad customer service disguised as innovation." "A faster service process can still create a terrible customer experience." "We can't only look at ease of business from our side." "The human option cannot go away when the issue is stressful, complicated, or emotional." "Every company has a grudge-buy component when a customer has a complaint." "The unknown is worse than the known. Employees need transparency around AI." "No employee likes to be caught off guard and become the punching bag for customer frustration." "The quickest company is not the winner. The company that gets there correctly is." Chapters List 00:00 — Introduction: Service Innovation vs. Customer Frustration 01:51 — Good News and Cleveland Summer 03:09 — Efficiency vs. Better Customer Experience 05:13 — What Customers Feel When Service Improves 06:24 — Warning Signs the Relationship Is Getting Weaker 07:55 — AI Support Failures and High-Stakes Service Moments 10:53 — Trust, AI, and Accuracy 13:10 — When Automation Is Too Risky 15:00 — Why Every Business Has a Grudge-Buy Moment 17:51 — What Must Be in Place Before New Service Technology Works 18:55 — How Weak Culture Shows Up Through Strong Technology 21:14 — AI Anxiety, Employee Fear, and Leadership Transparency 24:20 — Human Touch vs. Efficiency 26:33 — Where Leaders Should Start When Transformation Is Not Working 27:44 — The Future of Digital-First Service 28:24 — Final Advice: Crawl, Walk, Run 29:24 — CTA and Closing Links: The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors:  tdg.click/claudia Ask John!  Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode:  tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts:  Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com If you want to learn how world-class organizations build cultures customers cannot live without, explore The Experience Revolution Membership. Inside the membership you'll gain access to livestream workshops, practical frameworks, and proven strategies used by organizations around the world. Learn more at https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Learn More If your organization is working to improve customer experience but struggling to connect it to measurable business outcomes, The DiJulius Group can help. Visit: https://thedijuliusgroup.com Listen to more episodes: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/the-customer-service-revolution-podcast/ Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.  

Rebecca's sermon this week covered Luke 4:14 - 21, some Seminary 101 vocab words, the Golden Girls theme song, and lessons learned by pausing for CTA trains.

Susan has been connected to The Rose since the mid-1980s, when her boss at Texas Commerce Bank handed her a stack of newspaper articles and asked her to learn everything she could about a surgeon named Dr. Dixie Melillo. That assignment turned into a decades-long relationship with The Rose, years of emceeing fundraising style shows, and an unbroken commitment to the mission that continues today. She launched the Louise McBee Circle of Life Circle of Wreaths, an annual wreath auction run entirely by Art Park Players volunteers in honor of her mother. Her message throughout the years is simple, yet profound: everyone carries a light, and even the smallest flame can be the brightest thing in someone's darkest moment. Get involved with The Art Park Players here. Support The Rose HERE. Subscribe to Let’s Talk About Your Breasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and wherever you get your podcasts. Key Questions Answered 1. How did Susan's relationship with The Rose begin, and what role did Dr. Dixie Melillo play in building it? 2. What did The Rose's full continuum of care look like for Susan's mother after a breast cancer diagnosis in 1993? 3. How does The Rose support patients beyond surgery, including wigs, prosthetics, and emotional follow-through? 4. What is the Louise McBee Circle of Life Circle of Wreaths and why did Susan start it? 5. How have Art Park Players volunteers sustained a community fundraiser for The Rose since 2001? 6. What is Art Park Players, and how does it serve children, families, and volunteers across the Houston area? 7. How does community word-of-mouth and sustained volunteer loyalty fuel The Rose's mission year after year? 8. Why does Susan send both insured and uninsured women to The Rose, and why does that distinction matter for the organization's funding? 9. How does a small annual fundraiser like a wreath auction contribute meaningfully to The Rose's operating budget? 10. What advice does Susan offer to people who feel their contribution is too small to matter? 11. How does Susan connect her work at Art Park Players with the same values of service, dignity, and community that drive The Rose? Timestamped Overview 00:00 Dorothy introduces Susan Mele: 45 years with Art Park Players, decades of Rose support, her mother's breast cancer journey with Dr. Melillo, and the annual wreath fundraiser named in her mother's honor. 00:52 Dorothy delivers the episode CTA: share this episode and donate at therose.org. 01:38 Dorothy asks Susan to start with herself. Susan describes a lifelong passion for performing, being adopted at 16 days old, and parents who nurtured her drive while grounding her in service and faith. 02:50 Dorothy asks how Susan first learned about The Rose. 02:55 Susan describes working for Tom Watson at Texas Commerce Bank in the mid-1980s. He had her clip every newspaper article she could find about Dr. Dixie Melillo, which led to Dixie joining the bank's board of directors and Susan meeting both Dorothy and Dixie. 03:29 Dorothy notes this connection goes back to 1986 or 1987. 03:47 Susan reflects on what drew her in: the compassion she saw in Dorothy and Dixie, and the contrast between how cancer was perceived in the 1980s and what The Rose was actually doing for women. 05:01 Dorothy recalls The Rose's earliest survivor volunteers and the environment Dixie created, including the time they could not say the word "breast" on television or radio. 05:44 Dorothy asks if breast cancer has touched Susan personally. 05:47 Susan describes her mother's 1993 breast cancer diagnosis. She brought her immediately to Dr. Melillo and The Rose. 06:20 Susan describes her mother's treatment: mastectomy on one side, lumpectomy on the other. Her mother declined reconstructive surgery and was afraid of hair loss. 06:55 Susan describes The Rose's follow-through after surgery: a referral to a wig specialist, fittings for prosthetic breasts and special bras, and ongoing mental and emotional support. Her mother survived. 08:02 Dorothy asks whether that experience deepened Susan's involvement with The Rose. 09:09 Susan describes how the Style Shows worked: store fittings, themed productions, silent auctions, and a community turnout that she believes turned many attendees into lifelong Rose supporters. 10:08 Dorothy asks Susan to recall a favorite Style Show moment. Both remember the 1960s hippie theme as particularly memorable. 11:56 Susan reflects on how events like the Style Show built lasting community investment in The Rose. 12:31 Dorothy asks Susan to talk about Art Park Players. 14:38 Susan describes joining in 1980 as a volunteer vocal coach, working for seven years without pay, then moving to part-time work at $6.50 an hour. She recognized her true calling was not performing but watching children find their voices and confidence. 15:01 Susan describes Art Park Players today: 250 students per semester, the largest children's theater in the city, the largest volunteer base in Deer Park, a Carnival Cruise performance group, a competition troupe through Theater Network of Texas, and scholarship and internship programs. 17:23 Susan describes fundraising within the theater: raising money for student travel, competitions, scholarships, and a private donor who quietly funds costumes and tuition for children whose families cannot afford them. 18:32 Susan reflects on being asked by Sue Finley Myers to carry on the mission when she retired. 18:55 Dorothy asks if students must be Deer Park residents. Susan says no, and describes students traveling from Humble, Cypress, Clear Lake, the Woodlands, and Friendswood. 20:19 Susan confirms Art Park Players is still a dinner theater and the only full year-round dinner theater in the Houston area. She shares that food brings in the husbands. 20:45 Dorothy asks Susan to describe the annual Rose fundraiser. 20:52 Susan describes the origin of the wreath auction: in 2001, volunteers wanted to do something meaningful and creative for The Rose. Inspired by a Circle of Trees event she had helped organize, she proposed handmade wreaths, a never-ending circle with symbolic meaning. 22:52 Susan explains the format: a fall wreath auction for show audiences and a Christmas wreath auction for theater families. Anyone can donate a wreath, and the offerings have grown to include wooden signs, stands, and centerpieces. 24:11 Dorothy confirms the event happens in fall and at Christmas. 24:20 Susan describes a piece made by a longtime volunteer woodworker that now sits in The Rose's lobby, bearing her mother's name. She says friends who come to The Rose for mammograms send her photos of it. 26:36 Susan says the Louise McBee Circle of Life Circle of Wreaths will continue as long as she is alive, regardless of the dollar amount raised. 26:53 Dorothy notes the fundraiser has now run for over 24 years. 27:07 Susan points out that Art Park Players was involved with The Rose even before 2001, through the Style Show partnership in the 1990s, totaling well over three decades of support. 27:33 Dorothy asks Susan's favorite Art Park production. 29:43 Dorothy closes the interview and reflects on the richness of Susan's story. 30:50 Susan shares her final message: everyone is valuable, everyone is worthy, and everyone carries a light. No matter how small the flame, it can be the brightest thing in someone's darkest moment, and that light is hope.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your first marketing post works — but it works once. You need a strategy for showing up consistently, building trust, and moving people through the funnel. This episode shows you how to use AI to build 30 days of content in one sitting.The episode introduces three types of content: story posts that build trust, education posts that demonstrate expertise, and promotion posts that invite action. At least one in every three posts includes a clear CTA.A copy-paste prompt generates the entire 30-day calendar from your specific business details — who you help, what problem you solve, and your current offer. Every post is scripted with captions ready to paste and simple photo/video directions. The 30 days follow a deliberate arc: days 1-10 build trust, days 11-20 show expertise and proof, days 21-30 lean into the offer.The episode also shares six principles from 15 years of coaching content creators: keep it simple and follow the scripts; prioritize momentum over perfection; capture real moments rather than staging content; volume still wins; help first by writing to beginners, your former self, or someone you care about; and curate others' knowledge for your audience to become "50-mile famous."For now, post to Instagram and Facebook. Later episodes will add Google My Business, blog, email, and podcast.Download the free 30-day content strategy prompt in the show notes.Next episode: Part VI — building your referral funnel.Connect with Chris Cooper:Website - https://businessisgood.com/

