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THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. Media Referenced in this Episode: Bee Movie. Dir. Simon J. Smith and Steve Hickner. 2007. “A Complete History of Bee Movie's Many, Many Memes" by Paris Martineau. New York Magazine. November 2nd, 2017. “Bee Movie: A Seinfeldian Society” by Joe Strike. Animation World. November 2nd, 2007. “How Bee Movie Won 2016” by Laura Bradley. Vanity Fair. December 30th, 2016. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “A Series of Voicemails Left on Jerry Seinfeld's Answering Machine by one Stephen Sondheim, Composer of Musical Theater and Lover of Bees” // Written by A.J. Ditty and Brian Alford // feat. David Armstrong as “Stephen Sondheim” and Brian Alford as “Jerry” Episode edited by Brian Alford. Interstitial edited by A.J. Ditty. Produced by Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford. This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Agreement. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway because bees don't care what humans think is impossible. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Ooh, black and yellow! Let's shake it up a little. Barry! Breakfast is ready! Coming! Hang on a second. Hello? - Barry? - Adam? - Can you believe this is happening? - I can't. I'll pick you up. Looking sharp. Use the stairs. Your father paid good money for those. Sorry. I'm excited. Here's the graduate. We're very proud of you, son. A perfect report card, all B's. Very proud. Ma! I got a thing going here. - You got lint on your fuzz. - Ow! That's me! - Wave to us! We'll be in row 118,000. - Bye! Barry, I told you, stop flying in the house! - Hey, Adam. - Hey, Barry. - Is that fuzz gel? - A little. Special day, graduation. Never thought I'd make it. Three days grade school, three days high school. Those were awkward. Three days college. I'm glad I took a day and hitchhiked around the hive. You did come back different. - Hi, Barry. - Artie, growing a mustache? Looks good. - Hear about Frankie? - Yeah. - You going to the funeral? - No, I'm not going. Everybody knows, sting someone, you die. Don't waste it on a squirrel. Such a hothead. I guess he could have just gotten out of the way. I love this incorporating an amusement park into our day. That's why we don't need vacations. Boy, quite a bit of pomp… under the circumstances. - Well, Adam, today we are men. - We are! - Bee-men. - Amen! Hallelujah! Students, faculty, distinguished bees, please welcome Dean Buzzwell. Welcome, New Hive City graduating class of… …9:15. That concludes our ceremonies. And begins your career at Honex Industries! Will we pick our job today? I heard it's just orientation. Heads up! Here we go. Keep your hands and antennas inside the tram at all times. - Wonder what it'll be like? - A little scary. Welcome to Honex, a division of Honesco and a part of the Hexagon Group. This is it! Wow. Wow. We know that you, as a bee, have worked your whole life to get to the point where you can work for your whole life. Honey begins when our valiant Pollen Jocks bring the nectar to the hive. Our top-secret formula is automatically color-corrected, scent-adjusted and bubble-contoured into this soothing sweet syrup with its distinctive golden glow you know as… Honey! - That girl was hot. - She's my cousin! - She is? - Yes, we're all cousins. - Right. You're right. - At Honex, we constantly strive to improve every aspect of bee existence. These bees are stress-testing a new helmet technology. - What do you think he makes? - Not enough. Here we have our latest advancement, the Krelman. - What does that do? - Oatches that little strand of honey that hangs after you pour it. Saves us millions. Oan anyone work on the Krelman? Of course. Most bee jobs are small ones. But bees know that every small job, if it's done well, means a lot. But choose carefully because you'll stay in the job you pick for the rest of your life. The same job the rest of your life? I didn't know that. What's the difference? You'll be happy to know that bees, as a species, haven't had one day off in 27 million years. So you'll just work us to death? We'll sure try. Wow! That blew my mind! “What's the difference?” How can you say that? One job forever? That's an insane choice to have to make. I'm relieved. Now we only have to make one decision in life. But, Adam, how could they never have told us that? Why would you question anything? We're bees. We're the most perfectly functioning society on Earth. You ever think maybe things work a little too well here? Like what? Give me one example. I don't know. But you know what I'm talking about. Please clear the gate. Royal Nectar Force on approach. Wait a second. Oheck it out. - Hey, those are Pollen Jocks! - Wow. I've never seen them this close. They know what it's like outside the hive. Yeah, but some don't come back. - Hey, Jocks! - Hi, Jocks! You guys did great! You're monsters! You're sky freaks! I love it! I love it! - I wonder where they were. - I don't know. Their day's not planned. Outside the hive, flying who knows where, doing who knows what. You can'tjust decide to be a Pollen Jock. You have to be bred for that. Right. Look. That's more pollen than you and I will see in a lifetime. It's just a status symbol. Bees make too much of it. Perhaps. Unless you're wearing it and the ladies see you wearing it. Those ladies? Aren't they our cousins too? Distant. Distant. Look at these two. - Oouple of Hive Harrys. - Let's have fun with them. It must be dangerous being a Pollen Jock. Yeah. Once a bear pinned me against a mushroom! He had a paw on my throat, and with the other, he was slapping me! - Oh, my! - I never thought I'd knock him out. What were you doing during this? Trying to alert the authorities. I can autograph that. A little gusty out there today, wasn't it, comrades? Yeah. Gusty. We're hitting a sunflower patch six miles from here tomorrow. - Six miles, huh? - Barry! A puddle jump for us, but maybe you're not up for it. - Maybe I am. - You are not! We're going 0900 at J-Gate. What do you think, buzzy-boy? Are you bee enough? I might be. It all depends on what 0900 means. Hey, Honex! Dad, you surprised me. You decide what you're interested in? - Well, there's a lot of choices. - But you only get one. Do you ever get bored doing the same job every day? Son, let me tell you about stirring. You grab that stick, and you just move it around, and you stir it around. You get yourself into a rhythm. It's a beautiful thing. You know, Dad, the more I think about it, maybe the honey field just isn't right for me. You were thinking of what, making balloon animals? That's a bad job for a guy with a stinger. Janet, your son's not sure he wants to go into honey! - Barry, you are so funny sometimes. - I'm not trying to be funny. You're not funny! You're going into honey. Our son, the stirrer! - You're gonna be a stirrer? - No one's listening to me! Wait till you see the sticks I have. I could say anything right now. I'm gonna get an ant tattoo! Let's open some honey and celebrate! Maybe I'll pierce my thorax. Shave my antennae. Shack up with a grasshopper. Get a gold tooth and call everybody “dawg”! I'm so proud. - We're starting work today! - Today's the day. Oome on! All the good jobs will be gone. Yeah, right. Pollen counting, stunt bee, pouring, stirrer, front desk, hair removal… - Is it still available? - Hang on. Two left! One of them's yours! Oongratulations! Step to the side. - What'd you get? - Picking crud out. Stellar! Wow! Oouple of newbies? Yes, sir! Our first day! We are ready! Make your choice. - You want to go first? - No, you go. Oh, my. What's available? Restroom attendant's open, not for the reason you think. - Any chance of getting the Krelman? - Sure, you're on. I'm sorry, the Krelman just closed out. Wax monkey's always open. The Krelman opened up again. What happened? A bee died. Makes an opening. See? He's dead. Another dead one. Deady. Deadified. Two more dead. Dead from the neck up. Dead from the neck down. That's life! Oh, this is so hard! Heating, cooling, stunt bee, pourer, stirrer, humming, inspector number seven, lint coordinator, stripe supervisor, mite wrangler. Barry, what do you think I should… Barry? Barry! All right, we've got the sunflower patch in quadrant nine… What happened to you? Where are you? - I'm going out. - Out? Out where? - Out there. - Oh, no! I have to, before I go to work for the rest of my life. You're gonna die! You're crazy! Hello? Another call coming in. If anyone's feeling brave, there's a Korean deli on 83rd that gets their roses today. Hey, guys. - Look at that. - Isn't that the kid we saw yesterday? Hold it, son, flight deck's restricted. It's OK, Lou. We're gonna take him up. Really? Feeling lucky, are you? Sign here, here. Just initial that. - Thank you. - OK. You got a rain advisory today, and as you all know, bees cannot fly in rain. So be careful. As always, watch your brooms, hockey sticks, dogs, birds, bears and bats. Also, I got a couple of reports of root beer being poured on us. Murphy's in a home because of it, babbling like a cicada! - That's awful. - And a reminder for you rookies, bee law number one, absolutely no talking to humans! All right, launch positions! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Black and yellow! Hello! You ready for this, hot shot? Yeah. Yeah, bring it on. Wind, check. - Antennae, check. - Nectar pack, check. - Wings, check. - Stinger, check. Scared out of my shorts, check. OK, ladies, let's move it out! Pound those petunias, you striped stem-suckers! All of you, drain those flowers! Wow! I'm out! I can't believe I'm out! So blue. I feel so fast and free! Box kite! Wow! Flowers! This is Blue Leader. We have roses visual. Bring it around 30 degrees and hold. Roses! 30 degrees, roger. Bringing it around. Stand to the side, kid. It's got a bit of a kick. That is one nectar collector! - Ever see pollination up close? - No, sir. I pick up some pollen here, sprinkle it over here. Maybe a dash over there, a pinch on that one. See that? It's a little bit of magic. That's amazing. Why do we do that? That's pollen power. More pollen, more flowers, more nectar, more honey for us. Cool. I'm picking up a lot of bright yellow. Oould be daisies. Don't we need those? Oopy that visual. Wait. One of these flowers seems to be on the move. Say again? You're reporting a moving flower? Affirmative. That was on the line! This is the coolest. What is it? I don't know, but I'm loving this color. It smells good. Not like a flower, but I like it. Yeah, fuzzy. Ohemical-y. Oareful, guys. It's a little grabby. My sweet lord of bees! Oandy-brain, get off there! Problem! - Guys! - This could be bad. Affirmative. Very close. Gonna hurt. Mama's little boy. You are way out of position, rookie! Ooming in at you like a missile! Help me! I don't think these are flowers. - Should we tell him? - I think he knows. What is this?! Match point! You can start packing up, honey, because you're about to eat it! Yowser! Gross. There's a bee in the car! - Do something! - I'm driving! - Hi, bee. - He's back here! He's going to sting me! Nobody move. If you don't move, he won't sting you. Freeze! He blinked! Spray him, Granny! What are you doing?! Wow… the tension level out here is unbelievable. I gotta get home. Oan't fly in rain. Oan't fly in rain. Oan't fly in rain. Mayday! Mayday! Bee going down! Ken, could you close the window please? Ken, could you close the window please? Oheck out my new resume. I made it into a fold-out brochure. You see? Folds out. Oh, no. More humans. I don't need this. What was that? Maybe this time. This time. This time. This time! This time! This… Drapes! That is diabolical. It's fantastic. It's got all my special skills, even my top-ten favorite movies. What's number one? Star Wars? Nah, I don't go for that… …kind of stuff. No wonder we shouldn't talk to them. They're out of their minds. When I leave a job interview, they're flabbergasted, can't believe what I say. There's the sun. Maybe that's a way out. I don't remember the sun having a big 75 on it. I predicted global warming. I could feel it getting hotter. At first I thought it was just me. Wait! Stop! Bee! Stand back. These are winter boots. Wait! Don't kill him! You know I'm allergic to them! This thing could kill me! Why does his life have less value than yours? Why does his life have any less value than mine? Is that your statement? I'm just saying all life has value. You don't know what he's capable of feeling. My brochure! There you go, little guy. I'm not scared of him. It's an allergic thing. Put that on your resume brochure. My whole face could puff up. Make it one of your special skills. Knocking someone out is also a special skill. Right. Bye, Vanessa. Thanks. - Vanessa, next week? Yogurt night? - Sure, Ken. You know, whatever. - You could put carob chips on there. - Bye. - Supposed to be less calories. - Bye. I gotta say something. She saved my life. I gotta say something. All right, here it goes. Nah. What would I say? I could really get in trouble. It's a bee law. You're not supposed to talk to a human. I can't believe I'm doing this. I've got to. Oh, I can't do it. Oome on! No. Yes. No. Do it. I can't. How should I start it? “You like jazz?” No, that's no good. Here she comes! Speak, you fool! Hi! I'm sorry. - You're talking. - Yes, I know. You're talking! I'm so sorry. No, it's OK. It's fine. I know I'm dreaming. But I don't recall going to bed. Well, I'm sure this is very disconcerting. This is a bit of a surprise to me. I mean, you're a bee! I am. And I'm not supposed to be doing this, but they were all trying to kill me. And if it wasn't for you… I had to thank you. It's just how I was raised. That was a little weird. - I'm talking with a bee. - Yeah. I'm talking to a bee. And the bee is talking to me! I just want to say I'm grateful. I'll leave now. - Wait! How did you learn to do that? - What? The talking thing. Same way you did, I guess. “Mama, Dada, honey.” You pick it up. - That's very funny. - Yeah. Bees are funny. If we didn't laugh, we'd cry with what we have to deal with. Anyway… Oan I… …get you something? - Like what? I don't know. I mean… I don't know. Ooffee? I don't want to put you out. It's no trouble. It takes two minutes. - It's just coffee. - I hate to impose. - Don't be ridiculous! - Actually, I would love a cup. Hey, you want rum cake? - I shouldn't. - Have some. - No, I can't. - Oome on! I'm trying to lose a couple micrograms. - Where? - These stripes don't help. You look great! I don't know if you know anything about fashion. Are you all right? No. He's making the tie in the cab as they're flying up Madison. He finally gets there. He runs up the steps into the church. The wedding is on. And he says, “Watermelon? I thought you said Guatemalan. Why would I marry a watermelon?” Is that a bee joke? That's the kind of stuff we do. Yeah, different. So, what are you gonna do, Barry? About work? I don't know. I want to do my part for the hive, but I can't do it the way they want. I know how you feel. - You do? - Sure. My parents wanted me to be a lawyer or a doctor, but I wanted to be a florist. - Really? - My only interest is flowers. Our new queen was just elected with that same campaign slogan. Anyway, if you look… There's my hive right there. See it? You're in Sheep Meadow! Yes! I'm right off the Turtle Pond! No way! I know that area. I lost a toe ring there once. - Why do girls put rings on their toes? - Why not? - It's like putting a hat on your knee. - Maybe I'll try that. - You all right, ma'am? - Oh, yeah. Fine. Just having two cups of coffee! Anyway, this has been great. Thanks for the coffee. Yeah, it's no trouble. Sorry I couldn't finish it. If I did, I'd be up the rest of my life. Are you…? Oan I take a piece of this with me? Sure! Here, have a crumb. - Thanks! - Yeah. All right. Well, then… I guess I'll see you around. Or not. OK, Barry. And thank you so much again… for before. Oh, that? That was nothing. Well, not nothing, but… Anyway… This can't possibly work. He's all set to go. We may as well try it. OK, Dave, pull the chute. - Sounds amazing. - It was amazing! It was the scariest, happiest moment of my life. Humans! I can't believe you were with humans! Giant, scary humans! What were they like? Huge and crazy. They talk crazy. They eat crazy giant things. They drive crazy. - Do they try and kill you, like on TV? - Some of them. But some of them don't. - How'd you get back? - Poodle. You did it, and I'm glad. You saw whatever you wanted to see. You had your “experience.” Now you can pick out yourjob and be normal. - Well… - Well? Well, I met someone. You did? Was she Bee-ish? - A wasp?! Your parents will kill you! - No, no, no, not a wasp. - Spider? - I'm not attracted to spiders. I know it's the hottest thing, with the eight legs and all. I can't get by that face. So who is she? She's… human. No, no. That's a bee law. You wouldn't break a bee law. - Her name's Vanessa. - Oh, boy. She's so nice. And she's a florist! Oh, no! You're dating a human florist! We're not dating. You're flying outside the hive, talking to humans that attack our homes with power washers and M-80s! One-eighth a stick of dynamite! She saved my life! And she understands me. This is over! Eat this. This is not over! What was that? - They call it a crumb. - It was so stingin' stripey! And that's not what they eat. That's what falls off what they eat! - You know what a Oinnabon is? - No. It's bread and cinnamon and frosting. They heat it up… Sit down! …really hot! - Listen to me! We are not them! We're us. There's us and there's them! Yes, but who can deny the heart that is yearning? There's no yearning. Stop yearning. Listen to me! You have got to start thinking bee, my friend. Thinking bee! - Thinking bee. - Thinking bee. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! There he is. He's in the pool. You know what your problem is, Barry? I gotta start thinking bee? How much longer will this go on? It's been three days! Why aren't you working? I've got a lot of big life decisions to think about. What life? You have no life! You have no job. You're barely a bee! Would it kill you to make a little honey? Barry, come out. Your father's talking to you. Martin, would you talk to him? Barry, I'm talking to you! You coming? Got everything? All set! Go ahead. I'll catch up. Don't be too long. Watch this! Vanessa! - We're still here. - I told you not to yell at him. He doesn't respond to yelling! - Then why yell at me? - Because you don't listen! I'm not listening to this. Sorry, I've gotta go. - Where are you going? - I'm meeting a friend. A girl? Is this why you can't decide? Bye. I just hope she's Bee-ish. They have a huge parade of flowers every year in Pasadena? To be in the Tournament of Roses, that's every florist's dream! Up on a float, surrounded by flowers, crowds cheering. A tournament. Do the roses compete in athletic events? No. All right, I've got one. How come you don't fly everywhere? It's exhausting. Why don't you run everywhere? It's faster. Yeah, OK, I see, I see. All right, your turn. TiVo. You can just freeze live TV? That's insane! You don't have that? We have Hivo, but it's a disease. It's a horrible, horrible disease. Oh, my. Dumb bees! You must want to sting all those jerks. We try not to sting. It's usually fatal for us. So you have to watch your temper. Very carefully. You kick a wall, take a walk, write an angry letter and throw it out. Work through it like any emotion: Anger, jealousy, lust. Oh, my goodness! Are you OK? Yeah. - What is wrong with you?! - It's a bug. He's not bothering anybody. Get out of here, you creep! What was that? A Pic ‘N' Save circular? Yeah, it was. How did you know? It felt like about 10 pages. Seventy-five is pretty much our limit. You've really got that down to a science. - I lost a cousin to Italian Vogue. - I'll bet. What in the name of Mighty Hercules is this? How did this get here? Oute Bee, Golden Blossom, Ray Liotta Private Select? - Is he that actor? - I never heard of him. - Why is this here? - For people. We eat it. You don't have enough food of your own? - Well, yes. - How do you get it? - Bees make it. - I know who makes it! And it's hard to make it! There's heating, cooling, stirring. You need a whole Krelman thing! - It's organic. - It's our-ganic! It's just honey, Barry. Just what?! Bees don't know about this! This is stealing! A lot of stealing! You've taken our homes, schools, hospitals! This is all we have! And it's on sale?! I'm getting to the bottom of this. I'm getting to the bottom of all of this! Hey, Hector. - You almost done? - Almost. He is here. I sense it. Well, I guess I'll go home now and just leave this nice honey out, with no one around. You're busted, box boy! I knew I heard something. So you can talk! I can talk. And now you'll start talking! Where you getting the sweet stuff? Who's your supplier? I don't understand. I thought we were friends. The last thing we want to do is upset bees! You're too late! It's ours now! You, sir, have crossed the wrong sword! You, sir, will be lunch for my iguana, Ignacio! Where is the honey coming from? Tell me where! Honey Farms! It comes from Honey Farms! Orazy person! What horrible thing has happened here? These faces, they never knew what hit them. And now they're on the road to nowhere! Just keep still. What? You're not dead? Do I look dead? They will wipe anything that moves. Where you headed? To Honey Farms. I am onto something huge here. I'm going to Alaska. Moose blood, crazy stuff. Blows your head off! I'm going to Tacoma. - And you? - He really is dead. All right. Uh-oh! - What is that?! - Oh, no! - A wiper! Triple blade! - Triple blade? Jump on! It's your only chance, bee! Why does everything have to be so doggone clean?! How much do you people need to see?! Open your eyes! Stick your head out the window! From NPR News in Washington, I'm Carl Kasell. But don't kill no more bugs! - Bee! - Moose blood guy!! - You hear something? - Like what? Like tiny screaming. Turn off the radio. Whassup, bee boy? Hey, Blood. Just a row of honey jars, as far as the eye could see. Wow! I assume wherever this truck goes is where they're getting it. I mean, that honey's ours. - Bees hang tight. - We're all jammed in. It's a close community. Not us, man. We on our own. Every mosquito on his own. - What if you get in trouble? - You a mosquito, you in trouble. Nobody likes us. They just smack. See a mosquito, smack, smack! At least you're out in the world. You must meet girls. Mosquito girls try to trade up, get with a moth, dragonfly. Mosquito girl don't want no mosquito. You got to be kidding me! Mooseblood's about to leave the building! So long, bee! - Hey, guys! - Mooseblood! I knew I'd catch y'all down here. Did you bring your crazy straw? We throw it in jars, slap a label on it, and it's pretty much pure profit. What is this place? A bee's got a brain the size of a pinhead. They are pinheads! Pinhead. - Oheck out the new smoker. - Oh, sweet. That's the one you want. The Thomas 3000! Smoker? Ninety puffs a minute, semi-automatic. Twice the nicotine, all the tar. A couple breaths of this knocks them right out. They make the honey, and we make the money. “They make the honey, and we make the money”? Oh, my! What's going on? Are you OK? Yeah. It doesn't last too long. Do you know you're in a fake hive with fake walls? Our queen was moved here. We had no choice. This is your queen? That's a man in women's clothes! That's a drag queen! What is this? Oh, no! There's hundreds of them! Bee honey. Our honey is being brazenly stolen on a massive scale! This is worse than anything bears have done! I intend to do something. Oh, Barry, stop. Who told you humans are taking our honey? That's a rumor. Do these look like rumors? That's a conspiracy theory. These are obviously doctored photos. How did you get mixed up in this? He's been talking to humans. - What? - Talking to humans?! He has a human girlfriend. And they make out! Make out? Barry! We do not. - You wish you could. - Whose side are you on? The bees! I dated a cricket once in San Antonio. Those crazy legs kept me up all night. Barry, this is what you want to do with your life? I want to do it for all our lives. Nobody works harder than bees! Dad, I remember you coming home so overworked your hands were still stirring. You couldn't stop. I remember that. What right do they have to our honey? We live on two cups a year. They put it in lip balm for no reason whatsoever! Even if it's true, what can one bee do? Sting them where it really hurts. In the face! The eye! - That would hurt. - No. Up the nose? That's a killer. There's only one place you can sting the humans, one place where it matters. Hive at Five, the hive's only full-hour action news source. No more bee beards! With Bob Bumble at the anchor desk. Weather with Storm Stinger. Sports with Buzz Larvi. And Jeanette Chung. - Good evening. I'm Bob Bumble. - And I'm Jeanette Chung. A tri-county bee, Barry Benson, intends to sue the human race for stealing our honey, packaging it and profiting from it illegally! Tomorrow night on Bee Larry King, we'll have three former queens here in our studio, discussing their new book, Classy Ladies, out this week on Hexagon. Tonight we're talking to Barry Benson. Did you ever think, “I'm a kid from the hive. I can't do this”? Bees have never been afraid to change the world. What about Bee Columbus? Bee Gandhi? Bee Jesus? Where I'm from, we'd never sue humans. We were thinking of stickball or candy stores. How old are you? The bee community is supporting you in this case, which will be the trial of the bee century. You know, they have a Larry King in the human world too. It's a common name. Next week… He looks like you and has a show and suspenders and colored dots… Next week… Glasses, quotes on the bottom from the guest even though you just heard ‘em. Bear Week next week! They're scary, hairy and here live. Always leans forward, pointy shoulders, squinty eyes, very Jewish. In tennis, you attack at the point of weakness! It was my grandmother, Ken. She's 81. Honey, her backhand's a joke! I'm not gonna take advantage of that? Quiet, please. Actual work going on here. - Is that that same bee? - Yes, it is! I'm helping him sue the human race. - Hello. - Hello, bee. This is Ken. Yeah, I remember you. Timberland, size ten and a half. Vibram sole, I believe. Why does he talk again? Listen, you better go ‘cause we're really busy working. But it's our yogurt night! Bye-bye. Why is yogurt night so difficult?! You poor thing. You two have been at this for hours! Yes, and Adam here has been a huge help. - Frosting… - How many sugars? Just one. I try not to use the competition. So why are you helping me? Bees have good qualities. And it takes my mind off the shop. Instead of flowers, people are giving balloon bouquets now. Those are great, if you're three. And artificial flowers. - Oh, those just get me psychotic! - Yeah, me too. Bent stingers, pointless pollination. Bees must hate those fake things! Nothing worse than a daffodil that's had work done. Maybe this could make up for it a little bit. - This lawsuit's a pretty big deal. - I guess. You sure you want to go through with it? Am I sure? When I'm done with the humans, they won't be able to say, “Honey, I'm home,” without paying a royalty! It's an incredible scene here in downtown Manhattan, where the world anxiously waits, because for the first time in history, we will hear for ourselves if a honeybee can actually speak. What have we gotten into here, Barry? It's pretty big, isn't it? I can't believe how many humans don't work during the day. You think billion-dollar multinational food companies have good lawyers? Everybody needs to stay behind the barricade. - What's the matter? - I don't know, I just got a chill. Well, if it isn't the bee team. You boys work on this? All rise! The Honorable Judge Bumbleton presiding. All right. Case number 4475, Superior Court of New York, Barry Bee Benson v. The Honey Industry is now in session. Mr. Montgomery, you're representing the five food companies collectively? A privilege. Mr. Benson… you're representing all the bees of the world? I'm kidding. Yes, Your Honor, we're ready to proceed. Mr. Montgomery, your opening statement, please. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my grandmother was a simple woman. Born on a farm, she believed it was man's divine right to benefit from the bounty of nature God put before us. If we lived in the topsy-turvy world Mr. Benson imagines, just think of what would it mean. I would have to negotiate with the silkworm for the elastic in my britches! Talking bee! How do we know this isn't some sort of holographic motion-picture-capture Hollywood wizardry? They could be using laser beams! Robotics! Ventriloquism! Oloning! For all we know, he could be on steroids! Mr. Benson? Ladies and gentlemen, there's no trickery here. I'm just an ordinary bee. Honey's pretty important to me. It's important to all bees. We invented it! We make it. And we protect it with our lives. Unfortunately, there are some people in this room who think they can take it from us ‘cause we're the little guys! I'm hoping that, after this is all over, you'll see how, by taking our honey, you not only take everything we have but everything we are! I wish he'd dress like that all the time. So nice! Oall your first witness. So, Mr. Klauss Vanderhayden of Honey Farms, big company you have. I suppose so. I see you also own Honeyburton and Honron! Yes, they provide beekeepers for our farms. Beekeeper. I find that to be a very disturbing term. I don't imagine you employ any bee-free-ers, do you? - No. - I couldn't hear you. - No. - No. Because you don't free bees. You keep bees. Not only that, it seems you thought a bear would be an appropriate image for a jar of honey. They're very lovable creatures. Yogi Bear, Fozzie Bear, Build-A-Bear. You mean like this? Bears kill bees! How'd you like his head crashing through your living room?! Biting into your couch! Spitting out your throw pillows! OK, that's enough. Take him away. So, Mr. Sting, thank you for being here. Your name intrigues me. - Where have I heard it before? - I was with a band called The Police. But you've never been a police officer, have you? No, I haven't. No, you haven't. And so here we have yet another example of bee culture casually stolen by a human for nothing more than a prance-about stage name. Oh, please. Have you ever been stung, Mr. Sting? Because I'm feeling a little stung, Sting. Or should I say… Mr. Gordon M. Sumner! That's not his real name?! You idiots! Mr. Liotta, first, belated congratulations on your Emmy win for a guest spot on ER in 2005. Thank you. Thank you. I see from your resume that you're devilishly handsome with a churning inner turmoil that's ready to blow. I enjoy what I do. Is that a crime? Not yet it isn't. But is this what it's come to for you? Exploiting tiny, helpless bees so you don't have to rehearse your part and learn your lines, sir? Watch it, Benson! I could blow right now! This isn't a goodfella. This is a badfella! Why doesn't someone just step on this creep, and we can all go home?! - Order in this court! - You're all thinking it! Order! Order, I say! - Say it! - Mr. Liotta, please sit down! I think it was awfully nice of that bear to pitch in like that. I think the jury's on our side. Are we doing everything right, legally? I'm a florist. Right. Well, here's to a great team. To a great team! Well, hello. - Ken! - Hello. I didn't think you were coming. No, I was just late. I tried to call, but… the battery. I didn't want all this to go to waste, so I called Barry. Luckily, he was free. Oh, that was lucky. There's a little left. I could heat it up. Yeah, heat it up, sure, whatever. So I hear you're quite a tennis player. I'm not much for the game myself. The ball's a little grabby. That's where I usually sit. Right… there. Ken, Barry was looking at your resume, and he agreed with me that eating with chopsticks isn't really a special skill. You think I don't see what you're doing? I know how hard it is to find the rightjob. We have that in common. Do we? Bees have 100 percent employment, but we do jobs like taking the crud out. That's just what I was thinking about doing. Ken, I let Barry borrow your razor for his fuzz. I hope that was all right. I'm going to drain the old stinger. Yeah, you do that. Look at that. You know, I've just about had it with your little mind games. - What's that? - Italian Vogue. Mamma mia, that's a lot of pages. A lot of ads. Remember what Van said, why is your life more valuable than mine? Funny, I just can't seem to recall that! I think something stinks in here! I love the smell of flowers. How do you like the smell of flames?! Not as much. Water bug! Not taking sides! Ken, I'm wearing a Ohapstick hat! This is pathetic! I've got issues! Well, well, well, a royal flush! - You're bluffing. - Am I? Surf's up, dude! Poo water! That bowl is gnarly. Except for those dirty yellow rings! Kenneth! What are you doing?! You know, I don't even like honey! I don't eat it! We need to talk! He's just a little bee! And he happens to be the nicest bee I've met in a long time! Long time? What are you talking about?! Are there other bugs in your life? No, but there are other things bugging me in life. And you're one of them! Fine! Talking bees, no yogurt night… My nerves are fried from riding on this emotional roller coaster! Goodbye, Ken. And for your information, I prefer sugar-free, artificial sweeteners made by man! I'm sorry about all that. I know it's got an aftertaste! I like it! I always felt there was some kind of barrier between Ken