Most podcast hosts focus on teaching something valuable, but valuable content isn't what keeps listeners listening. And when attention drops halfway through an episode, listeners stop caring about what you say next. TedX speaker and professional magician Jimi Gibson is breaking down why listeners mentally check out of episodes (even when you're giving great info), the common mistakes that make people skip ahead or click away from your episode, and the psychological framework behind opening hooks, vocal delivery, and CTA transitions that keeps listeners hanging on for what comes next.If you want listeners staying locked into your episodes from your opening hook to your CTA, hit play and let's dive in.…2:35 – The 3-Part Hook Formula That Makes Listeners That Makes Listeners Stay Past The First 30 Seconds6:16 – The Hyper-Specific Opening That Sounds Like You're Reading Your Listener's Mind10:52 – The Curiosity Loop Structure That Keeps Listeners Listening Longer19:29 – The CTA Transition Framework That Keeps Your Pitch From Feeling Salesy22:42 – The Simple Vocal Shifts That Pull Distracted Listeners Back Into the Conversation…Episode Links:Meet Jimi Gibson: Website | LinkedInWatch Jimi's TEDx Talk: You Have Magic Power: Use It For GoodGet your editing off your plate so you can focus on growing your show: Book a call with Resonate Recordings…Other Episodes You'll Love: The Podcasting Psychology Behind Shows Listeners Can't Stop Listening To…Got Podcasting Questions? Send them to me here.Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks in true podcasting style, or share it with your podcasting friends.Podcast Health Score™ See exactly where your show is losing listeners.Podcast SEO Mastery Optimize your show so it can get found 24/7.Apply for a spot on the show to get live podcasting help from me.Want more podcasting advice? See what I'm testing on SubstackGet reviews for your show with PodLottery...Special thanks to Resonate Recordings, our implementation partner for PodLaunch® Accelerator. If your podcasting efforts aren't bringing you the listeners or sales you expected, book a strategy call for help to fix it.Follow for more podcasting insights:  LinkedIn | PodLaunchHQ.com©Ⓟ 2018–2026 by Courtney Elmer. All Rights Reserved.

Executive Summary In part two of the Prosperity Podcast's retirement series, Kim Butler and Spencer Shaw move beyond the numbers and into the human dimension of stopping work. Kim opens with a deceptively simple question: what does a full day of doing nothing actually feel like? Her answer, drawn from personal experience, sets the philosophical tone for everything that follows. We were put on this earth to serve, she argues, and when we stop serving, we stop progressing. Progress, she notes, quoting a late 1800s thinker, is the law of God. The conversation then turns to the practical mechanics of the retirement decision, starting with Social Security. Kim's guidance is direct: delay as long as possible, ideally to 72. The reason is mathematical. The crossover point, the age at which you collect more in total by waiting, falls between 14 and 18 years after the date you begin taking benefits. For most people who expect to live into their 80s and beyond, the math favors waiting. She also introduces Dr. Katy Votava as the go-to expert on Medicare, with a firm warning: decisions around Medicare enrollment carry deadlines that are irreversible. Missing the window means permanently losing the opportunity. The episode closes with one of its sharpest claims: the retirement age of 65 was proposed in 1930. Adjusted for today's life expectancy, it would be 87. Kim walks through the arithmetic. If a person earns from 27 to 87, that is 50 years of income on 10 to 15 percent savings. If they then live to 121, that is 40 years of spending with no new income. The numbers do not work. Dan Sullivan, at age 82, is cited as the counterexample: still producing some of his most impactful work, with a stated goal of reaching 156, simply because he thinks about the future differently. Links & Resources Mentioned For resources and additional information of this episode go toEmpower Your Finances With Our Prosperity Podcast Empowering Parents, Nurturing Futures - Prosperity Parents Kim D. H. Butler Keywords retirement age 87, Social Security delay strategy, when to take Social Security, Medicare enrollment deadlines, Katy Votava Medicare, longevity retirement planning, prosperity thinkers, financial freedom, Dan Sullivan longevity, age 121 actuarial tables, retirement math, working longer benefits, retirement and purpose, financial education, service and retirement, prosperity economics, retirement planning 2026, work in retirement, agency and responsibility, progress is the law of God Episode Highlights [00:00:00 - 00:01:08] Spencer frames part two and Kim makes the case that doing nothing feels yucky, not freeing. [00:01:08 - 00:04:10] Kim on drawing a hard line against wallowing and the quote: 'Progress is the law of God.' [00:04:10 - 00:07:53] Kim introduces the concept of agency from Dan Sullivan and explains why serving others improves your own state. [00:07:53 - 00:09:29] Social Security: Kim's firm recommendation to delay as long as possible, ideally to 72. [00:09:29 - 00:10:42] Kim explains the 14-to-18-year crossover point and why income taxes on Social Security should not drive the decision. [00:10:42 - 00:12:31] Kim introduces Dr. Katy Votava for Medicare guidance and warns about irreversible enrollment deadlines. [00:12:31 - 00:13:41] Actuarial tables updated: life insurance illustrations now go to age 121, up from 100. [00:13:41 - 00:14:56] Kim makes the case for working until the mid-80s. The retirement age of 65 from 1930 would be 87 today. [00:14:56 - 00:16:06] The math: 50 years earning, 40 years spending, 10-15% savings. 'Just not mathematically possible.' [00:16:06 - 00:19:30] Dan Sullivan at 82, goal age 156, and why that mindset produces better outcomes regardless of outcome. [00:19:30 - 00:20:46] Spencer previews part three on portfolio allocations and issues the CTA for Medicare help.  

CTA intern David Streitmatter continues his series and talks all things mindset, hoops and faith! David has been making big impact on the court and in our clients mindsets. Hear his journey today!