and me. I couldn't overcome it. Oh, well. Are you OK for the trial? I believe Mr. Montgomery is about out of ideas. We would like to call Mr. Barry Benson Bee to the stand. Good idea! You can really see why he's considered one of the best lawyers… Yeah. Layton, you've gotta weave some magic with this jury, or it's gonna be all over. Don't worry. The only thing I have to do to turn this jury around is to remind them of what they don't like about bees. - You got the tweezers? - Are you allergic? Only to losing, son. Only to losing. Mr. Benson Bee, I'll ask you what I think we'd all like to know. What exactly is your relationship to that woman? We're friends. - Good friends? - Yes. How good? Do you live together? Wait a minute… Are you her little… …bedbug? I've seen a bee documentary or two. From what I understand, doesn't your queen give birth to all the bee children? - Yeah, but… - So those aren't your real parents! - Oh, Barry… - Yes, they are! Hold me back! You're an illegitimate bee, aren't you, Benson? He's denouncing bees! Don't y'all date your cousins? - Objection! - I'm going to pincushion this guy! Adam, don't! It's what he wants! Oh, I'm hit!! Oh, lordy, I am hit! Order! Order! The venom! The venom is coursing through my veins! I have been felled by a winged beast of destruction! You see? You can't treat them like equals! They're striped savages! Stinging's the only thing they know! It's their way! - Adam, stay with me. - I can't feel my legs. What angel of mercy will come forward to suck the poison from my heaving buttocks? I will have order in this court. Order! Order, please! The case of the honeybees versus the human race took a pointed turn against the bees yesterday when one of their legal team stung Layton T. Montgomery. - Hey, buddy. - Hey. - Is there much pain? - Yeah. I… I blew the whole case, didn't I? It doesn't matter. What matters is you're alive. You could have died. I'd be better off dead. Look at me. They got it from the cafeteria downstairs, in a tuna sandwich. Look, there's a little celery still on it. What was it like to sting someone? I can't explain it. It was all… All adrenaline and then… and then ecstasy! All right. You think it was all a trap? Of course. I'm sorry. I flew us right into this. What were we thinking? Look at us. We're just a couple of bugs in this world. What will the humans do to us if they win? I don't know. I hear they put the roaches in motels. That doesn't sound so bad. Adam, they check in, but they don't check out! Oh, my. Oould you get a nurse to close that window? - Why? - The smoke. Bees don't smoke. Right. Bees don't smoke. Bees don't smoke! But some bees are smoking. That's it! That's our case! It is? It's not over? Get dressed. I've gotta go somewhere. Get back to the court and stall. Stall any way you can. And assuming you've done step correctly, you're ready for the tub. Mr. Flayman. Yes? Yes, Your Honor! Where is the rest of your team? Well, Your Honor, it's interesting. Bees are trained to fly haphazardly, and as a result, we don't make very good time. I actually heard a funny story about… Your Honor, haven't these ridiculous bugs taken up enough of this court's valuable time? How much longer will we allow these absurd shenanigans to go on? They have presented no compelling evidence to support their charges against my clients, who run legitimate businesses. I move for a complete dismissal of this entire case! Mr. Flayman, I'm afraid I'm going to have to consider Mr. Montgomery's motion. But you can't! We have a terrific case. Where is your proof? Where is the evidence? Show me the smoking gun! Hold it, Your Honor! You want a smoking gun? Here is your smoking gun. What is that? It's a bee smoker! What, this? This harmless little contraption? This couldn't hurt a fly, let alone a bee. Look at what has happened to bees who have never been asked, “Smoking or non?” Is this what nature intended for us? To be forcibly addicted to smoke machines and man-made wooden slat work camps? Living out our lives as honey slaves to the white man? - What are we gonna do? - He's playing the species card. Ladies and gentlemen, please, free these bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! The court finds in favor of the bees! Vanessa, we won! I knew you could do it! High-five! Sorry. I'm OK! You know what this means? All the honey will finally belong to the bees. Now we won't have to work so hard all the time. This is an unholy perversion of the balance of nature, Benson. You'll regret this. Barry, how much honey is out there? All right. One at a time. Barry, who are you wearing? My sweater is Ralph Lauren, and I have no pants. - What if Montgomery's right? - What do you mean? We've been living the bee way a long time, 27 million years. Oongratulations on your victory. What will you demand as a settlement? First, we'll demand a complete shutdown of all bee work camps. Then we want back the honey that was ours to begin with, every last drop. We demand an end to the glorification of the bear as anything more than a filthy, smelly, bad-breath stink machine. We're all aware of what they do in the woods. Wait for my signal. Take him out. He'll have nauseous for a few hours, then he'll be fine. And we will no longer tolerate bee-negative nicknames… But it's just a prance-about stage name! …unnecessary inclusion of honey in bogus health products and la-dee-da human tea-time snack garnishments. Oan't breathe. Bring it in, boys! Hold it right there! Good. Tap it. Mr. Buzzwell, we just passed three cups, and there's gallons more coming! - I think we need to shut down! - Shut down? We've never shut down. Shut down honey production! Stop making honey! Turn your key, sir! What do we do now? Oannonball! We're shutting honey production! Mission abort. Aborting pollination and nectar detail. Returning to base. Adam, you wouldn't believe how much honey was out there. Oh, yeah? What's going on? Where is everybody? - Are they out celebrating? - They're home. They don't know what to do. Laying out, sleeping in. I heard your Uncle Oarl was on his way to San Antonio with a cricket. At least we got our honey back. Sometimes I think, so what if humans liked our honey? Who wouldn't? It's the greatest thing in the world! I was excited to be part of making it. This was my new desk. This was my new job. I wanted to do it really well. And now… Now I can't. I don't understand why they're not happy. I thought their lives would be better! They're doing nothing. It's amazing. Honey really changes people. You don't have any idea what's going on, do you? - What did you want to show me? - This. What happened here? That is not the half of it. Oh, no. Oh, my. They're all wilting. Doesn't look very good, does it? No. And whose fault do you think that is? You know, I'm gonna guess bees. Bees? Specifically, me. I didn't think bees not needing to make honey would affect all these things. It's notjust flowers. Fruits, vegetables, they all need bees. That's our whole SAT test right there. Take away produce, that affects the entire animal kingdom. And then, of course… The human species? So if there's no more pollination, it could all just go south here, couldn't it? I know this is also partly my fault. How about a suicide pact? How do we do it? - I'll sting you, you step on me. - That just kills you twice. Right, right. Listen, Barry… sorry, but I gotta get going. I had to open my mouth and talk. Vanessa? Vanessa? Why are you leaving? Where are you going? To the final Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena. They've moved it to this weekend because all the flowers are dying. It's the last chance I'll ever have to see it. Vanessa, I just wanna say I'm sorry. I never meant it to turn out like this. I know. Me neither. Tournament of Roses. Roses can't do sports. Wait a minute. Roses. Roses? Roses! Vanessa! Roses?! Barry? - Roses are flowers! - Yes, they are. Flowers, bees, pollen! I know. That's why this is the last parade. Maybe not. Oould you ask him to slow down? Oould you slow down? Barry! OK, I made a huge mistake. This is a total disaster, all my fault. Yes, it kind of is. I've ruined the planet. I wanted to help you with the flower shop. I've made it worse. Actually, it's completely closed down. I thought maybe you were remodeling. But I have another idea, and it's greater than my previous ideas combined. I don't want to hear it! All right, they have the roses, the roses have the pollen. I know every bee, plant and flower bud in this park. All we gotta do is get what they've got back here with what we've got. - Bees. - Park. - Pollen! - Flowers. - Repollination! - Across the nation! Tournament of Roses, Pasadena, Oalifornia. They've got nothing but flowers, floats and cotton candy. Security will be tight. I have an idea. Vanessa Bloome, FTD. Official floral business. It's real. Sorry, ma'am. Nice brooch. Thank you. It was a gift. Once inside, we just pick the right float. How about The Princess and the Pea? I could be the princess, and you could be the pea! Yes, I got it. - Where should I sit? - What are you? - I believe I'm the pea. - The pea? It goes under the mattresses. - Not in this fairy tale, sweetheart. - I'm getting the marshal. You do that! This whole parade is a fiasco! Let's see what this baby'll do. Hey, what are you doing?! Then all we do is blend in with traffic… …without arousing suspicion. Once at the airport, there's no stopping us. Stop! Security. - You and your insect pack your float? - Yes. Has it been in your possession the entire time? Would you remove your shoes? - Remove your stinger. - It's part of me. I know. Just having some fun. Enjoy your flight. Then if we're lucky, we'll have just enough pollen to do the job. Oan you believe how lucky we are? We have just enough pollen to do the job! I think this is gonna work. It's got to work. Attention, passengers, this is Oaptain Scott. We have a bit of bad weather in New York. It looks like we'll experience a couple hours delay. Barry, these are cut flowers with no water. They'll never make it. I gotta get up there and talk to them. Be careful. Oan I get help with the Sky Mall magazine? I'd like to order the talking inflatable nose and ear hair trimmer. Oaptain, I'm in a real situation. - What'd you say, Hal? - Nothing. Bee! Don't freak out! My entire species… What are you doing? - Wait a minute! I'm an attorney! - Who's an attorney? Don't move. Oh, Barry. Good afternoon, passengers. This is your captain. Would a Miss Vanessa Bloome in 24B please report to the cockpit? And please hurry! What happened here? There was a DustBuster, a toupee, a life raft exploded. One's bald, one's in a boat, they're both unconscious! - Is that another bee joke? - No! No one's flying the plane! This is JFK control tower, Flight 356. What's your status? This is Vanessa Bloome. I'm a florist from New York. Where's the pilot? He's unconscious, and so is the copilot. Not good. Does anyone onboard have flight experience? As a matter of fact, there is. - Who's that? - Barry Benson. From the honey trial?! Oh, great. Vanessa, this is nothing more than a big metal bee. It's got giant wings, huge engines. I can't fly a plane. - Why not? Isn't John Travolta a pilot? - Yes. How hard could it be? Wait, Barry! We're headed into some lightning. This is Bob Bumble. We have some late-breaking news from JFK Airport, where a suspenseful scene is developing. Barry Benson, fresh from his legal victory… That's Barry! …is attempting to land a plane, loaded with people, flowers and an incapacitated flight crew. Flowers?! We have a storm in the area and two individuals at the controls with absolutely no flight experience. Just a minute. There's a bee on that plane. I'm quite familiar with Mr. Benson and his no-account compadres. They've done enough damage. But isn't he your only hope? Technically, a bee shouldn't be able to fly at all. Their wings are too small… Haven't we heard this a million times? “The surface area of the wings and body mass make no sense.” - Get this on the air! - Got it. - Stand by. - We're going live. The way we work may be a mystery to you. Making honey takes a lot of bees doing a lot of small jobs. But let me tell you about a small job. If you do it well, it makes a big difference. More than we realized. To us, to everyone. That's why I want to get bees back to working together. That's the bee way! We're not made of Jell-O. We get behind a fellow. - Black and yellow! - Hello! Left, right, down, hover. - Hover? - Forget hover. This isn't so hard. Beep-beep! Beep-beep! Barry, what happened?! Wait, I think we were on autopilot the whole time. - That may have been helping me. - And now we're not! So it turns out I cannot fly a plane. All of you, let's get behind this fellow! Move it out! Move out! Our only chance is if I do what I'd do, you copy me with the wings of the plane! Don't have to yell. I'm not yelling! We're in a lot of trouble. It's very hard to concentrate with that panicky tone in your voice! It's not a tone. I'm panicking! I can't do this! Vanessa, pull yourself together. You have to snap out of it! You snap out of it. You snap out of it. - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - Hold it! - Why? Oome on, it's my turn. How is the plane flying? I don't know. Hello? Benson, got any flowers for a happy occasion in there? The Pollen Jocks! They do get behind a fellow. - Black and yellow. - Hello. All right, let's drop this tin can on the blacktop. Where? I can't see anything. Oan you? No, nothing. It's all cloudy. Oome on. You got to think bee, Barry. - Thinking bee. - Thinking bee. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Wait a minute. I think I'm feeling something. - What? - I don't know. It's strong, pulling me. Like a 27-million-year-old instinct. Bring the nose down. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! - What in the world is on the tarmac? - Get some lights on that! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! - Vanessa, aim for the flower. - OK. Out the engines. We're going in on bee power. Ready, boys? Affirmative! Good. Good. Easy, now. That's it. Land on that flower! Ready? Full reverse! Spin it around! - Not that flower! The other one! - Which one? - That flower. - I'm aiming at the flower! That's a fat guy in a flowered shirt. I mean the giant pulsating flower made of millions of bees! Pull forward. Nose down. Tail up. Rotate around it. - This is insane, Barry! - This's the only way I know how to fly. Am I koo-koo-kachoo, or is this plane flying in an insect-like pattern? Get your nose in there. Don't be afraid. Smell it. Full reverse! Just drop it. Be a part of it. Aim for the center! Now drop it in! Drop it in, woman! Oome on, already. Barry, we did it! You taught me how to fly! - Yes. No high-five! - Right. Barry, it worked! Did you see the giant flower? What giant flower? Where? Of course I saw the flower! That was genius! - Thank you. - But we're not done yet. Listen, everyone! This runway is covered with the last pollen from the last flowers available anywhere on Earth. That means this is our last chance. We're the only ones who make honey, pollinate flowers and dress like this. If we're gonna survive as a species, this is our moment! What do you say? Are we going to be bees, orjust Museum of Natural History keychains? We're bees! Keychain! Then follow me! Except Keychain. Hold on, Barry. Here. You've earned this. Yeah! I'm a Pollen Jock! And it's a perfect fit. All I gotta do are the sleeves. Oh, yeah. That's our Barry. Mom! The bees are back! If anybody needs to make a call, now's the time. I got a feeling we'll be working late tonight! Here's your change. Have a great afternoon! Oan I help who's next? Would you like some honey with that? It is bee-approved. Don't forget these. Milk, cream, cheese, it's all me. And I don't see a nickel! Sometimes I just feel like a piece of meat! I had no idea. Barry, I'm sorry. Have you got a moment? Would you excuse me? My mosquito associate will help you. Sorry I'm late. He's a lawyer too? I was already a blood-sucking parasite. All I needed was a briefcase. Have a great afternoon! Barry, I just got this huge tulip order, and I can't get them anywhere. No problem, Vannie. Just leave it to me. You're a lifesaver, Barry. Oan I help who's next? All right, scramble, jocks! It's time to fly. Thank you, Barry! That bee is living my life! Let it go, Kenny. - When will this nightmare end?! - Let it all go. - Beautiful day to fly. - Sure is. Between you and me, I was dying to get out of that office. You have got to start thinking bee, my friend. - Thinking bee! - Me? Hold it. Let's just stop for a second. Hold it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, everyone. Can we stop here? I'm not making a major life decision during a production number! All right. Take ten, everybody. Wrap it up, guys. I had virtually no rehearsal for that.