For 80 plus episodes of this show, my call to action was the EXACT same thing. Every. Single. Episode. It did not matter if the episode was about launching a podcast, picking equipment, or whether a podcast was even right for someone's business. The CTA never changed.This episode is for the podcaster who has been wondering why their show is not converting the way they expected. I'm walking you through the call to action mistake I made for 80 plus episodes of this very podcast, the disconnect it was creating between my listeners and my offer without me realizing it, what the right call to actions would have looked like instead, and the two question filter every CTA on your podcast needs to pass from here on out.In This Episode You'll Learn:Why having the same call to action at the end of every podcast episode is quietly killing your conversions (even when the offer itself is great)The three camps most podcasters fall into when it comes to talking about their offer on their show (and which one is the most common)What the right call to action could look like for four different sleep coach episodes inside the same businessThe two question filter every call to action on your podcast needs to pass from here on outWhy you do not need a brand new offer for every podcast episode (and what to do with the offers you already have)The exact move to make this week to find out if your call to actions are actually matching what your episodes are teachingWant to know exactly where your podcast is losing clients? Take the FREE Podcast to Clients Audit and get your PERSONALIZED report in less than 10 minutes! → https://podcastaudit.app/ Related Episode:I reference the Five Phase Listener Journey throughout this episode. If you want the full breakdown of all five phases and how to record episodes that meet each listener where they are, listen to The Five Phases Every Podcast Listener Goes Through (And How to Speak to Each One) hereConnect with Pamela:Join 500+ other moms who podcast inside the FREE community: https://skool.com/podcasters/Website: https://pamelakrista.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/pamelakrista/Email: pamela@pamelakrista.com

Hello to you listening in Kyle, Canada!  Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday & your host, Diane Wyzga. A few years ago Paul King, writing from somewhere in America, wished for a Solidarity Saturday, and I created a podcast episode. Reading it anew my pulse went all fizzy with a plan to re-establish this simple collective action. I'd like to see every Saturday be "Solidarity Saturday." Each Saturday, at 10am in every time zone on earth, we all do a very simple act: Step outside our homes into the open and stand in silence for 10 minutes. Just show ourselves. Stand with neighbors. Come out and be seen together, our presence a protest. All over earth on every Saturday as each time zone hits 10am. Billions of us just stepping outside, showing ourselves, showing evil that we oppose it! Just walk out the door into the open. Not hard. CTA: Right Here. Right Now. Spread the good word like grape jelly on a toddler! Invite your friends and rellies all over the world to step outside and stand together at 10am in your time zone 10 minutes on each Solidarity Saturday. Let me know, from where will you be joining us?  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [info@quartermoonstoryarts.net] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

The call to action is the last thing someone reads before they click - or don't. And for something that important, it gets surprisingly little strategic thought in most email programs. What I see instead is one of two extremes. Either the CTA is completely ignored - "Shop Now" slapped on every button, same wording across every email, no thought given to whether it's actually doing its job. Or it's wildly overthought - someone spent 20 minutes trying to make the button sound clever and ended up with copy that nobody instantly understands. Both are a problem. And the fix is simpler than most brands expect, because simple almost always wins with CTAs. The brands that obsess over making their buttons sound unique are often the ones leaving clicks on the table every single day. The other thing worth talking about is structure - because a CTA doesn't live in isolation. It lives inside an email, often alongside other buttons and links, and how those compete or support each other changes everything about whether anyone clicks at all. In this episode, I walk through what actually makes a CTA work, the formula that produces clear and compelling button text almost every time, and how to think about CTA hierarchy so your emails stop pulling people in five directions at once. ✨ In this episode, you'll learn: Why the CTA is the most overthought and under-strategized part of most email programs The simple verb + noun formula that produces strong CTAs almost every time Why "Shop Now" has survived decades of email marketing - and what that tells you about clarity The most common CTA mistake brands make and how it kills clicks before anyone even reads the button What happens when an email has five different CTAs - and why nobody clicks any of them Why every email needs one primary goal, and how to structure everything else around it How to repeat a CTA throughout an email without it feeling repetitive or overwhelming First person vs. second person CTAs - when it works and when it just feels like a conversion tactic Why a CTA that's hard to write is almost always a sign that the email itself needs more work first If your button text feels hard to write, stop trying to fix the button. Go back and clarify the email - and the CTA will almost write itself. Work with Joy Joya: https://joyjoya.com

Vanguard manages over $10 trillion in assets, but their dominance in search and AI visibility isn't just because of their size. Most big brands their size are leaving millions of visits on the table. Vanguard isn't.This video breaks down the Vanguard digital marketing strategy behind 6.2 million monthly organic visitors, an AI visibility score of 85/100, and 74,500 AI mentions, and the lessons any marketer can steal from it.Here's what I cover:Why Vanguard built their entire website around customer goals, not products, and why that single shift is the foundation of everything else they're doingThe topic cluster content strategy generating 6.2 million US organic visits a month, and how they've structured it to cover every stage of the buyer journeyHow their educational articles are structured to get cited in AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Gemini, including the exact formatting choices that make AI tools want to pull from their contentWhy their retirement income calculator has attracted 462 linking domains and 74,000 monthly visits to a single page and how to replicate this for your industryThe internal linking and CTA strategy that turns content readers into customers (and why most brands get this badly wrong)The 7 lessons any marketer at any size business can apply immediately to build this kind of search and AI visibilityVanguard isn't winning because they're Vanguard. They're winning because they're doing the work. Here's exactly what that looks like.Book a consultation call for a live review of your website and marketing

What High-Quality Men Secretly Want (And Why Anxiety Pushes Them Away) with Clayton Olson Dating a high-quality man isn't about playing games—it's about becoming your most authentic, magnetic self. In this episode of Midlife Love Out Loud, Junie Moon sits down with international relationship coach Clayton Olson to reveal what high-quality men secretly want—and why dating anxiety can quietly sabotage your love life. You'll discover: The “finite vs. infinite” mindset shift that makes dating feel exciting instead of exhausting Why being willing to walk away is incredibly attractive How showing your “dark side” can deepen trust The art of challenging a man in a way that inspires growth, not defensiveness If you've ever felt like dating in midlife is a high-stakes game, this conversation will help you relax into the journey, keep your standards high, and attract love that lasts. Clayton Olson transforms lives through the heart. As an International Executive Relationship Coach and Author, he's guided nearly 1,000 clients across four continents over 11 years, turning relationship pain into lasting love. After scaling startup teams for a decade, Clayton made a bold leap into transformational coaching—yearning for those raw, life-changing conversations that matter most. He's invested over $200,000 in his own growth, mastering Transformational NLP and earning CTA accreditation. Clayton doesn't offer band-aid solutions. He dives deep into the painful patterns that keep people stuck, rewiring them from the inside out. His clients don't just fix their relationships—they discover peace, clarity, and joy that ripples into every corner of their lives: career, purpose, spirituality, and beyond. Grab Your Secure Relationship Blueprint https://claytonolsoncoaching.com/the-secure-relationship-blueprint/ https://www.youtube.com/@claytonolsoncoaching https://www.instagram.com/claytonolsoncoaching/ If you have a full life but still long for your person, this guide is for you. The Midlife Love Readiness Guide will help you understand what may really be standing in the way of love, so you can stop repeating old patterns and begin opening to the kind of relationship you truly want. Download your free guide and take the first step toward love that matches your life.Grab your midlife love readiness guide here  https://pages.lovecoachjuniemoon.com/midlife-love-readiness-guide-opt-in-page  Learn more about Junie here: https://www.midlifeloveoutloud.com

The South and West sides of Chicago are gaining more CTA-area development, but gaps still persist. Crain's reporter Rachel Herzog discusses with host Amy Guth. Plus: Trump Tower lands first retail tenant more than 17 years after opening, Mag Mile office tower extends run of downtown distress, FTC chair says agency is probing fertilizer industry over price hikes and a luxury steakhouse is set to open in the old Esquire Theater. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to the emDOCs.net podcast! Join us as we review our high-yield posts from our website emDOCs.net.Today on the emDOCs cast with Brit Long (@long_brit), we cover how to evaluate and manage acute limb ischemia. To continue to make this a worthwhile podcast for you to listen to, we appreciate any feedback and comments you may have for us. Please let us know!Subscribe to the podcast on one of the many platforms below:Apple iTunesSpotifyGoogle Play Send us Fan Mail

In this AJNR Article Summary, Dr. Francis Deng reviews CTA-based Carotid Plaque-RADS and its role beyond stenosis grading. He explains the key imaging features that define plaque vulnerability, then highlights two AJNR studies showing that the system is learnable, reproducible, and clinically meaningful for predicting future stroke risk, especially in patients with only mild or moderate carotid stenosis. Visit the website to read the related articles. Carotid Plaque-RADS: Inter- and Intrareader Agreement and Learning Curve Analysis in CTA CTA-Based Carotid Plaque-RADS Classification Improves Risk Stratification for Ischemic Cerebrovascular Events

Most people quit their podcast right before it starts working. Not because the content was bad… because they couldn't see the compounding happening under the surface. Today we break down the one thing that has shaped everything BIZBROS has built... endurance. From three seasons of the 45 Live challenge to 700+ episodes of Content Is Profit, to $1M+ in services sold through relationships that started with a single conversation. But here's what took too long to learn: patience alone isn't the strategy. Content builds trust. Outreach closes deals. Run both engines at the same time… and your content becomes a real business tool, not just a brand builder. You'll hear real stories from this week: a studio referral that became a meeting, a cold Google call that became a closed deal, and a doctor on X who attracted the attention of Mark Cuban just by staying authentic and consistent. Don't quit at episode 50. The door opens! you just have to still be standing when it does.

What does it actually take to make Chicago more affordable, safer, and functional? Joe Holberg — political outsider, former teacher, Google alum, and tech entrepreneur — is running for mayor with a platform built around housing supply, fiscal discipline, and a friendlier environment for businesses of every size. In this episode, Joe digs into the CTA safety crisis, Chicago's permitting problem, the parking meter deal that still haunts the city's budget, and why getting kids to school every day might be the single most important lever in the city. No political jockeying — just problem solving.www.joeforchicago.comhttps://www.instagram.com/joeforchicago/

100,000 views and zero customers… or 300 views and three new clients. Which would you rather have? If you're tired of chasing likes that don't turn into leads, this episode will change how you think about social media forever.

Earlier this month, CTA announced a new transit safety task force and made adjustments to 2025 ridership totals. With ongoing concerns about post-pandemic recovery and threats to federal funding, we discuss what these latest moves mean for CTA going forward. Plus, it's National Inventors Month and contributors Leigh Giangreco and PJ Walker brought some of their favorite Chicago inventions.  Good News: Chicago Sky Tickets Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our daily newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Learn more about the sponsors of this Tuesday, May 26 episode: North Shore Center for the Performing Arts Newberry Library Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Countdown timers are dying. Not literally. They'll still work. But they're becoming the marketing equivalent of a used car salesman yelling "ACT NOW!" through a megaphone. In this solo episode of The Expert Edge, I break down the shift from dopamine marketing to oxytocin marketing. Ryan Levesque and Ron Reich call it the future of launches. I call it the only way to build a real moat around your business. Here's the thing: AI can write your emails now. It can create your sales pages. It can produce polished content faster than you can say "ChatGPT." So if you're competing on polish, you've already lost. But AI can't build trust. It can't share your scars. It can't send a shaky iPhone video from your car talking about the thing you've never shared publicly before. That's your moat. That's what separates you from the 10,000 other coaches saying the same thing with the same funnel and the same countdown timer. I walk through four strategies to build connection that actually converts. Not hype. Not urgency. Just real human trust that makes people want to work with you. What you'll learn: → Talk to one real customer (not a made-up avatar) - Stop describing demographics. Find Jack. Learn about Jenny. Build your webinar for real people, not "men aged 25-35" → Open the kimono (share the personal stuff you've been holding back) - Send a vulnerable video with no CTA on the last day of your launch. Just you sharing something real → Reveal the roughs (show the sketches, not just the polished product) - Hand-drawn frameworks, messy first drafts, visible stitching. The rough builds trust more than AI polish → Sprinkle some sweat (do the unscalable) - Personal Bonjoro videos, live onboarding calls, real emails. The unscalable is what makes you different Real insights from the episode: Why I still use real deadlines (Premium Private Clients starts June 1st) but don't lean on urgency as the main selling point The "single and ready to mingle" moment (and why playfulness creates oxytocin) How I send personal videos to new clients and why they say "I've never had the founder reach out like this" The vulnerable video strategy for closed cart day (no CTA, just connection) Why showing rough sketches and hand-drawn frameworks builds more trust than perfect AI-generated graphics How live coaching in my programs creates connection AI can't replicate The two types of people joining Premium Private Clients (established coaches adding $15-30K/month, newer coaches who struggled to sell courses) I'm running a six-week coaching cohort called Premium Private Clients. It's the exact system I've used for 17 years to make $300K-$500K a year from a handful of clients. I'm teaching how to attract them, build an audition funnel, convert at 90%, and design a program you actually enjoy. First cohort is 50% off. Limited spots.  >>>PREMIUM PRIVATE CLIENT COHORT: Go to colinboyd.co/highticket and sign up now.  My goal? Help you add $100K-$300K a year with just 2-3 clients at a time. If you're already making $10K/month, there's no reason you can't add $200K a year with this model. Join our next Speak to Convert Masterclass. In this live workshop, you'll discover how to build and launch a high converting presentation that gets you clients every time you present. https://colinboyd.co/speak Discover how to authentically connect with your audience & fill your programs with a Conversion Story - Version 2.0 (AI Edition) is now available. https://www.conversionstoryformula.com Hit the "Follow" button so you don't miss an episode! Love this podcast? Write a review and give it a 5-star rating!  For all the show notes and links: https://www.expertedgepodcast.com/blog/episode322 Connect with Colin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colinboyd/  

Have a dog? If you're a Millennial or Gen Z, there's a good chance you're already owning your first pet. But do you have pet insurance? According to statistics, you probably don't.  This episode's guest, Trey Ferro, is in the business of making sure you and your pet are insured. From unexpected vet visits to making sure your pup is fully vaccinated, pet insurance can help you have peace of mind. But how do you market such a “complicated” product? The answer is personalization.  And, just how important is a good CTA? Trey reveals the double digit number difference between a good CTA and a bad one.  If you're a Marketer who wants to learn more about Marketing tougher and more unique products, this is the episode for you.  Wrike brings structure, visibility, and accountability to work, so companies can make better business decisions, improve efficiency, and reduce risk. Learn more at https://wrike.com/tmm Follow Trey: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trey-ferro-320240141/ Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com

Get Carrie the AI Carousel Sniper Agent: https://level.strsecrets.com/drrachel

Get Carrie the AI Carousel Sniper Agent: https://level.strsecrets.com/drrachel

Senior Vice President of Mercury Public Affairs and former chairman for the Illinois Republican Party Pat Brady joins the Lisa Dent Show to address the Trump Administration’s $1.6 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and its intended use. Later, Pat touches upon the Springfield debate regarding the Bears stadium’s new location as well as the new CTA task […]

Long-form playables aren't just back — they're crushing it. The top playable in April hit 75% impression share. Whiteout Survival is doing it with 3 new playables a month. And the format that's winning everywhere is the one your mum would recognize.Matej Lančarič is joined by Ondrej Monsberger and John Wright for another Playable Trends deep-dive. The crew goes through Sensor Tower's top playable creatives for April, focusing exclusively on long-form playables and what's actually driving impression share right now. The conversation covers the production trick of building one playable script and shipping 20 variations, why the "mum test" puzzle format is dominating, the BitLife "find the shoes" frustration mechanic, Royal Match's redirect-then-return experiment, and the awkward truth that Whiteout Survival made only three new playables in April but still has 99% impression share on puzzle creatives.If you make playables — or you're trying to understand why CPI keeps climbing despite shipping more creatives — this is the episode to bookmark.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 the "mum test" and recognizable formats02:24 Welcome — the never-ending playables debate revisited06:15 Sensor Tower setup and April's top long-form playables09:27 One script, 20 variations — the production playbook13:50 The completion-rate vs engagement-clicks tradeoff21:00 The 75% impression share playable of April25:48 Royal Match's redirect-then-return experiment30:05 Whiteout Survival: 99% impression share, 3 new playables38:24 Predictions for next month — and the arrows trend