In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Kristen Bauer, CEO of Laird Norton Wetherby, about the firm's approach to serving multigenerational families while managing about $18 billion in assets across six offices and two trust companies. Kristen explains how the firm evaluates growth based on its impact on clients, employees and owners, rather than pursuing scale alone. She also shares how trust services, impact investing, advisor development, employee ownership and artificial intelligence continue to shape LNW's long-term direction. Kristen discusses: How Bauer measures growth and its impact on the firm and client service Why the firm moved back to using an in-house trust company, after outsourcing for many years How the business development process works when targeting prospects with multigenerational wealth The qualities LNW looks for when hiring advisors serving families across generations How the firm is thinking about artificial intelligence and its impact on the business Resources: Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on Wealth Management Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify Connect With David Armstrong: Wealth Management LinkedIn: Wealth Management LinkedIn: David Armstrong Twitter: David Armstrong LinkedIn: Informa Connect With Kristen Bauer: LinkedIn: Kristen Bauer LinkedIn: Laird Norton Wetherby Website: Laird Norton Wetherby About Our Guest: Kristen Bauer is the CEO of LNW, leading by example of analytical rigor and a passion for helping successful individuals and families use their resources to have the greatest positive impact. With more than two decades of leadership experience in private wealth management, family office services and business operations, Kristen was instrumental in shaping the vision for, and structure of, what is now LNW. In May 2020, Kristen was named CEO of Laird Norton Wealth Management. In the next three years, she led the firm as it joined forces with two like-minded wealth advisories long committed to fostering clients' financial and personal well-being above all else (Filament LLC and Wetherby Asset Management). The result is LNW. Prior to LNW, Kristen was a senior leader at Tiedemann Advisors serving as Managing Director for the Pacific Northwest and leading Tiedemann's national family office practice. Previously, Kristen served in leadership roles, including CFO and President, at Threshold Group, which began as the family office for a prominent Northwest family and was acquired by Tiedemann in 2017. At the start of her career, Kristen was Director of Finance at Medalia Healthcare and Manager-Assurance at Arthur Andersen LLP. Kristen's upbringing in Bend, Oregon instilled in her a deep appreciation for nature and the importance of working to leave a healthy world for generations to come. She is actively involved in supporting environmental nonprofits and causes.
In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Gregg George, founder and managing director of Crescent Grove Advisors, about how the firm grew to approximately $6 billion without acquisitions, outside investors or debt. Gregg shares how the firm builds relationships with executives and business owners before major liquidity events, maintains a low advisor-to-client ratio and develops a talent pipeline internally. He also explains how Crescent Grove protects its culture, expands family-office-style services, and uses technology and AI to improve operations while keeping advisors at the center of the client relationship. Gregg discusses The organic growth drivers that have worked for their firm—and the ones that haven't. How the advisors prioritize the future value of a prospect over the immediate assets they bring into the firm How he thinks about client-to-advisor ratios and ensuring growth doesn't outpace capacity. Why the firm prefers a single point of contact for clients over a team-based approach. Avoiding the culture clash that can come with pursuing outside investment and acquisitions. Resources: Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on Wealth Management Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify Connect With David Armstrong: Wealth Management LinkedIn: Wealth Management LinkedIn: David Armstrong Twitter: David Armstrong LinkedIn: Informa Connect With Gregg George: LinkedIn: Gregg George LinkedIn: Crescent Grove Advisors Website: Crescent Grove Advisors About Our Guest: As a Founder and Managing Director of Crescent Grove Advisors, Gregg George specializes in working with C-suite executives, entrepreneurs and business owners to coordinate the development and implementation of highly customized financial offerings. In so doing, he advises clients and their families on all aspects of their financial lives in an independent and unbiased manner. Prior to co-founding Crescent Grove Advisors, Gregg was the Managing Director and a Senior Client Advisor at Cedar Street Advisors, a boutique wealth management organization catering to highly affluent clients. Before this, Gregg was an Account Manager with a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs, where he was responsible for advising C-suite executives on their personal financial affairs. Raised in New York, Gregg is currently licensed to practice law in Massachusetts and Illinois. He received a Master of Law (LL.M) degree in Taxation from Boston University School of Law, a J.D. degree from DePaul University College of Law and a BS in Political Science from Boston College. Gregg is the President of a 501(c)(3) Donor Advised Fund and has served as Chairman of Best Buddies Wisconsin, a not-for profit. He is also a Registered Representative of The Leader's Group, Member FINRA/SIPC. Gregg and his wife, Laura, reside in Kildeer, Illinois, and have four boys. In his spare time, Gregg loves watching his kids play sports and just have fun growing up.
Despite everything, it's still us. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes by subscribing for $5/month at Patreon.com/worstofall! Hollis Beck: Website Media Referenced in this Episode: Undertale. Toby Fox. 2015. “What the Internet did to Untertale” by Super Eyepatch Wolf. 2020. Game Informer's Interview with Toby Fox. Retrospective on Untertale's Popularity by Toby Fox. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Everybody Comes to Grillby's” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. David Armstrong as “Grillby”, Brian Alford as “Papyrus”, A.J. Ditty as “Sans/Aaron/Napstablook”, Josh Boerman as “Flowey”, and Hollis Beck as “Undyne/Alphys/Temmie” // Music from the Undertale Soundtrack by Toby Fox This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Agreement.
In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Jason Ozur, co-CEO of Lido Advisors, about the firm’s growth from a six-person team managing roughly $400 million to one of the largest RIAs in the country with nearly $50 billion in assets under management. Jason discusses how a strong focus on organic growth, standardized investment processes and client service helped lay the foundation for expansion before the firm accelerated its growth through acquisitions and strategic capital partnerships. He also shares how employee ownership, cultural integration, technology investments and artificial intelligence initiatives are shaping Lido’s future as it continues to expand its capabilities and geographic reach. Jason shares: Growing Lido from a small advisory firm into a national RIA through organic growth and acquisitions How the firm has built wide-spread employee ownership—including million-dollar-plus equity stakes for over 70 Lido partners. The importance of investment management, including alternatives, and how unique diversification strategies can enhance a firm's value to clients. How Lido's executives think about handling data to remain as flexible as possible for future tech enhancements. How he has organized the executive leadership team's roles and responsibilities—including a second chief executive officer in Ken Stern. Resources: Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on Wealth Management Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify Connect With David Armstrong: Wealth Management LinkedIn: Wealth Management LinkedIn: David Armstrong Twitter: David Armstrong LinkedIn: Informa Connect With Jason Ozur: LinkedIn: Jason Ozur LinkedIn: Lido Advisors Website: Lido Advisors About Our Guest: Jason Ozur is Co-Chair of Lido's investment committee. He is responsible for the management of Lido's alternative investments and is an integral part of the firm's due diligence on real estate-oriented strategies. Education: B.S., California State University at Northridge Previous Work Highlights: Jason started his career as a CPA performing audits, preparing tax returns, and providing back-office services for numerous hedge funds. In 1999, he joined a large family investment office, where he was on the investment team that managed the family's substantial investments and served as CFO of its worldwide water conservation company that did business in over 22 countries. He also provided financial oversight as controller of a multi-billion-dollar Los Angeles-based hedge fund. Personal Facts: Jason takes on a mentorship role to help facilitate a company culture of progression, excellence, and integrity.
My guest today is author Elizabeth T. Craft, whose terrific book, Yankee Doodle Dandy — George M. Cohan and the Broadway Stage, is the first book about Cohan in fifty years. No one looms larger in the history of early Broadway than the Irish American writer, composer, lyricist, director, choreographer, producer, actor, singer, dancer, and musical theater legend George M. Cohan — who is often called “the father of musical comedy.” It is no mistake that Cohan's is the one and only statue of a Broadway figure to have a place of honor in the center of Times Square. As you will hear, Elizabeth Craft situates Cohan as a central figure in the invention of the Broadway musical and illustrates how his plays, musicals, songs, and persona indelibly shaped the American cultural landscape of his day and more than 100 years later continue to have enduring resonance. Featured on this episode is music from The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra's outstanding album You're A Grand Old Rag — The Music of George M. Cohan, and the studio cast recording of Yankee Doodle Dandy (book by David Armstrong, music & lyrics by George M. Cohan, musical arrangements and additional music and lyrics by Albert Evans.) Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of longtime Patron Club Member Juan J. Neumeister. If you are a fan of Broadway Nation, I invite you to become a PATRON! For as little as $7.00 a month you can receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Most people think of a Marine general and picture a lifetime of infantry commands and combat deployments. They'd be right about Dave Bellon but they'd be missing half the story.In this conversation, Lieutenant General Dave Bellon (Ret.) pulls back the curtain on the parts of his career he rarely talks about: switching from JAG officer to infantry lieutenant, back to JAG, and into a capital murder defense case that put him at the center of one of Camp Pendleton's most high-profile court martials defending a Marine convicted of killing a fellow officer in broad daylight. Then there's the story of Task Force Scorpion, a rocket strike that took out a regimental commander within days of his arrival, and a chaplain who cleared the room and gave two majors communion before sending them back to fight.Dave and I have been friends since TBS, and this episode is about what you learn watching someone you've known since they were a lieutenant become a three-star general and what he learned along the way about command, compassion, humility, and what actually matters when the uniform comes off.FOLLOW, SUBSCRIBE, AND SUPPORTJoin the Moments in Leadership Supercast communityhttps://mil.supercast.com/Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moments-in-leadership/id1547856712Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/1hQl53NzCiJwlWS9xQZFw9YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@MomentsinLeadershipOfficial Websitehttps://www.momentsinleadership.com
David Armstrong's sermon from 1 John 2:28-3:3 at the Scotiabank Theatre The post How Children Survive in the Jungle appeared first on | Grace Fellowship | Saskatoon Church | Warman Church.
In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Jim Kaufman, managing partner and senior wealth management advisor at OpenArc Corporate Advisory, about leading one of the largest breakaways in the wealth management industry and what the future looks like for the independent firm.. He shares how years of due diligence, a deeply rooted client-first culture, and a strong internal leadership structure helped OpenArc transition nearly 130 associates and 70 advisors. Jim also discusses how independence has expanded the firm’s planning capabilities, including estate planning, tax services, AI adoption, advisor development, and its long-term strategy for organic growth and future acquisitions. Jim discusses: What drove OpenArc to leave Merrill and create an independent firm How 130 associates and nearly 70 advisors made the transition in the largest wirehouse-to-independent breakaway yet. What services are clients now looking for that are easier to facilitate in an independent RIA How OpenArc finds and trains new wealth advisors Where he sees the future growth path for OpenArc Resources: Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on Wealth Management Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify Connect With David Armstrong: Wealth Management LinkedIn: Wealth Management LinkedIn: David Armstrong Twitter: David Armstrong LinkedIn: Informa Connect With James Kaufman: LinkedIn: James Kaufman LinkedIn: OpenArc Corporate Advisory Website: OpenArc Corporate Advisory About Our Guest: Jim Kaufman is managing partner, senior wealth management advisor, and a founding Board Member of OpenArc Corporate Advisory. With more than two decades of experience advising corporate executives, high-net-worth individuals, and families, Jim brings a strategic and personalized approach to wealth management. Prior to OpenArc, Jim was a senior leader on the Global Corporate and Institutional Advisory Services (GCIAS) team at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Over the course of his tenure, he played a key role in building the team's structure and business model, overseeing more than $10 billion in assets and serving some of the firm's most strategic relationships. Jim specializes in concentrated stock management, estate planning services, retirement planning, and custom financial strategies tailored to the needs of corporate executives and ultra-high-net-worth clients. Originally from Warwick, Rhode Island, Jim attended Portsmouth Abbey School and earned his degree in Economics from Colby College in Waterville, Maine. He lives in the Atlanta area with his wife and five children. Jim is actively involved in several nonprofit organizations, including serving on the board and executive committee of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, volunteering with the Atlanta Children's Shelter, and coaching youth sports teams throughout the community.