On this episode of HALO Talks, Pete Moore sits down with internationally renowned marketing expert John Dwyer, also known as JD, for a deep dive into proven direct response marketing strategies that deliver real ROI . . . no vague brand-building promises. Hailing from Australia and celebrated for his practical, results-oriented approach, Jack shares stories from his decades-long career, including how a simple contest formula brought hundreds of qualified leads to gyms at a fraction of the usual cost, and why creative incentives like vacation vouchers trump discounting your own services. With anecdotes spanning from licensing Disney characters to orchestrating a bank campaign featuring Jerry Seinfeld, Dwyer reveals the nuts and bolts of incentive-based marketing, the mindset shifts needed to outpace the competition, the power of persistent idea generation, and the importance of a strong call to action. Whether you're running a gym, leading a fitness franchise, or simply want to sharpen your marketing acumen, this episode is packed with insights and actionable takeaways from one of the industry's most persistent and inventive minds. On viral gym incentives, Jack says, "Instead of giving up the first month membership, which of course every gym does, they replace that by saying, join my fitness center and I will give you a free vacation to Disney World, New York, Orlando, call the hotspots, and we give these vacation vouchers to them for $50." Key themes discussed Direct response marketing vs. traditional advertising Incentive-based marketing to drive gym memberships Cost-effective lead generation strategies Using contests and giveaways for engagement Leveraging licensing and brand equity Importance of a strong call to action (CTA) Adapting marketing for small and medium businesses A Few Key Takeaways 1. Direct Response Marketing Over Traditional Branding: John emphasized a fundamental difference between his approach and that of traditional ad agencies: Instead of building brand love in hopes customers will eventually try the product, his strategy is to get people to try the product first so they fall in love with the brand later. Measurability and ROI are central, and "face on the side of a bus" advertising is dismissed for most businesses unless they're global giants like Coca-Cola or Nike (01:04). 2. Leveraging Incentives—"Happy Meal Toys" for Grown-Ups: A key to successful direct response marketing, especially in the fitness sector, is offering incentives unrelated to price discounting. Dwyer discusses "Happy Meal toy" strategies—low-cost incentives (e.g., vacation vouchers) with high-perceived value—that drive response and differentiate offers without eroding core business value (07:24). 3. Facebook Contests for Lead Generation: John shared a proven contest model for gyms and fitness centers: Run Facebook contests where prospects can win a 6- or 12-month membership. The vast majority who don't win remain red-hot leads for follow-up offers. Reported costs per lead are dramatically lower ($1–$5) than those from typical lead generation companies, with much higher volume and exclusivity of leads (04:03). 4. Powerful Call to Action is Critical: Five key elements to effective direct response are: (1) Identify the problem, (2) Aggravate it, (3) Provide a solution, (4) Offer proof (testimonials), and (5) End with a strong call to action (CTA). Dwyer noted most campaigns fail due to a weak CTA, underscoring the importance of an irresistible, incentive-based close (22:15). 5. Borrowing Equity from Big Brands & Trends: A recurring theme with John is "borrowing" the equity of established brands or cultural trends via licensing (e.g., Disney, Ninja Turtles) or celebrity endorsement (e.g., Jerry Seinfeld for a bank's ad campaign). This shortcut to consumer attention and trust can be particularly powerful for smaller enterprises when deployed wisely (13:28). John Dwyer: https://theinstituteofwow.com/about  Integrity Square: https://www.integritysq.com Prospect Wizard: https://www.theprospectwizard.com Promotion Vault: https://www.promotionvault.com HigherDose: https://www.higherdose.com

What happens after a reader signs up for your free registration tier? If you aren't actively nurturing them during the honeymoon period of peak engagement, you are leaving predictable reader revenue on the table.In this episode of the Paywall Podcast, Pete and Tyler break down the anatomy of high-converting email drip campaigns. They contrast two radically different, successful publisher case studies. One niche enthusiast publication dominates with just one perfectly timed email. Another educational publisher leverages an intensive 18-email sequence to drive continuous paid conversions.Whether you cover hyper-local news or serve a deep-niche enthusiast market, you will learn how to stop nagging readers for money. You will discover how to build real trust, leverage your unique voice, and match your email cadence to user intent.Key TakeawaysThe Transactional Goldmine: Your initial account confirmation email boasts an average 70% open rate. If you don't have a subtle, text-based subscription CTA at the bottom, you are missing your most visible touchpoint.The 60-Minute Honeymoon Window: Giving readers an hour to digest your content pays off. One publisher sends a beautiful, high-value welcome email exactly 60 minutes after registration, and it is their highest-converting inbound marketing asset.The Content Bundle Hack: Packaging your best evergreen articles into a free Essentials resource bundle can instantly spike your free registrations. One niche publisher saw a 30% jump using this exact tactic.Local News Playbook: Local publishers should skip aggressive discounts. Instead, focus on introducing your team, highlighting investigative wins, and leaning into your highest-traffic content categories like local food, crime, or politics.The Two Superpowers: You already have the content and the traffic. You just need the confidence to protect your value with a strategic registration wall and a purposeful email sequence.Links & Resources MentionedLeaky PaywallNewsletter GlueCase Studies Referenced: Small Boats Magazine and The Moss ReportTool Highlight: Leaky Paywall Timewall Extension (automatically shifts free content behind the paywall after a set amount of time to create natural urgency)

In episode 68 of Fast Hours, Drew and Rory return from a two-week hiatus to prove that yes, the AI news cycle did continue without their permission. Rude.They dig into Freepik changing its name to Magnific, why enterprise AI image tools are starting to feel more like creative operating systems, and how brands may be better off using approved model aggregators instead of building weird internal Franken-tools that immediately become outdated.Then things get nerdier. Obviously.Rory breaks down how he's using Codex, GPT-Image-2, Claude Code, MCPs, Higgsfield, Seedance, and visual style reference sheets to create repeatable image systems, character references, and bulk creative workflows without living inside a giant text prompt forever. Drew pushes into where Midjourney V8.1 still dominates, especially photorealistic faces, color, texture, and images that do not look like corporate stock photography that lost the will to live.They also talk about Midjourney's upcoming 8.2, 8.3, V9 roadmap, edit model ambiguity, personalization drift, Luma Uni comparisons, Pinterest's internal AI image model, Salesforce going headless, and why AI video audio still sounds like it was recorded inside a cursed podcast booth.And because no episode is complete without accidentally getting philosophical, they close with the viral Claude Monet AI social experiment, the weird bias people bring to AI-generated images, and why “how it was made” keeps hijacking whether people can actually see what's in front of them.Basically, it's an episode about the future of AI creative tools, with two guys trying to sound calm while the ground turns into soup beneath them.--⏱️ Fast Hour00:00 Cold open01:12 AI news fatigue is real01:44 Claude Code runs the day now03:11 Remote work and coffee shop crimes08:21 3 Ninjas nostalgia break10:09 Freepik becomes Magnific11:47 Why Magnific works for enterprise13:00 Model aggregators vs internal tools18:01 Pinterest builds its own AI image model22:11 Salesforce goes "headless"24:08 Higgsfield, MCPs, and Meta ads29:51 Codex for GPT-Image-2 workflows32:45 Pulling style from video frames34:05 Building visual style reference sheets37:36 Codex and textured illustration systems39:34 The evolution beyond text prompts41:50 Seedance storyboards and visual prompts43:01 Reference images as reusable seeds44:51 AI video still has an audio problem46:13 Audio reference hacks in Dreamina50:52 Omni-reference for video control52:37 Midjourney V8.1 updated take53:28 The blue and pink problem returns55:37 Midjourney still owns realistic faces58:56 Reworking old prompts with Describe01:01:10 Luma Uni vs Midjourney color01:02:11 Midjourney 8.2, 8.3, and V901:03:46 Midjourney edit model questions01:07:13 Midjourney plus Seedance films01:09:03 Midjourney's strange lane01:12:28 The Monet AI social experiment01:15:13 Why people over-detect AI01:20:09 AI backlash and disclosure debates01:22:50 AI as a career unlock01:24:30 Keep making weird stuff01:25:45 Wrap-up and seamstress CTA