Henry chats with regular Viewpoints guest, Dr David Roy, lecturer and researcher in Education & Creative Arts at the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia. In another fascinating interview, David discusses two timely books he co-authored in 2025, both of great relevance to teachers and school leaders."Teaching the Arts: Early Childhood & Primary" - co-authored with William Baker and Amy Hamilton, published by Cambridge University Press (2025)."The Inclusive Teacher" - co-authored with David Armstrong, published by Routledge (2025).Audio production by Rob Kelly.
In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Andrea Broughton, CEO and founder of WealthCrossing, about the firm’s growth from an Ernst & Young spinout to a $1.5 billion RIA. Andrea shares how the firm grew through client referrals, built tax planning into its client experience, and recently expanded its growth strategy through branding and digital marketing. The conversation explores WealthCrossing’s approach to financial planning and tax strategy, its recent rebrand, talent development, growth initiatives, estate planning and its evaluation of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, while maintaining a strong focus on client service. Key takeaways: How WealthCrossing spun out of Ernst & Young 21 years ago in response to Sarbanes-Oxley regulations, and grew to $1.5 billion in assets without relying on acquisitions. How the firm’s tax-centric approach to financial planning plays out in its hiring decisions and its team-based approach to each client. What drove the firm's decision to outsource tax preparation eight years ago, and then bring it back in-house five years later. Why after operating for 19 years without one, WealthCrossing partnered with a marketing firm, rebranded as “SBK Financial” and created a surprisingly high percentage of new client leads through digital channels. Why Broughton and her team are taking a more cautious stance than many peers regarding AI integration into their technology stack, even while she personally uses AI tools for administrative tasks and individual productivity. Resources: Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on Wealth Management Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify Connect With David Armstrong: Wealth Management LinkedIn: Wealth Management LinkedIn: David Armstrong Twitter: David Armstrong LinkedIn: Informa Connect With Andrea Broughton: WealthCrossing LinkedIn: WealthCrossing LinkedIn: Andrea Broughton About Our Guest: As CEO and founder of WealthCrossing, Andrea leads the strategic vision and operational oversight of the firm. She specializes in delivering integrated financial services, including investment advisory, tax strategy, retirement, estate, and other financial planning services tailored to high-net-worth individuals and executives. Andrea is known for her client-focused approach, providing services that align with each individual's goals and aspirations. Prior to forming WealthCrossing, Andrea worked in the financial counseling practice at Ernst & Young, spending more than 10 years in Ernst & Young's Boston and Richmond offices. Early in her Ernst & Young career, Andrea audited a number of Fortune 500 companies and mutual funds. She believes her prior work as an auditor has been invaluable, allowing her to look behind the numbers in evaluating investment and business opportunities for the clients' benefit. A magna cum laude graduate of Babson College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Andrea is also a Certified Public Accountant. She is deeply engaged in her Richmond community, serving as a current Board Member and former President of the Brookfield Foundation. Outside of work Andrea enjoys playing tennis and spending time with her family.
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall David Armstrong (Bonus Action) upgrades the lads to the Rainbow Package as they cover Ben Stiller's 1996 cult thriller/comedy: The Cable Guy. Topics include trials of the century, the cultural significance of Medieval Times, and what it means to contemplate 90s monoculture in a post-cable world. Bonus Action: Hail and well met, Peaches! Adam and Jay from the reaction channel pReview'd have started an Actual Play TTRPG channel with their DM friend David Armstrong. Youtube Media Referenced in this Episode: The Cable Guy. Dir. Ben Stiller. 1996. “How a Sure Summer Hit Missed” by Bernard Weinraub. New York Times. June 27th, 1996. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “The Sound of Larry the Cable Guy Encouraging Renowned British Theater Director Trevor Nunn to Attack A Critic at a Local Pub Mere Hours After Said Critic Panned His, and By His I Mean Trevor Nunn's, Revival of The Sound of Music” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. David Armstrong as “Larry the Cable Guy”
David Armstrong interviewed Golden and Silver Age great, John Broome in 1998 on set at San Diego Comic Con about his entry into comic books and pulps in the 1930s, working at Quality Comics and DC Comics, knowing Otto Binder, his favorite comic book genre, his science fiction stories synergizing with the space race, trying to gather support for creators to claim reprint rights from Jack Liebowitz, his stories of the 1950s, if comic books were a gateway to larger narrative projects, his enjoyment of films, writing a movie about Casanova, why he left comic books, and his dearest friend, Julius Schwartz. Armstrong also interviewed Pulp & Graphic Novel writer and Silver Age great, Arnold Drake in 2005 on set at San Diego Comic Con about his early forays into writing in the army during the Battle of the Bulge, submitting stories to the vintage paperback market, meeting Leslie Waller with whom he wrote what some consider the first graphic novel, It Rhymes With Lust, entering DC Comics through his friendship with Bob Kane, his opinion of Mort Weisinger, writing Showcase #1, revitalizing Bob Hope and Jerry Lewis licensed comics at DC, discussing the threat of Stan Lee's Marvel Age with Irwin Donenfeld, creating Doom Patrol, interacting with Dick Giordano, Carmine Infantino and his favorite artist, Bruno Premiani. Interview conducted, recorded and copyrighted to David Armstrong. Remastered, edited, timestamped and postproduction by Alex Grand.Support the show
David Armstrong's sermon from 1 John 1:5-10 at the Scotiabank Theatre The post Darkness is Not Your Friend appeared first on | Grace Fellowship | Saskatoon Church | Warman Church.
In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong sits down with Marty Bicknell, president and CEO of Mariner Wealth Advisors, to discuss how the firm has grown into one of the biggest RIAs in the country. Marty shares how Mariner approaches acquisitions with a strong focus on culture, builds in-house capabilities across tax, trust and insurance services, and structures business development to support advisor growth. He also explains how artificial intelligence and operational systems may reshape advisor capacity, scalability and the future direction of wealth management firms. Key takeaways: What's driving Mariner's current acquisition strategy How Bicknell thinks about bringing client services like tax, trust, insurance and estate planning into the Mariner ecosystem Why Mariner bought a small boutique M&A firm Why niche markets like dentists, athletes and first responders are a key part of Mariner's future growth focus How he sees AI tools impacting advisor capacity and the firm's operations Resources: Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on Wealth Management Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify Connect With David Armstrong: Wealth Management LinkedIn: Wealth Management LinkedIn: David Armstrong Twitter: David Armstrong LinkedIn: Informa Connect With Marty Bicknell: LinkedIn: Marty Bicknell LinkedIn: Mariner Wealth Advisors Website: Mariner Wealth Advisors About Our Guest: As the CEO and president of Mariner, Marty drives the strategic direction for the firm. As a recognized leader in wealth management, he devises innovative solutions to help meet the needs of our clients. He has extensive personal and professional experience with closely held family businesses and their unique complexities. He often mentors other successful entrepreneurs. Marty, along with seven others, founded Mariner in 2006 with a goal of keeping the client at the center of all we do. He wanted to build a firm that could simplify our clients' lives by having all the resources they need under one roof. The day the doors opened, Marty made the promise to put the clients' interests before anything else…a promise he still holds dear to this day. Marty has a bachelor's degree from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kan
Leadership is often viewed through the lens of decisiveness. Direct orders and quick thinking. But the most impactful modern leaders are those who prioritize collaboration, and remain present in their leadership roles.I've been thinking about the future, and today's junior Marines are different: researchers, thinkers, and seekers of authenticity. They aren't afraid to ask the hard questions. In this candid conversation, Sergeant Major Carlos Ruiz and I explore why leaders must shift from issuing orders to showing genuine interest and investing in an individual Marine's life through the "one Marine" theory: how a single individual can turn an entire battalion around.Whether discussing the evolution of "field day" or the weight of addressing mental health and fitness, Carlos emphasizes that the Marine Corps is a tribe that must constantly be taught its ethics, its culture, and its worth. We talked about executive presence, senior enlisted slating, and the "Message to Garcia" mindset. Today's leadership has a mandate to ensure every Marine whether staying in or transitioning out is prepared for the life that follows their service. Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ip9JCSQ7x5U
In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Randy Morris, founder and CEO of Summit Wealth Group, about the firm's transition from a long-standing broker/dealer affiliate to launch its own independent RIA platform. He explains how the decision was shaped by a desire for greater autonomy, improved client experience and long-term growth potential. Randy also shares how leadership structure, internal ownership and a minority capital partnership are helping guide the firm forward, along with how digital marketing, acquisitions, expanded services and technology are each playing a role in building the next phase of the business. Key takeaways: What drove the firm's leaders to leave a 20-year tenure as a hybrid affiliate of an independent broker/dealer to launch “Summit 2.0” as a fully independent RIA The succession calculations that fueled many of the structural changes Summit made in recent years The importance of organic growth and how Summit has landed some of its largest clients via SEO and Google What drives the firm's M&A strategy, and the types of firms it is looking to add to the mix in the future How Summit executives decided on an executive organizational structure to formalize and streamline decision-making processes, and how they deliberately created internal career pathways for employees The reasons the firm accepted an investment from Constellation Wealth, beyond simply access to operating capital How the firm feels about balancing unified branding with localized identities for its geographically diverse advisors Resources: Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on Wealth Management Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify Connect With David Armstrong: Wealth Management LinkedIn: Wealth Management LinkedIn: David Armstrong Twitter: David Armstrong LinkedIn: Informa Connect With Randy Morris: LinkedIn: Randy Morris LinkedIn: Summit Wealth Group Website: Summit Wealth Group About Our Guest: Randy Morris' early career helped prepare him as a financial planning pioneer. After graduating from the University of Colorado in 1982 with a degree in business and organizational management, he worked for two years as Vice President of Executive Economic Services, Inc., in Denver, Colorado. In 1985, Randy founded Executive Financial Planning, Inc. (EFP), one of Mississippi’s first financial planning firms. In 2002, he created Summit Wealth Group (SWG) out of a desire to provide additional wealth management services for clients. Randy serves as the firm’s CEO. In March 2025, Summit Wealth Group, LLC, registered with the SEC as a registered Investment Advisor and filed notice with six states. Peers in the financial industry have recognized Randy's skills and accomplishments by electing him as a past President of the Mississippi Chapter of the Financial Planning Association (FPA). Randy is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC-1985), and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Practitioner (1987). He is also a Registered Representative, an Investment Adviser Representative, and a Registered Securities Principal. Additionally, he has assisted the CFP® Board of Examiners as an exam reviewer. Randy has served on numerous boards, including Barge Timberlands International, Camp Lake Forest Ranch, Southeast Regional Committee for Young Life, Military Community Youth Ministries (MCYM), and the World Vision Leadership Council. Randy lives with his wife, Nancy, in Scottsdale, Arizona, where they attend Scottsdale Bible Church. They have six children: Joy, Jesse, Hannah, Scott, Randy, and Ryan, as well as 12 grandchildren. Randy's accolades include being recognized by Forbes Magazine in each of the past 8 years, making its “Best-In-State Wealth Advisors” list for the state of Arizona.
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall TICKETS TO OUR MAY 24 LIVE SHOW IN BROOKLYN ARE ON GENERAL SALE NOW! To get your tickets, go to Littlefieldnyc.com The lads grab their fedoras and make for Cairo as they cover Steven Spielberg's 1981 megahit: Raiders of the Lost Ark. Topics include the undeniable charm of Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones' skeevy origins, and what it means to be an active part of living history. Media Referenced In this Episode: Raiders of the Lost Ark. Dir. Steven Spielberg. 1981. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Dir. John Huston. 1948. King Solomon's Mines. Dir. Compton Bennett and Andrew Marton. 1950. Secret of the Incas. Dir. Jerry Hopper. 1954. Kiss Me Deadly. Dir. Robert Aldrich. 1955. Tim Tyler's Luck. Dir. Ford Beebe and Wyndham Gittens. 1937. The S From Hell by Rodney Ascher. 2010. Jungle Jim. Dir. Ford Beebe and Clifford Smith. 1937. Alfred Molina remembers Raiders CBS - Great Movie Stunts: Raiders of the Lost Ark “How Spielberg, Lucas, and Kasdan Created Raiders of the Lost Ark (Story Conference Transcript)” by Indie Film Hustle. Indie Film Hustle. May 31st, 2023. “Indiana Jones was an abusive creep (but he was almost much worse)” by Ben Kuchera. Polygon. August 3rd, 2015. “Raiders Floorplan Animatic” by Vashy Nedomansky and Jonathan Ochmann “Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People” by Jack G. Shaheen. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, vol. 588, 2003, pp. 171–93. “The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark” by Empire. Empire. June 11th, 2021. The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark Special Feature Documentary “The Spielberg Oner” by Every Frame a Painting TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Florizo Forrestal and the Booby Trap of Doom” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. David Armstrong as “Florizo Forrestal/Indy” and A.J. Ditty as “Marcus” // Music by: Indiana Jones - Bad Recorder Cover
In this episode of the RIA Edge podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Phil Fiore, co-founder and CEO of Procyon, about how he and his team transitioned from a wirehouse environment to build a fast-growing independent firm. He shares how that growth has been driven by a commitment to delivering fully integrated client services, a disciplined approach to scaling resources to enhance the client experience and a focus on combining organic growth with selective acquisitions that align culturally and strategically. Key takeaways: How breaking from wirehouses opened the door to fully customized, client-first service models Why scale allows firms to expand services and improve the overall client experience meaningfully How integrating services like tax, insurance and M&A builds a true family office approach The importance of a unified brand and culture when pursuing growth through acquisitions How AI is being used to increase advisor efficiency while keeping client relationships central Resources: Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on Wealth Management Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify Connect With David Armstrong: Wealth Management LinkedIn: Wealth Management LinkedIn: David Armstrong Twitter: David Armstrong LinkedIn: Informa Connect With Phil Fiore: LinkedIn: Phil Fiore LinkedIn: Procyon Website: Procyon About Our Guest: Phil is a highly experienced individual with over 30 years of expertise in providing investment consulting services to institutions and high-net-worth families. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Procyon, he brings his extensive financial knowledge to the firm, focusing on firm-wide management, leadership & Nationwide expansion. Before co-founding Procyon, Phil held the position of Senior Vice President of Wealth Management at UBS. During his time there, he led the FDG Group, which was a prominent Institutional Consulting and Private Wealth Team. He also served as a member of the Institutional Consulting Group, Advisory Council, Senior Institutional Consultant, and a Senior Retirement Plan Consultant at UBS. In addition, Phil held the role of Co-Chair of the UBS Corporate Development Advisory Board and its Retirement Advisory Council. Phil has received several accolades for his accomplishments in the financial industry. While at UBS, the Financial Times named him one of their Top 400 US Advisors in 2014, and he was also listed as one of Barron's Top 1,200 Financial Advisors in 2015. Due to his success and expertise, Phil is often invited to speak at national retirement conferences and media interviews, where he shares his knowledge on RIA M&A (Registered Investment Advisor mergers and acquisitions). Phil has a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Political Science from the University of Hartford. He has also earned the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) and Certified Retirement Plans Counselor (CRPC®) certifications from the College for Financial Planning. These certifications were obtained through the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. Outside of work, Phil resides in Westport, CT, with his wife and their two sons. He enjoys golfing, working out, and participating in exotic car rallies and shows.
In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Oliver Cross, founding partner, senior advisor and head of growth at Verum Partners, about the firm's path from a breakaway team to a rapidly growing independent RIA managing over $1 billion. He shares how early growth was driven by focusing on a core group of founding clients, building a strong internal structure through systems like EOS and creating a team-based client service model. Oliver also explains how hiring, technology decisions and a long-term ownership mindset continue to shape the firm's direction as it scales. Key takeaways: How a failed succession plan became the catalyst for launching a new independent RIA firm Why focusing deeply on founding clients created strong referrals and early growth momentum How implementing EOS improved structure, accountability, and long-term planning alignment The importance of hiring for values and building a long-term talent pipeline from scratch How AI, data control, and workflow systems are shaping the future client experience Resources: Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on Wealth Management Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify Connect With David Armstrong: Wealth Management LinkedIn: Wealth Management LinkedIn: David Armstrong Twitter: David Armstrong LinkedIn: Informa Connect With Oliver Cross: LinkedIn: Oliver Cross LinkedIn: Verum Partners Website: Verum Partners About Our Guest: Oliver is a Founding Partner of Verum where he currently serves as a Senior Adviser and Head of Growth while also playing an active role in both the investment and financial planning committees. His penchant for prudent financial decision-making dates back to his early childhood lessons from his grandfather who often reminded him “a penny saved is a penny earned.” Oliver took this to heart and it became hardwired into his DNA, ultimately leading to career in wealth management. As an adviser, Oliver caters to families who understand the importance of patience and discipline in building wealth and value the benefits of an independent firm structure that centers around problem-solving, thoughtful financial planning, tax-efficient and sophisticated investment solutions, and team-based client service. He and Verum promote the importance of alignment of interests which continue to plague the industry. Prior to Verum, Oliver was an Investment Consultant and Director of Research at Carolinas Investment Consulting where he worked for nine years. Before pursuing his MBA in investment management at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Oliver was a Vice President at Trusco Capital Management in Atlanta for six years, where he served as an Investment Manager for endowments, foundations, and retirement plans across the Southeast. Oliver is a native of Winston-Salem where he attended R.J. Reynolds high school before heading to Davidson College where he was a member of the golf team. While still an avid golfer, Oliver spends most of his free time with his wife and two children finding any way to keep active outdoors. With a passion for mentoring youth, Oliver coaches basketball through the YMCA and soccer through Charlotte Junior soccer and taught Sunday School with his wife at Myers Park United Methodist Church.
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall June and Caleb from Kill the Computer meet the lads for another round of stacking blocks in Beast City as they cover the second season of MrBeast's nightmare of a game show: Beast Games: Strong/Smart. Topics include the improvements to the games themselves, the professionalism of Jeff Probst, and what it means to model yourself as a philanthropic savior while actively taking money from some of the worst people on the planet. June: Twitch // Patreon // Bluesky Caleb: Bluesky Kill the Computer: June and Caleb talk about the ways in which internet culture spills out into the real world; good and bad. Patreon // Apple Podcasts // Spotify Ill Conceived: A podcast about natalism. Hosted by Josh Boerman (The Worst of All Possible Worlds, Traditional Scrench) and June Sternbach (Western Kabuki, The Onion) Patreon // Spotify // Apple Podcasts Media Referenced in this Episode: Beast Games: StrongSmart. Amazon Studios. 2026. “Gov. Stein approves $15 millions grant for filming Beast Games second season” by WITN Web Team. WITN First Alert. September 11th, 2025. “In 'Beast Games,' contestants get buried alive before heading to Saudi Arabia” by Jim Halterman. LA Times. February 11th, 2026. “MrBeast ‘Beast Games' Hits 50 Million Viewers in 25 Days, Amazon's Biggest Unscripted Show Ever” by Selome Hailu. Variety. January 16th, 2025. “MrBeast: If You Want To Be Liked, Don't Help People! I Lost Tens Of Millions on Beast Games…But I'm Worth $1 Billion!” The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett. February 20th, 2025. North Carolina Department of Commerce Film Industry Grants “Prime Video Gives Two-Season Renewal to Global Hit Competition Series Beast Games.” Amazon Press Release. May 13th, 2025. “The REAL Tea on Beast Games (with Michelle the Human Calculator)”. Wait, Say More with Eric Cheng. January 15th, 2026 TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “2 People Play Hopscotch for $2,000,000” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. David Armstrong as “MrBeast”, Eleanor Philips as “Contestant 1/Chandler”, and A.J. Ditty as “Contestant 2/Young Jimmy/Planet Jimmy”
In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Stephen Rigali, executive managing director at Kayne Anderson Rudnick, about the firm's evolution from a family office into a $55 billion platform and how it has approached growth with intention over four decades. He shares how the firm prioritizes organic expansion, structured advisor development and long-term client relationships, along with how it balances high-touch service with scalability, uses specialized partners to extend capabilities, and evaluates the role of AI in improving efficiency without replacing human decision-making. Key takeaways: How the firm grew from founder capital into a $55 billion platform through steady, organic expansion Why advisor capacity is managed through defined lifecycle stages and proactive resource planning How long-term client relationships are built on trust, alignment and consistent human interaction Why combining in-house expertise with outside specialists strengthens the client experience How AI is being tested to improve research, workflows and operational efficiency across the firm Resources: Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on Wealth Management Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify Connect With David Armstrong: Wealth Management LinkedIn: Wealth Management LinkedIn: David Armstrong Twitter: David Armstrong LinkedIn: Informa Connect With Stephen Rigali: LinkedIn: Stephen Rigali LinkedIn: Kayne Anderson Rudnick Website: Kayne Anderson Rudnick About Our Guest: Stephen Rigali is the Executive Managing Director and a member of the Executive Management Committee at Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management, a Los Angeles–based investment and wealth management firm founded in 1984. He oversees business development across the firm's institutional, retail, and wealth management platforms and works closely with the firm's Chief Investment Officer and Chief Operating Officer to help shape the firm's long-term investment and business strategy. He also serves on the firm's Risk and Compliance Committee, ESG Steering Committee, and the Investment Committee for the Wealth Advisory division. Stephen has more than four decades of experience in the investment management industry and has been with Kayne Anderson Rudnick since 1991, playing a key role in the firm's growth and evolution. Earlier in his career, he was a Vice President at Shearson Lehman Brothers. Stephen holds a B.S. in Business and Economics from Loyola Marymount University and is a CFA charterholder.
The meaning of the cross is bigger than any single theory.In the second part of this series, David Armstrong traces the road to Calvary — from Israel's sacrificial system and the ritual of Yom Kippur to the Hebrew prophets wrestling with the tensions of justice and mercy.We also explore various rich understandings of Jesus's death offered throughout church history — from Christus Victor to René Girard's remarkable scapegoat theory — before approaching a question many of us carry but rarely voice: what about the wrath of God?We conclude seeing that Good Friday and Easter Sunday are unified — not a failure followed by a rescue but one single, world-altering event. The cross was a victorious act of love descending into the deepest darkness, and the resurrection made that victory visible.
Joe Kassabian (Lions Led by Donkeys) and the lads throw on their expedition armbands and make for the Paintress as they cover the first act of Sandfall Interactive's hit 2025 French simulator: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Topics include the AI controversy, Ubu Roi, and what it means to make a game that finds the clair in the obscur. Preorder Joe's Upcoming Book The Highlands Burn here!!! Joe Kassabian: Bluesky Lions Led by Donkeys: The Lions Led By Donkeys podcast is a military history podcast for laughing at the worst military failures, inept commanders, and crazy stories from throughout the history of human conflict. Patreon // Youtube // Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Instagram Media Referenced in this Episode: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Sandfall Interactive. 2025. “After GOTY pull, Clair Obscur devs draw line in sand over AI: 'Everything will be made by humans by us'” by Patricia Hernandez. Polygon. December 24th, 2025. “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Lead Writer talks Story, Ending, and More” by Game Maker's Notebook Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Sandfall Interactive Q&A by Sushi “Interview Clair Obscur Expedition 33 : ‘On ne s'attendait pas à une réception aussi énorme'” by Par Kelma. Gamekult. August 28th, 2024. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Gaston Garbageman's Gommage-Proof Garbage Can” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. David Armstrong as “Gaston” and A.J. Ditty as “Citizen of Lumière”
From a piece of Roman graffiti scratched on a wall near the Palatine Hill, to the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. From an instrument of imperial terror, to the central symbol of the world's largest religion — inked on skin and worn around the necks of millions of people today. The journey of the cross is one of the most extraordinary stories in human history. But what actually happened at the crucifixion of Jesus — and what does it mean?In this first part of a mini series, David Armstrong explores the historical reality of crucifixion in the Roman world, asks hard questions about the dominant theory of what the cross achieved, and makes the case that the God revealed at Calvary is not an angry judge demanding payment — but a God of inexhaustible love who went all the way into the darkest place humanity could put him, and refused to be destroyed by it.Chapters/Timestamps:[00:00] Intro[00:28] Prayer[01:46] Mother's Day Prayer[04:38] Upcoming Events & Community News[08:41] Sermon - David Armstrong [44:01] Communion Liturgy
In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong interviews Peter Mallouk, president and CEO of Creative Planning, about his journey from leading a small company with 30 clients to becoming one of the largest independent wealth management firms in the United States. He talks about how that growth was fueled by a focus on consistent, repeatable workplace processes, turning clients into vocal advocates for the firm, and how his acquisition strategy is largely guided by where he sees unmet demand for fiduciary advice growing quickly. Peter, who will be a keynote speaker at Wealth Management EDGE in June, also explores his unique leadership decisions, what he has learned from hosting his own podcast interviewing financial service executives, and how developments in artificial intelligence will “rattle our space in a way that I don’t think anybody’s ready for, including us.” Key takeaways: How he grew Creative Planning to $40 billion in AUM within 15 years—entirely organically—and how those years established the foundation for future success in the M&A market. Why he still spends 75% of his time working directly with clients and prospects. The single most critical metric he uses to assess the quality of an RIA. The rationale behind last year's acquisition of SageView Advisory Group and his perspective on the convergence of workplace retirement plans and wealth management. How Creative Planning's international expansion strategy mirrors its domestic one: target regions where there is unmet demand for fiduciary advice. How AI may soon manage over half of the operational tasks within an RIA. Resources: Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on Wealth Management Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify Connect With David Armstrong: Wealth Management LinkedIn: Wealth Management LinkedIn: David Armstrong Twitter: David Armstrong LinkedIn: Informa Connect With Peter Mallouk: LinkedIn: Peter Mallouk LinkedIn: Creative Planning Website: Creative Planning About Our Guest: Peter Mallouk is the President of Creative Planning and its affiliated companies. Peter's companies provide comprehensive wealth management services to their clients, including investment management, financial planning, charitable planning, retirement plan consulting, tax planning and estate planning services. Peter graduated from the University of Kansas in 1993 with four majors, including degrees in business administration and economics. He went on to earn a law degree and a Master of Business Administration degree in 1996, also at the University of Kansas. Peter is a recipient of the University of Kansas School of Business Distinguished Alumni Award, becoming the second-youngest recipient to receive the award. Peter is the founder, a current executive board member and a former five-year Chairman of KC CAN!, an organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the quality of life for children in Kansas City. He's also the founder and a current executive board member of Pathway Financial Education, an organization dedicated to providing teenagers, adults and business owners in under-resourced communities with actionable financial education. Peter and his wife Veronica, are recipients of the Giving the Basics Human Dignity Award for their contributions toward helping those less fortunate meet basic needs. They're also recipients of the Variety Presidential Citation Award for their work supporting those with special needs. The Mallouks funded the Kansas chapter of Give Back, a program that identifies high-achieving high school students who have faced challenges and provides them with not only college tuition but also coaching, counseling and volunteer mentors. To date, 300 Kansas students have been awarded scholarships. Peter and Veronica have three children — Michael, JP, and Gabby.