Chris Holman welcomes Jeff Magnuson, Executive Director of the James B. Henry Center for Executive Development, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI. Jeff Magnuson, executive director of the James B. Henry Center for Executive Development at Michigan State University, discussed the center's role as a full-service educational conference facility on MSU's campus that has been operating since 2001. Magnuson was recently honored as the Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) Star of the Year by Choose Lansing, a recognition tied to his 15 years of facilitating the CTA program, which trains frontline hospitality employees about the Lansing region's attractions and the importance of customer service. He also highlighted notable 2024 tourism statistics for the Tri-County Lansing region, including 6.7 million annual visitors, 9,500 local hospitality jobs, and $732 million in total economic impact. Magnuson emphasized that supporting local restaurants, arts venues, and hospitality facilities is essential to sustaining and growing that economic contribution. » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Subscribe to MBN's YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/

In this episode, I talk about offering a prompt, but I completely forgot to share.Here's a prompt I asked Listing Engine to create for a landing page.Prompt:[Location] is ...insert your city.You are a world-class direct response landing page designer, conversion copywriter, and Go High Level AI Studio website builder.Create a simple, clean, mobile-first landing page designed to generate property appraisal leads from homeowners in [Location].The purpose of the page is to invite homeowners to submit their details so they can receive a fully researched, accurate property market update for their own property within 24 hours.The page should feel professional, local, trustworthy, premium, and helpful.DESIGN STYLEUse a modern real estate lead generation style.The page should be:- Mobile-first- Clean- Premium- Uncluttered- Easy to read- Focused on one clear actionUse a dark charcoal background with white text.Use bold, tightly spaced Inter font throughout the page.Use strong contrast with an electric blue accent colour for buttons, icons, highlights, borders, glow effects, and key visual details.On desktop, use a simple two-column hero layout:- Left column: hero copy- Right column: 24-hour clock graphic and opt-in formKeep the text column and opt-in form visually close together so the page feels focused and conversion-driven.On mobile, stack the hero copy first, then the clock graphic, then the opt-in form.Do not add unnecessary navigation links, menus, extra buttons, or distracting sections.TOP BANNERAt the very top of the page, add this centred context line:HOW MUCH IS YOUR [Location] PROPERTY WORTH TODAY?Make this line bold, clean, and highly visible, but not larger than the main hero heading.HERO SECTION — LEFT SIDEHero Heading:Our Free 24 Hour Update Delivers A Researched and Accurate Property Market Opinion.Subheading:Find out what your property could be worth in today's market with a personalised market opinion prepared specifically for your [Location] home.Supporting Copy:No generic estimate. No automated guesswork. Just a researched property market update based on recent local sales, current buyer activity, comparable properties, and today's market conditions.Add these 5 bullet points with check icons:- Receive your personalised property market opinion within 24 hours- Based on current [Location] market data- Includes recent comparable sales and local buyer demand- Helpful whether you're thinking of selling now, later, or simply curious- Free, accurate, and obligation-freeBelow the bullet points, add a small trust line with a shield icon:Prepared by a local property professional with current market knowledgeHERO SECTION — RIGHT SIDEAt the top of the right column, above the opt-in box, create a large, prominent round 24-hour clock-style graphic.The clock graphic should look sleek, modern, and premium.It should include:- Circular timer ring- Subtle electric blue glow- “24 HR” displayed clearly inside the graphic- Clean, minimal real estate styleBelow the clock graphic, create a clean opt-in box/card.The opt-in box should have:- Slightly lighter charcoal background- Rounded corners- Subtle shadow- Subtle electric blue top gradient line- Strong visual focusOpt-in Box Heading:Get Your Free 24 Hour Market OpinionOpt-in Box Subheading:Enter your details below and we'll prepare a researched property update for your home.Form Fields:- First Name- Address of Property to be Assessed- Email- MobileAdd a tick box with this exact wording:I'm planning to sell. Please send me your marketing options and costs.CTA Button:Get My 24 Hr Market OpinionButton style:- Large- Full width- Rounded corners- Bold text- Bright electric blue background- High contrast- Strong hover effect if possibleBelow the CTA button, add this privacy microcopy:Your details are private and will only be used to prepare your property market update.HOW IT WORKS SECTIONBelow the hero section, add a simple “How It Works” section.Keep this section clean, short, and visually simple.Heading:How It WorksAdd 3 steps with simple icons:Step 1: Submit Your Property DetailsStep 2: We Research The Local MarketStep 3: Receive Your 24 Hour Market OpinionCLOSING CTA SECTIONAdd a final simple closing CTA section.TextWant to know what your [Location] property could sell for in today's market?Button:Get My 24 Hr Market OpinionIMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS- Keep the page focused on one action only.- Do not add unnecessary navigation links.- Do not make the page busy.- Prioritise mobile readability.- Make the opt-in form the main visual focus.- Use strong spacing, bold headings, and clean sections.- Keep the design premium, local, trustworthy, and conversion-focused.- Make sure the page is suitable for real estate agents generating homeowner appraisal leads.

If you've ever stared at a blank screen wondering what to post on Instagram, this episode is for you. I promise, it's not what you think. This topic actually came from a recent coaching call where so many of my clients had the exact same question: What do I even post right now? And what I've realized is that when people think they have a content ideas problem, they actually have a decision-making problem. A confidence problem, at it's core.  So in this episode, I'm breaking down the real reasons you don't know what to post and what to actually do about it. Here's what we cover: Why you need to know your goal with every post. You know what to post, but you fear the outcome.  You have too many ideas and no priorities. You're consuming more than you're deciding.  What to do instead: Ask yourself: what is this post supposed to do? Attract, connect, or convert? Get clear on what you want to be known for and what conversations you want to own. Think about what feels honest and strategic right now. Break it down to the smallest version of the idea. Reverse engineer from your CTA and pull one teaching from it. Whether you're in a visibility season, a trust-building season, or a conversion season, the content you need looks different for each, and I walk you through all of it. CONNECT: Connect with me on Instagram to see how I apply what I talk about on the episodes. Get more marketing insights from me beyond the episodes.   BEYOND THE EPISODE: Get private consulting and coaching on your marketing to become your audience's favorite personal brand to follow and buy from. Learn more. Learn how to launch like celebrity brands like SKIMS, Poppi, and Rhode using the Campaign Crash Course™. Get it today! Reinvent the way you market and 3x your audience, demand, and sales with Industry's Choice. Learn more. Get support with all of your design needs for your next campaign with Sales Studio. Get started.  

C-suite executives don't ignore cold emails because of bad timing. They ignore them because the email was never written for them in the first place.Pranam Lipinski and Junior Lartey broke how executives actually read cold outreach and what separates emails that get deleted from ones that get forwarded internally.Learn how to structure a C-suite email from subject line to CTA, and how to follow up in a way that adds value instead of just checking in.This session is about writing emails that sound like they came from someone who understands the business, not someone trying to sell into it.You'll Learn:The mindset shift executives need to see in your email before they read past the first lineA structural framework for C-suite cold emails, from subject line through CTAA follow-up strategy that keeps doors open instead of burning themThe Speakers:Will Aitken, Junior Lartey and Pranam LipinskiIf you want to catch The Daily Sales Show live, join hereFollow Sell Better to get the latest actionable tactics from sales pros at the top of their gameExplore our YouTube ChannelThank you to our sponsors: ZoomInfo, HighLevel, Parakeet

Partner with Jay! https://www.jayschwedelson.com/contactㅤPre-order Jay Schwedelson's new book, Stupider People Have Done It (out June 9, 2026). All net proceeds are donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research—let's kick cancer's butt: https://www.amazon.com/Stupider-People-Have-Done-Marketing/dp/1637635206ㅤCheck out Jay's YOUTUBE Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@schwedelsonCheck out Jay's TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@schwedelsonCheck Out Jay's INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/jayschwedelson/ㅤCranking out more content with AI, but watching engagement quietly tank? Jay Schwedelson breaks down why polished AI output is dragging performance down and shares the weirdly casual button copy, screenshot formats, and webinar title tweaks that are actually lifting clicks right now. Plus a round of ridiculous debates that may or may not include why saying "we need rain" is the most annoying sentence in the English language.ㅤBest Moments:(01:53) Why cranking out more AI content is quietly dragging engagement down(02:34) Screenshot testimonials lifting conversions 22% over standard case studies(03:29) The casual "maybe" CTA buttons pulling 14% higher click-throughs(04:13) The webinar title format crushing polished educational content right now(04:45) Why day in the life content wins even in regulated and boring industries(07:00) The public speakerphone offense that nobody on earth should ever commit

As I stated yesterday, a debate can still be had about what appropriate levels of compensation should be for teachers and whether the CTA demanded raise of 4.8% or the PBC School District offered raise of 1.5% is most appropriate, however first the facts should be established which is not something I've not seen occur with any news reporting other than what I've covered over the years. This has often placed me in the crosshairs of teachers – which isn't inherently my intention to do. As always there are two sides to stories and one side to facts. These are facts and the basis for any honest conversation regarding this topic.  