Mark 8 presents a collision between two visions of the kingdom. Peter's Messiah conquers. Jesus' Messiah suffers. In this Lenten message, David Armstrong traces that collision through history — from Christendom to colonialism to Christian nationalism — and argues that the church has repeatedly made Peter's error: baptising the way of empire in the name of Christ. The antidote, Jesus insists, is not a better empire. It is the cross.Chapters/Timestamps:[00:00] Intro[00:28] Call to Worship[03:33] Prayer[04:35] Prayer of Peace[11:28] Family News[12:11] Notice: Update on The 101 Project[14:37] Notice: 101 Prayer & Worship[15:37] Notice: Alpha Course[20:29] Sermon - David Armstrong[63:03] Closing Prayer & Benediction
David Armstrong interviewed Platinum and Golden Age great, Martin Filchock in 2000 on set at his home in Rogersville, Tennessee about his entry into comic books in the 1930s with Tidbits Magazine, his blue collar background working the railroad, meeting Bill Cook at Comics Magazine Company, working on Mighty Man and other comics at Centaur, his life in the Civilian Conservation Corps and how it reflected in his C.C. Kid strip, working next to Bill Everett, Jack Cole, Lloyd Jacquet, leaving Centaur, and his ability to get work as a cartoonist to get away from the manual labor that most his family settled with. Interview conducted, recorded and copyrighted to David Armstrong. Remastered, edited, timestamped and postproduction by Alex Grand.Support the show
What does it really take to grow an advisory firm without losing control of culture or client experience? Growth can look attractive from the outside, but building something sustainable requires discipline, structure and long-term thinking. In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong interviews JC Abusaid, president and CEO of Halbert Hargrove, about building a $4.2 billion RIA through disciplined organic growth. He shares how centralized operations, a well-structured internship pipeline and flexible minimums fuel sustainable expansion. JC also explains his employee-ownership model, his perspective on private equity pressure and how AI and technology investments are shaping the firm's next phase. Key takeaways: Why centralized operations create scale, consistency and firm-wide efficiency How lowering minimums for younger advisors drives long-term client growth Building a structured internship program that becomes a hiring pipeline Managing teams without advisor-led management to protect culture Using AI and technology as productivity accelerators, not cost controls Resources: Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on Wealth Management Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify Connect With David Armstrong: Wealth Management LinkedIn: Wealth Management LinkedIn: David Armstrong Twitter: David Armstrong LinkedIn: Informa Connect With JC Abusaid: LinkedIn: JC Abusaid LinkedIn: Halbert Hargrove Website: Halbert Hargrove About Our Guest: JC Abusaid is the CEO and President of Halbert Hargrove, a wealth advisory firm founded in 1989. JC earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Finance emphasis from the Colegio de Estudios Superiores de Administracion in Bogota, Colombia, and his MBA from the University of Redlands School of Business. He was awarded the ACCREDITED INVESTMENT FIDUCIARY designation by the University of Pittsburgh-affiliated Center for Fiduciary Studies. In 2016, JC earned a LEAD Certificate in Corporate Innovation from Stanford Graduate School of Business, and in 2021, he took part in BlackRock's first Emerging Leader Lab.
David Armstrong brings a Lenten message looking at a significant moment in Jesus life before he starts his ministry bringing God's Kingdom — his 40 nights in the wilderness and the three dark temptations that come to him.Chapters/Timestamps:[00:00] Intro[00:28] South Bend City Church Trip[01:55 ] Sermon - David Armstrong[30:38 ] Song - Fra Sands[35:49] Closing Prayer & Benediction
Rax King (Sloppy, Low Culture Boil) joins the lads in Patagonia for adventures in catching fish and staving off the dread as they cover the third season of the History Channel's hit reality TV show: Alone. Topics include the history of the History Channel, the appeal of Dad TV, and what it means to make a show there's always a puma lurking right off screen. Rax King: Bluesky // Instagram // Website BUY RAX'S BOOK SLOPPY HERE! Low Culture Boil: Hosted by trashy babes Rax King and Amber Rollo. If you've ever asked yourself “would Susan Sontag have enjoyed ‘Jersey Shore',” why did Twinkie file for bankruptcy, or if you don't know how to read and at this point you know it's too late to ask, this is the podcast for you! Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Patreon Media Referenced in this Episode: Alone Season Three. The History Channel. “Whoever Starves Least, Wins” by Nicholas Quah. Vulture. June 13th, 2024. “Why Did Jami Fowler Leave?” by Jami Fowler TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Zac Skatchewan: Days 1-2" // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. David Armstrong as “Zac/Mr. Producer” and A.J. Ditty as “Monty/Intern”
David Armstrong, Daniel Saunders, John Herron, Jason Miller - From the beginning of SBCC's story, a friendship has been growing with the people of Redeemer Central Church in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This weekend, we had the privilege of a visit from seven of Redeemer's leaders who made the trip across the pond to be with us. In our gatherings, we explored the ways Redeemer holds space for doubt and faith; the power of Redeemer's practice of prayer; and the wisdom they've gained in the context of a post-conflict society. What's Happening Join us in reading James Cone's The Cross and the Lynching Tree and RSVP to the roundtable discussion. Head to our website to find a list of Black History Month events happening in our city. Register for our Lent Workshop or listen to our conversation with our guide, Dr. Macie Sweet. Support the ongoing work of SBCC by giving to the general fund. South Bend City Church is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax-deductible. Make sure to select the correct fund when giving.
Modern advisory firms are being reshaped by technology, changing client expectations and the need for deeper personalization. How do firms scale while keeping the advisor-client relationship at the center? What role does technology really play in growth without replacing the human element? In this episode, host David Armstrong speaks with Alex Farman-Farmaian, CEO of Compound Planning, about building an all-digital, integrated RIA—with human advisors at the center—that provides clients with a unified experience across multiple service offerings—including tax preparation. Alex explains how AI-powered workflows and integrations enable advisors to serve clients more efficiently as the human touchpoint, while providing a better experience for clients. He also shares how Compound recruits next-generation advisors, integrates tax services and drives growth by focusing on equity- and option-compensated executives of fast-growing tech firms approaching liquidity events. Key takeaways: How internal technology reduces advisor workload and increases client capacity Why proactive advice across a client's full balance sheet drives stronger relationships and accelerates organic growth How the firm uses AI to support advisor work without replacing human judgment How modern tech helps recruit growth-minded, younger advisors. How it partners with firms to educate execs with equity-based compensation plans on navigating liquidity events. Resources: Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on Wealth Management Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify Connect With David Armstrong: Wealth Management LinkedIn: Wealth Management LinkedIn: David Armstrong Twitter: David Armstrong LinkedIn: Informa Connect With Alex Farman-Farmaian: LinkedIn: Alex Farman-Farmaian LinkedIn: Compound Planning Website: Compound Planning About Our Guest: Alex Farman-Farmaian is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Compound Planning, responsible for growing the firm to 50+ advisors and over $4 billion in AUM since 2022, and guiding the strategic direction of the firm's robust wealth management technology and advisory service offerings. Previously, Alex was the 20th employee at Carta, where he built numerous sales teams across the country as Carta scaled to 1,000 employees and a $7B+ valuation from Silver Lake. Alex is an expert in equity compensation and is passionate about tax-efficient equity strategies.
Lucy Valentine (Boonta Vista, Savant-Garde) and the lads hop in their Gummi Ship and make for Hollow Bastion as they cover the infamous Square and Disney RPG crossover of 2002: Kingdom Hearts. Topics include Tetsuya Nomura's incredible character designs, the dated gameplay, and what it means to create a game where Donald Duck is seduced by a gorilla. Lucy Valentine: Bluesky Boonta Vista: The least consequential news from around the world from the least informed minds in Australia. Andrew, Theo, Lucy and Ben bring you the week's stories that conveniently fit into one of their countless, concerningly specific segments. Keep up with the latest news from Nature Corner, Paging Dr. Lucy, Planely Speaking, Omens and Portents, The Hole Report and many, many more. Patreon // Website // Merch // Spotify // Apple Podcasts Savant-Garde: Hosted by Lucy Valentine (Boonta Vista) and Jesse Black (Sludgefest). Savant-Garde is almost certainly the world's only podcast where one autistic ex-wife and one OCD ex-husband unpack the disgracefully disordered worlds of Adrian Monk and the Good Doctor, Shaun Murphy, through the lens of two very normal brains. Patreon // Instagram // Spotify // Apple Podcasts Media Referenced in this Episode: Kingdom Hearts. Dir. Tetsuya Nomura. 2002 The Collaborative History of Disney & Square Enix to the Development of Kingdom Hearts by Evan “ScooterNape” Phillips. Reddit. TGS 2004: Tetsuya Nomura Q&A by Anoop Gantayat. IGN. Updated June 30th, 2016. Iwata Asks: Nintendo 3DS Vol. 12: Dream Drop Distance. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Kingdom Hearts 4.3 Prologue: A Maritime Fragment: H(earts). M(inds). S(ora). Titanic Trailer (Version 1.5)” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. A.J. Ditty as “Sora/Donald/Goofy/Billy Zane/Mickey/Announcer”, David Armstrong as “Winnie the Pooh/Eeyore/Fabrizio/Shipmaster/Jack”, and Eleanor Philips as “Rose/Margaret”
Growth can mean very different things depending on how a firm is built and who it is built for. What does it really take to evolve from a small advisory practice into a professionally managed firm without losing culture, client focus or identity? In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Tom Orecchio, CFA, CFP, ChFC, AIF, chief executive officer, wealth manager and principal at Modera Wealth Management, about building an employee-owned RIA designed for long-term growth. He shares how leadership, ownership alignment and disciplined M&A shape Modera's growth approach. Tom also explains how service expansion, technology investments and organic growth planning support advisors while keeping clients at the center. Key takeaways: Identifying the growth trajectory inflection point where advisor principals need to become, or hire, professional managers His firm's experience with employee equity ownership What Modera looks for in acquisition partners (beyond location or size) Why a technology revamp set the firm up to support future growth, retain operational consistency and the client experience His firm's approach to organic growth Resources: Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on Wealth Management Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify Connect With David Armstrong: Wealth Management LinkedIn: Wealth Management LinkedIn: David Armstrong Twitter: David Armstrong LinkedIn: Informa Connect With Tom Orecchio: LinkedIn: Tom Orecchio LinkedIn: Modera Wealth Management Website: Modera Wealth Management About Our Guest: Tom's career began at Heritage Financial where he worked as a financial planner. In 1995, he joined the firm Greenbaum and Associates where he later became a partner. His role as a principal and wealth manager continued as the firm grew and evolved into Greenbaum and Orecchio and then into its current entity, Modera Wealth Management, LLC. Tom received his B.A. in government and law from Lafayette College and went on to earn some of the most recognized credentials in the industry. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional. He is also a Chartered Financial Consultant, a Chartered Life Underwriter® and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary. Tom is a National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) registered financial advisor. He has demonstrated his leadership and commitment to fiduciary standards in the industry by serving as NAPFA Chairman (2007-08) and as a national board member (2004-08). In 2013, Tom was the recipient of the NAFPA Robert J. Underwood Distinguished Service Award. He is an active member of the CFA® Institute, the National CEO Study Group, and the 20/20 National Study Group. Tom is actively involved in the community as director of the Modera Wealth Management Scholarship Fund and is on the board of directors for the Modera Charitable Foundation. He also sits on the Northeast Advisory Board for Lafayette College. Tom has served as a board member of the finance committee for the Cathedral of Saint John the Theologian and also Northvale PAL, Inc. In addition, he has served as NV Eagles Youth Football president, Bergen County Junior Football League treasurer, and has sat on the board of directors for the youth baseball league in his town. Tom loves spending time with his family and three sons and often can be found on the football or baseball field coaching his sons' teams.
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Justin Roczniak (Well There's Your Problem) joins the lads in Philly for a good old fashioned rags-to-riches and riches to rags switcheroo as they cover John Landis' 1983 Eddie Murphy-fest: Trading Places. Topics include the joys of seeing your hometown on screen, the rapid rise of Eddie Murphy, and what it means to have a movie where the climax entails the future price of frozen orange juice. Justin Roczniak: Twitter // Youtube // Bluesky Well There's Your Problem is a podcast about engineering disasters and systemic failures, from a leftist perspective, with jokes. Youtube / Twitter / Instagram / Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts Media Referenced in this Episode: Trading Places. Dir. John Landis. 1983. “It's The 30-Year Anniversary Of The Greatest Wall Street Movie Ever Made: Here's The Story Behind It” by Rob Wile. Business Insider. June 27th, 2013. AFF At Home: Comedy Q&A with Herschel Weingrod. May 4th, 2020. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Harry Hypemen Inc.” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. A.J. Ditty as “Harry Hypeman/Werner B/Announcer”, Brian Alford as “Horace Hypeman/Werner A”, David Armstrong as “Holden Hypeman/Werner C”
It came after the newsreader saw a certain movie yesterday!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How do advisory firms continue growing once scale introduces complexity? What does it take to build a structure that supports independence, client experience, and long-term flexibility? In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Jordan Raniszeski, CFP, CPA, senior managing partner at Carnegie Private Wealth, about the strategic decisions behind the firm's rapid growth after its transition to independence. He talks about early investments in human capital and junior advisors, an evolving executive management structure, and how flexible marketing strategies all resulted in expanded capacity and growth, and prepared the firm for its next phase. Key takeaways: The decision to leave a bank model in order to build brand control and internal flexibility How associate advisors expanded capacity without sacrificing client experience Why early investments in people created momentum for organic growth The role of management structure in supporting long-term scale How marketing, referrals, and community presence contributed to new client flow Resources: Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on Wealth Management Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify Connect With David Armstrong: Wealth Management LinkedIn: Wealth Management LinkedIn: David Armstrong Twitter/X: David Armstrong LinkedIn: Informa Connect With Jordan Raniszeski: LinkedIn: Jordan Raniszeski LinkedIn: Carnegie Private Wealth Website: Carnegie Private Wealth About Our Guest: Jordan Raniszeski is a leader in the Wealth Management industry and Senior Managing Partner at Carnegie Private Wealth where he's helped build a team of well-regarded and experienced advisors. The advisors of Carnegie Private Wealth collectively serve more than 519 households with over $2,000,000,000 in brokerage assets as of August 29, 2025. In his more than 20 years of experience as an advisor working with high-net-worth individuals and families, Jordan developed expertise in helping corporate executives, professionals and business owners. As a business owner and organizational leader himself, Jordan intimately understands the time constraints and complexities facing these clients and helps them build a plan to pursue their goals while balancing many different priorities. Jordan’s career path showcases his leadership and commitment to client service. He began at Deloitte’s individual tax practice, honing his skills in tax and estate planning strategies. Later, at Wachovia Bank (now Wells Fargo), Jordan helped build the Executive Financial Planning practice. Partnering with Angie Ostendarp, he then grew one of Wells Fargo Advisors’ largest brokerage practices. Throughout his journey, Jordan has remained a devoted student of the industry, constantly seeking innovative ways to serve clients. Leadership has been a constant theme in Jordan’s life. From roles in student government and charitable organizations to positions on sports teams, he has consistently stepped up to guide others. Jordan’s experience made him a natural fit to lead Carnegie’s formation. He now guides the Carnegie team, focusing on a shared vision for wealth management’s future.