Kait LeDonne is a New York-based personal branding strategist and LinkedIn coach who helps thought leaders, executives, and corporate teams turn expertise into visible authority, influence, and qualified deal flow. She is a featured instructor for CNBC Make It's "How to Build a Standout Personal Brand," bringing practical executive-grade playbooks to a broad audience.   Her LinkedIn audience and "Build a Brand" newsletter community exceed 80,000 professionals. She has delivered training for organizations, including the United States Air Force and Kia. Listed by Favikon among the Top Personal Branding Influencers in the U.S., Kait is frequently cited in the media for clear, results-driven personal brand strategies professionals can sustain.   Connect with Kait LeDonne:   Website: www.kaitledonne.com Linkedin: @kaitledonne   Episode Summary:   In this episode, host Lyndsay Dowd sits down with New York-based personal branding strategist Kait LeDonne — a LinkedIn coach with 80,000+ followers, CNBC contributor, and newsletter founder — to break down exactly how executives, consultants, and thought leaders can stop being the best-kept secret in their industry. Kait shares how she went from a corporate marketing role to launching her own business within 90 days, all powered by LinkedIn. The conversation covers LinkedIn's newest AI-driven algorithm, the three content pillars every professional needs, and how to convert visibility into real revenue — without ever feeling salesy.   Key takeaways:   Your expertise is already there — the gap is visibility, and the key is clarity. You don't need more credentials; you need a clearer message.  Personal branding isn't about being everywhere. It's about being unmistakable somewhere. Pick two to three topics and own them consistently. LinkedIn isn't just a resume — it's a revenue channel. Turning on your Services section, showcasing packages, and adding a soft CTA in posts can quietly drive real deal flow. Don't confuse engagement with your niche. A viral personal story proves you're human, not that you should pivot your entire brand toward it. Think like a reporter covering your own career. Your daily work is more fascinating to outsiders than you think — mine your schedule for content instead of waiting for big wins.   Episode chapters:   0:00 Cold open & episode preview 0:44 Introducing Kait LeDonne 2:11 Kait's origin story 4:50 Personality on LinkedIn — the three Ps framework 9:21 Three tactical tips for LinkedIn beginners 13:21 LinkedIn as a revenue channel 16:23 What most people get wrong — the reporter mindset 19:31 LinkedIn video — what's really happening 23:29 Kait's ideal clients & what makes brands fly 25:38 What inspires Kait — and her legacy 28:03 Where to find Kait  

Most podcasters assume discovery is the hard part, but the PMS cast and crew get into what really happens after someone clicks on your show. We talk through that moment when a listener is deciding where to start, and why telling people to “Check Out Your Podcast” without direction usually leads to them leaving instead. From trailers and websites to hand-picked episodes and social clips, this conversation keeps circling one idea you've probably felt before, you know the one where you open a show and have no clue what to play. If you don't guide that moment, someone else will get their attention instead, and they may never hear the episode that would have made them stay.Episode Highlights:[02:13] Spotlight Clip Invite[03:31] New Listener Entry Point[04:46] What Do You Click Next?[07:20] Recommend a Best Episode[09:25] Website as a Home Base[11:10] Sell the Benefit First[13:07] How Listeners Choose Episodes[15:25] Designing Your Front Door[16:47] Pros vs. Casual Listeners[19:28] Define Your Show's Front Door[19:53] Examples: Trailer, Website, CTA[24:58] Website Front Door Setup[25:46] Favorites, Trailer, Landing Page[28:42] Welcome Video Debate[30:02] Autoplay and Video Hosting[31:43] Guided Journeys and Categories[35:10] Platform-Specific Welcome Videos[37:42] Sacred Cows and Feedback Plug[41:14] Pick a Starter Episode[46:29] Premium Content: First Impressions[49:33] Latest Episode Pressure[52:07] Make Entry Points ObviousLinks & Resources:Sid Meadows', "The Trend Report":https://www.sidmeadows.com/podcastYvonne's, Late Bloomer Living podcast:https://www.latebloomerliving.com/ BC Babbles, "Casual Babbles" Podcast:bcbabbles.substack.comTrueFans:https://truefans.fm/Feature Your Podcast on the Podcasting Morning Show:https://PodcastingMorningShow.com/spotlightThe Podcasting Morning Show:⁠⁠www.podcastingmorningshow.com⁠⁠Ways to Watch or Listen:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.podcastingmorningshow.com/joinus/Meet the PMS Cast and Crew:⁠⁠https://podcastingmorningshow.com/people⁠⁠Join The Empowered Podcasting Facebook Group:⁠⁠www.facebook.com/groups/empoweredpodcasting⁠⁠⁠Book A Free Call With Marc:https://calendly.com/ironickmedia/freestrategycallApplication To Submit Your Show For Evaluation:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcastingmorningshow.com/eval⁠⁠Join us every other Monday at 8 AM ET for the Obsession Worthy Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠http://podcastingmorningshow.com/owp/⁠⁠Join us LIVE every weekday morning at 8 am ET (US) on ⁠Clubhouse⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcastingmorningshow.com/clubhouse⁠⁠EPC3 Speaker Application:⁠⁠ ⁠https://empoweredpodcasting.com/speakersPowered by⁠⁠⁠ ⁠iRonickMedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ and⁠ ⁠ContentCreatorsAccountant.com⁠⁠Send in your mailbag questions:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.podcastingmorningshow.com/contact/⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠marc@ironickmedia.com⁠Want to be a guest on The Podcasting Morning Show? Send me a message on PodMatch, here:https://podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1729879899384520035bad21b

Everyone wants followers.Almost nobody knows how to turn attention into income.In this episode of Inside the Vault, Ash Cash sits down with Sharif Ceasar (aka Real Melanin King), a 7-figure entrepreneur who built a massive social media brand before the age of 25.But this isn't just another “grow on social media” conversation.This is a masterclass on:• The 2 things the algorithm actually prioritizes • How to structure hooks that force watch time • The “negative hook” framework • The “Exposed” strategy that triggers curiosity • Why consistency alone will NOT make you grow • Where to place your CTA to double conversions • How to monetize small audiences the right way • Why most podcast clips failSharif also shares his powerful story:From carrying water on his head in Ghana…To being bullied in America…To making his first $300 on YouTube…To hitting $10K months at 21…To building a 7-figure business with nothing but strategy.If you're a creator, coach, consultant, entrepreneur, or business owner trying to turn influence into income — this episode is required listening.Stop chasing views.Start building leverage.

This episode includes two full, sample vascular scenarios pulled directly from our Vascular Surgery Oral Board Review Course. Listen in and test your clinical pathways in real-time as we walk through the perfect answers and provide high-yield commentary to help you pass the "hot seat."Sample Scenarios Included in This Episode: Case 22: Aortoenteric Fistula (AEF). A 78-year-old woman presents to the ER with a massive upper GI bleed and a history of an open AAA repair 10 years ago. We walk you through the immediate stabilization, CTA evaluation, and the definitive operative management—including axillobifemoral bypass, aortic stump closure, and duodenal repair. Case 27: Acute Mesenteric Ischemia. A 79-year-old woman with a history of atrial fibrillation presents with abdominal pain out of proportion to her physical exam. Test your decision-making on systemic heparinization, SMA embolectomy versus stenting (ROMS), and how to appropriately evaluate bowel viability with a second-look laparotomy. About our Vascular Surgery Oral Board Review Course: 72 High-Yield Scenarios: Covering everything from carotid stump syndrome to a AAA with a horseshoe kidney. Dual-Format Learning: Each case includes "Part A" (a straight run-through of the perfect exam response) and "Part B" (the same scenario packed with expert tips, tricks, and commentary). Free Simulator Access: Every purchase of the course includes access to our new AI-powered Oral Board Simulator, allowing you to practice your verbal responses under pressure. Resources: Vascular Surgery Oral Board Review Course: https://app.behindtheknife.org/premium/vascular-surgery-oral-board-audio-review Oral Board Simulator: https://app.behindtheknife.org/oral-board-simulator Download the BTK App on iOS and Android for on-the-go studying. DOMINATE THE DAY!

CTA ended its multi-million dollar contract with Monterrey Security on Friday, letting go of roughly 250 unarmed security guards. The transit agency plans on redirecting funds to officers and other security personnel. Host Jacoby Cochran discusses the latest with executive producer Simone Alicea and writer, comedian, and the host of The Rewine podcast, PJ Walker. Plus, Chicago's booming film industry is driving record production spending. And did you know Chicago was once the silent film capital of the world?  Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our daily newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Learn more about the sponsors of this Thursday, April 23 episode: Enjoy Illinois ComEd Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

In this episode we answer emails from Andrew, Geoff, and Frank.  We discuss connecting risk parity investing to a bigger question: how to build a drawdown portfolio you can hold while using money to live a full life. Along the way we share a Fairfax CASA story, dig into narrative psychology, and answer practical fund questions on modifying the sample Golden Ratio portfolio, large cap stock funds, managed futures, and what beta does and does not tell you. Links:Fairfax CASA Donation Page:  Donate - Fairfax CASAAndrew's Book:  Here I Walk: A Thousand Miles on Foot to Rome with Martin Luther: Wilson, Andrew L., Wilson, Sarah: 9781587433054: Amazon.com: BooksTestfolio Comparison of Sample Golden Ratio vs. FAV Mods vs. 60/40 vs. Three Fund Portfolio:  Portfolio Backtester for ETFs and Asset Allocation | testfolioTestfolio Comparison of Sample Golden Ratio vs. FAV Mods vs. 60/40 vs. Three Fund Portfolio (5% Withdrawals):  Portfolio Backtester for ETFs and Asset Allocation | testfolioRPR Episode 436 Summary Video:  RPR Episode 436 Illustrated: The Two Halves of Your Financial LifeBreathless AI-Bot Summary:The best portfolio on paper can still fail in real life if you can't stick with it when markets get weird. We take a listener-driven mailbag and use it to get practical about risk parity investing, retirement drawdown strategy, and the Golden Ratio portfolio idea as a set of principles rather than a rigid recipe you must copy.We also pause the market talk to highlight Fairfax CASA and share a powerful story about Christopher, a kid who endured years in the foster system before finally finding permanence through consistent advocacy and support. It's a reminder that “long-term” is not an abstract concept, it's something people live through, and steady commitment changes outcomes.From there we jump into what listeners are wrestling with right now: customizing a drawdown portfolio so you'll actually hold it. We talk about why personalizing an allocation can increase adherence, when cash is just drag, how international stocks and small cap value (including AVUV-style “best in class” options) can fit, and how to evaluate managed futures funds like DBMF versus alternatives such as CTA. We also answer the beta question directly: there's no ideal beta target here, because safe withdrawal rates are far more connected to maximum drawdowns and how long a portfolio stays underwater.If you get value from the show, subscribe, share it with a friend planning retirement, and leave a review on your favorite podcast app.Support the show

Dr Matt Johnson joins the Illusion of Consensus podcast with Rav Arora to break down this weekend's Trump administration's psychedelic executive order and what it means for FDA approvals, rescheduling, and veteran access to therapies. As a leading Johns Hopkins University psychiatry professor, Dr Matt Johnson shares insights from decades of research into psilocybin, addiction treatment, depression, and end-of-life care. The discussion covers the political shift driven by figures like Donald Trump, Joe Rogan, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., alongside the growing bipartisan support for psychedelic science. Key topics include breakthrough therapy designations, right-to-try pathways, ibogaine research, and the real-world implications for mental health and veteran suicide prevention. This episode explores how emerging data and policy changes could reshape the future of psychedelic medicine in the United States.Chapters:[0:00] Intro[2:30] Joe Rogan Bashing Nixon[5:20] Rav and Matt's Proposal[9:40] Calley Means' Pivotal Role[13:40] Matt Johnson Reacts To The News[18:36] The DEA Bottleneck Problem[23:20] Real Risks of Psychedelics[32:19] Right to Try for Veterans[34:37] Jay Bhattacharya vs Trump[39:40] Jealousy for Rogan[43:51] Do Psychedelics Improve Lives?[49:55] Next Steps for Trump Admin[53:42] End of Psychedelic Prohibition? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.illusionconsensus.com/subscribe

Today, Rob Carver joins us to reflect on a market environment that appears calm on the surface but feels increasingly fragile underneath. From oil market distortions and muted reactions to geopolitical risk to the steady resilience of equities, the conversation questions whether price action is telling the full story. Rob shares insights from his own performance, including why slower trend signals have recently dominated and why he is running lower risk despite positive returns. The discussion moves into portfolio construction, return stacking, and the growing role of ETFs, alongside a candid look at where complexity adds value in systematic investing and where it does not.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT's TRUE ? – most CIO's read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Rob on Twitter.Episode TimeStamps:00:00 - Intro & current market backdrop04:30 - Oil market dislocations and futures vs physical pricing10:00 - Equities hitting highs despite geopolitical tension13:30 - ETFs, fees, and structural shifts in investment vehicles17:00 - Trend following performance update and April results20:30 - Rob's year-to-date and 12-month performance breakdown25:00 - Why slow trend signals outperformed27:30 - How to evaluate large CTA managers31:00 - Where PhDs add value in systematic investing43:00 - Signal weighting, crisis alpha, and portfolio construction52:00 - Return stacking and diversifying equities01:06:30 - Managed futures ETFs vs replication strategies01:18:00 - Final thoughts and wrap-upCopyright © 2025 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I'm really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Ya'll asked for some advice episodes and whitney can't take her own advice about saying no, so here it is. Whitney gives all the advice she wish she had heard when she was 30. Warning: it's very direct. Do not watch this if you want to stay in a fake relationship with Chet. She doesn't want to bore you with anything she has already said, so for more buy her book I'M FINE AND OTHER LIES.  https://www.amazon.com/Fine-Other-Lie... Tickets for The Big Baby Tour https://www.whitneycummings.com SHOP: https://whitneycummings.com/index.htm... Thank you to our sponsors! REVOLVE URL: ⁠https://www.revolve.com/whitney Code: WHITNEY Offer: 15% off your first order Shop at REVOLVE.com/WHITNEY and use code WHITNEY for 15% off your first order. #REVOLVEpartner DraftKings Casino Code: GOODFORYOU Terms URL mentioned in CTA: ⁠https://casino.draftkings.com/promos⁠ New players play $5 and get 500 Flex Spins, claimed as 50 spins a day for 10 days. Download the DraftKings Casino app and sign up with code GOODFORYOU. New players can play $5 and get 500 Flex Spins, claimed as 50 spins a day for 10 days. Terms: ⁠https://casino.draftkings.com/promos⁠ LOLA URL: ⁠https://Lolablankets.com⁠ Code: WHITNEY Offer: 40% off select Lola Blankets products Get 40% off select Lola Blankets products at Lolablankets.com by using code WHITNEY at checkout. Experience the world's #1 blanket with Lola Blankets. NOCD URL: ⁠https://learn.nocd.com/WHITNEY⁠ Vanity URL: ⁠https://learn.nocd.com/WHITNEY⁠ If you're struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: ⁠https://learn.nocd.com/WHITNEY⁠