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall The lads return to the New Year just in time for the end of the world as they kick off their annual Rapture Ranuary with a follow up to one of the most influential Christian films of all time: A Thief in the Night: A Distant Thunder. Topics include the origins of premillennial dispensationalism, the trustworthiness of mustaches, and what it means to be shaped by a world view where you live in constant fear of the U.N. beheading you with a guillotine. Media Referenced in this Episode: A Distant Thunder. Dir. Donald W. Thompson. 1978. Evangelical Millenialism in the trans-Atlantic world 1500-2000 by Crawford Gribben Judgement Day by Joshua Hill Foster Mine Eyes have Seen the Glory by Randall Ballmer Raptured by Ernest Angley That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsay Titan, Son of Saturn: The Coming World Emperor: A Story of the Other Christ by Joseph Birkbeck Burroughs Writing the Rapture by Crawford Gribben ReligionfForBreakfast: the origins of the rapture ReligionForBreakfast: Who are the 144,000 in the book of Revelation The Bart Ehrman Blog: The Community Behind the Gospel of John TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Slasher Jesus” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. A.J. Ditty as “Announcer/Jesus/Big Al”, David Armstrong as “Flurk/Mayor”, and Eleanor Philips as “Timmy/Reporter” // Music: “Something's Not Right” by Lucas Quinn Creations
MERCHANDISE NOW ON SALE THROUGH 12/31 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE THROUGH 12/31 Jacob and Lenore of Workers' Lit join the lads down under for some ghost busting and coffin surfing as they cover Hideo Kojima's 2025 delivery simulator: Death Stranding 2. Topics include the unmatchable gameplay loop, the polarity of Dollman, and the horrors lurking under the surface of a game where evil is defeated through the power of dance. BUY JACOB'S BOOK HERE Workers' Lit: A podcast about books and the news with Lenore, Aysha, Jen, and Jacob. Books/Culture episodes on Mondays! News/Politics episodes on Wednesdays! Read good books, tell bad jokes, and fight for a better future! Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Youtube // Bluesky Media Referenced in the Episode: Death Stranding 2. Kojima Productions. 2025. TWOAPW #104: Death Stranding (feat. Drew Toothpaste) Ladscast 13: Somehow, More Death Stranding Workers' Lit: “On The Beach, ft. Brian Alford” Hideo Kojima presents Brain Structure #15 Hideo Kojima x TGA Special: DEATH STRANDING [ENGLISH] “Hideo Kojima on ‘Death Stranding 2,' the Sequel's Big Changes and Improvements Post-Pandemic, and How He Hoped to Cast David Lynch in a Game” by Nick Newman. Indiewire. August 7th, 2025. “Hideo Kojima on How His Illness Affected ‘Death Stranding 2,' Developing A24 Film Adaptation and Why His Collaboration With GU Is About More Than Fashion” by Jennifer Maas. Variety. June 19th, 2025. “Hideo Kojima Says Death Stranding's Now Had Over 20 Million Players and The Fact Folk Are Still Playing ‘Makes Me the Happiest'” by Rich Stanton. PC Gamer. April 2025. https://liberationnews.org/child-labor-in-alabamas-hyundai-supply-plants/ TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “A Message from Tobogganman, Prime Minister of the Canadian Autonomous Network of Underground Cities” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. David Armstrong as “Tobogganman”
Jason Miler and Dave Armstrong - As we pursue a vision of love in the neighborhood, we've been continually inspired by a kindred community in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The people of Redeemer Central Church are following Jesus and stewarding a sacred space in the heart of their city, and as we've taken on the call to reactivate the Tribune as a place for the people of South Bend, their story is encouraging us in ours. Our lead pastor, Jason Miller, was with Redeemer in Belfast this week, and he and David Armstrong from Redeemer sat down to share the story of how these two communities are walking together. To give to the Christmas Offering, which will, in part, go to Redeemer Central Church, click here.
I speak with David Armstrong, an American stage director, writer, producer, podcaster, and educator, about his book, The Broadway Musical: How Immigrants, Jews, Queers and African-Americans Invented America's Signature Art Form. "A groundbreaking exploration that reveals the powerful impact of marginalized groups on the evolution of the Broadway Musical."
David Armstrong interviewed Platinum and Golden Age great, Creig Flessel in 1998 on set at Long Island, New York about his early training in the Grand Central Art School, his entry into comic books in the mid 1930s with Vincent Sullivan on More Fun Comics for Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's National Allied Publications, his covers for Detective Comics, other artists like Leo O'Mealia, Bert Christman, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, early Superman, depicting African American protagonists, why he left comic books for advertising at Johnstone and Cushing, comic strips and his relationships with other comic book professionals. Armstrong also interviewed Platinum and Golden Age great, Fred Guardineer in 1998 on set at San Diego Comic Con about his entry into comic books in the 1930s, working with Street and Smith pulps, getting into the comic book business with Harry Chesler and Vincent Sullivan under Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, and the company shake up with Harry Donenfeld and Jack Liebowitz taking control of Detective Comics, his work in Action Comics creating Zatara, freelancing with other companies like Quality Comics, and lessons he learned about the power of the comic book medium. Interview conducted, recorded and copyrighted to David Armstrong. Remastered, edited, timestamped and postproduction by Alex Grand.Support the show
David Armstrong interviewed Golden Age great, Joe Simon in 1998 on set at San Diego Comic Con about his entry into Hearst comic strips in the 1930s, comic books in Funnies Inc and becoming Timely/Marvel Comics' first editor, meeting Jack Kirby at Victor Fox comics, Wonder Comics with Will Eisner's Wonder Man, Eisner and Iger's split, creating Captain America, leaving Timely for DC Comics, his relationship with Jack Liebowitz, Sandman & Boy Commandoes, his friend Charles Nicholas, Al Harvey, creating Romance Comics with Jack Kirby, their special contrast at Prize/Crestwood, leaving comic books and his encounter with Jim Steranko at the Harvey Thrillers line. Armstrong also interviewed Platinum and Golden Age superhero comic book medium cofounder, Vincent (Vin) Sullivan in 1998 on set at Long Island, New York about his beginnings as a sports cartoonist, entry into comic books with Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's New Fun comics, their bullpen, meeting Creig Flessel, distribution through Independent News, encouraging Bob Kane to create his superhero (Batman), working with Whitney Ellsworth, overseeing Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's early comics, editing Action Comics 1 with the first appearance of Superman, editing the covers of Adventure comics, his failed cartoon strip with Jimmy Durante, observing Donenfeld and Liebowitz's take over of the company, leaving DC to start Magazine Enterprises, his editor Ray Krank, international distribution, and looking back at the comic book industry 50 years later. Interview conducted, recorded and copyrighted to David Armstrong. Remastered, edited, timestamped and postproduction by Alex Grand.Support the show
Originally recorded for my other podcast Was It Chance? with my co-host Heather Vickery, this conversation with director, producer, educator, and author David Armstrong felt like a perfect fit for The Theatre Podcast as well. David shares stories from his remarkable 40-year career in theatre — including his years leading Seattle's Fifth Avenue Theatre, where he helped develop Hairspray before it became a Broadway smash. We dive into his new book, Broadway Nation: How Immigrant, Jewish, Queer, and Black Artists Invented the Broadway Musical, and explore how marginalized voices shaped the art form we love today. From childhood performances in Cincinnati to mentoring future generations through his course at the University of Washington and his Broadway Nation podcast, David embodies what it means to take creative risks, honor history, and build the future of theatre. Make sure to check out Was It Chance? wherever you are listening now. Broadway Nation: How Immigrant, Jewish, Queer, and Black Artists Invented the Broadway Musical — available everywhere books are sold (or through Bloomsbury for a discount!) Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support the podcast on Patreon and watch video versions of the episodes: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We sit down with David Armstrong — lifelong theater-maker, educator, and author of Broadway Nation: How Immigrant, Jewish, Queer, and Black Artists Invented the Broadway Musical. David's 40-year career as a director, producer, choreographer, and writer has been steeped in creative risk, from his 18 years leading Seattle's Fifth Avenue Theatre (where Hairspray began!) to hosting the Broadway Nation podcast and now teaching Broadway history at the University of Washington. His passion for illuminating the overlooked creators of America's most iconic art form is both inspiring and overdue. We talk about the evolution of Broadway through marginalized voices, the political power of art that doesn't look political, and how risk-taking theaters like the Fifth Avenue became incubators for some of Broadway's greatest hits. David shares the creative leap that led to Hairspray, how collaboration with an audience shapes a show's success, and the “legacy chains” connecting generations of musical theater creators — from Otto Harbach to Lin-Manuel Miranda. He also gets candid about failure, what it really feels like when a show “almost” works, and why he still sees risk as essential to the creative process.
President Donald Trump's latest executive order about science and medicine seeks to take funding decisions out of the hands of career scientists and give them to political appointees instead. And a gunman, reportedly disgruntled over covid vaccines, shoots at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, killing a law enforcement officer. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News' Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Aaron Carroll, president and CEO of the health services research group AcademyHealth, about how to restore the public's trust in public health. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: ProPublica's “Veterans' Care at Risk Under Trump as Hundreds of Doctors and Nurses Reject Working at VA Hospitals,” by David Armstrong, Eric Umansky, and Vernal Coleman. Alice Miranda Ollstein: The New York Times-KFF Health News' “Why Young Americans Dread Turning 26: Health Insurance Chaos,” by Elisabeth Rosenthal and Hannah Norman. Sarah Karlin-Smith: The New York Times' “This Ohio Farm Community Is a Mecca for the ‘MAHA Mom,'” by Caroline Kitchener. Shefali Luthra: Stat's “Inside the American Medical Association's Sudden Strategy Shift in Washington,” by Theresa Gaffney. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
University of Idaho murderer Bryan Kohberger sentenced to life, Ghislaine Maxwell subpoenaed, Gary Graff joins us to talk Ozzy, bald John Lennon, Butt-Rock is back, boner-makers Salma Hayek & Sydney Sweeney, Candace Owens sued for defamation, and an update on Kate Cassidy. An old picture of John Lennon ignites a fight amongst Beatles fans... over his hair line. It gets so deep Drew digs up a picture of John's dad, Alf. The stock market has been on fire as the S&P and NASDAQ hit all time highs. Crypto is on fire and no one can still explain it. Brandon's neighbor dishes on his marriage to billionaire David Geffen. Drew is firmly on David Armstrong's side. What about you? Some people are saying Geffen might be in trouble for sex trafficking. Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison. The victim's impact statements tore him a new one, especially by pointing out how terrible he is at murdering. Crazy Planes: A Delta flight almost had a plane land on top of it in Mexico City. This just days after a Delta flight had to avoid a B-52 bomber in midair. Donald Trump's approval ratings seem to be up. Get ready to pay more for candy as the price of cocoa is sky high. A Federal judge shuts down release of the Epstein grand jury testimony. Ghislaine Maxwell subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee. The Wall Street Journal reports that US AG Pam Bondi told Trump in May that he's in the Epstein files. There are new pictures of Donald Trump hanging out with Jeffrey Epstein back in the day. Gary Graff joins us following the death of Ozzy Osbourne. EMTs tried to save the Prince of Darkness for two hours. There's going to be a ton of new Ozzy stuff coming out in the next year. Gary also talks about the 40th anniversary of Live Aid. His favorite performance that day was George Thorogood. Kate Cassidy, the girlfriend of Liam Payne, has become a full-time influencer on TikTok. Salma Hayek gave everyone boners today. Sydney Sweeney tried to as well, but was wearing too much denim. The Cleveland Browns unveiled their new helmets today, but some oaf took all the attention away. The clear highlight of the British Open was a sweet fart. Candace Owens is sued by the French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife for claiming Brigitte is really a man. Butt-Rock is back! You know Puddle of Mudd, right? If you'd like to help support the show… consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (Drew Lane, Marc Fellhauer, Trudi Daniels, Jim Bentley and BranDon).
Elon Musk has left the government building, but DOGE remains. The Washington Post’s William Wan reports on what he learned speaking to federal-government employees who lost their jobs amid cuts. Some Republican senators have concerns about elements of the GOP megabill, such as what cuts to Medicaid could mean for election prospects in 2026. NBC’s Sahil Kapur breaks their objections down. David Armstrong with ProPublica speaks to In Conversation about how a life-saving pill’s eye-popping price tag tells the story of prescription-drug pricing in America — and why it’s so difficult to change. Plus, how a glacier broke off and engulfed an Alpine village, Texas legislators passed a bill defining what it means to be a man or woman, and a new Scripps National Spelling Bee winner was crowned. Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu.
ProPublica reporter David Armstrong began investigating the pharmaceutical industry when he learned a single pill of his cancer treatment costs about the same as a new iPhone — but costs 25 cents to make. His investigation into the discovery and marketing of the drug Revlimid revealed strategies employed by pharmaceutical companies to ward off competition, and keep prices of their medications high. We'll also talk about ways insurance companies deny claims for tests and treatment recommended by doctors.Also, David Bianculli reviews a music documentary about singer-songwriter Janis Ian.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy