Podcasts about deciding

Deciding when to claim Social Security is one of the most important retirement choices you'll make, but most people approach it the wrong way. They pick an age early, cling to it for years, and assume the “best” decision never changes. In reality, the right claiming strategy shifts as your life shifts: your spouse's benefit, your health, your spending, your tax plan, and even how much joy you're getting out of retirement all matter far more than a hard rule.In this episode, Ari explains why Social Security should never be treated as a one-time, set-it-and-forget-it decision. Through real client stories, a behind-the-scenes look at how Roth conversions, RMDs, and retirement income interact, and a simple framework that fits any household, this conversation reframes the entire question. Sometimes delaying boosts long-term security. Sometimes taking it early frees up your cash flow for meaningful years. And in many cases, the “optimal” age changes as your plan changes.If you've been wondering when to claim Social Security, how it fits into Roth IRA conversions, what it means for your surviving spouse, or how to build a flexible retirement income plan, this episode gives you clarity without the jargon and confidence without the fear.-Advisory services are offered through Root Financial Partners, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. This content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Viewing this content does not create an advisory relationship. We do not provide tax preparation or legal services. Always consult an investment, tax or legal professional regarding your specific situation.The strategies, case studies, and examples discussed may not be suitable for everyone. They are hypothetical and for illustrative and educational purposes only. They do not reflect actual client results and are not guarantees of future performance. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal.Comments reflect the views of individual users and do not necessarily represent the views of Root Financial. They are not verified, may not be accurate, and should not be considered testimonials or endorsementsParticipation in the Retirement Planning Academy or Early Retirement Academy does not create an advisory relationship with Root Financial. These programs are educational in nature and are not a substitute for personalized financial advice. Advisory services are offered only under a written agreement with Root Financial.Create Your Custom Early Retirement Strategy HereGet access to the same software I use for my clients and join the Early Retirement Academy hereAri Taublieb, CFP ®, MBA is the Chief Growth Officer of Root Financial Partners and a Fiduciary Financial Planner specializing in helping clients retire early with confidence.

Are healthy boundaries lines in the sand? Going no contact? KC Davis is licensed professional counselor, host of the podcast Struggle Care & author of Who Deserves your love: how to create boundaries to start, strengthen or end any relationship.In this episode, she unpacks the girl bossification of boundaries, the decision flowchart of no contact, how values make “hard calls” easier & how the internet sells quipping one-liners & emphasizes hard lines over nuance. Guest:https://www.strugglecare.com/ https://www.instagram.com/strugglecare/ https://www.facebook.com/StruggleCare/ https://a.co/d/1b1H1tT Host:  https://www.meredithforreal.com/  https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/ meredith@meredithforreal.comhttps://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert  Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/  00:00 — Shower fights & imaginary comebacks01:50 — Boundaries aren't quippy one-liners03:58 — When the boundary advice trap backfires04:22 — The real definition of an internal boundary05:05 — How to prep for real-life conflict (not Instagram conflict)05:42 — Thanksgiving, awkward uncles & psychic responsibility10:20 — Awareness as Boundary Step One10:55 — MythBuster: Is there always a winner and a loser?13:07 — The vulnerability cycle explained14:10 — When your “issues” aren't actually your issues16:22 — How two people accidentally activate each other18:17 — Boundary Disaster #1: The evangelizing step-dad20:02 — “Reasonable requests don't make unreasonable people comply”21:11 — Deciding what's livable — not magical24:14 — Why reframing the offender sometimes helps25:26 — The stories we tell about other people's behavior28:05 — Compassion vs. justifying harm32:00 — Boundary Disaster #2: The secret sex-offender friend33:10 — KC's decision tree for impossible situations36:08 — Why values make “hard calls” easier37:02 — MythBuster: Does cheating predict cheating?40:02 — MythBuster: Must you heal before you date?43:03 — Boundary Disaster #3: Grandma, screen time & parental authority44:00 — “How do I get her to respect my decisions?”47:55 — Middle-ground boundaries for real parents48:35 — Final thoughts: Boundaries as self-ownershipRequest to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/

Choosing whether to pursue a fellowship is one of the biggest career decisions a young surgeon can make. In this episode, Dr. Arshad Kaleem breaks down the three key elements that shaped his own path: passion, finances, and quality of life. From his training at the University of Pennsylvania to fellowships in head and neck and microvascular reconstructive surgery, he shares how clear priorities guided his journey to a thriving full-scope practice in El Paso, Texas. He also reflects on his humanitarian work in Pakistan and Palestine, where he performs complex surgeries with limited resources. Through his story, Dr. Kaleem offers thoughtful advice for young surgeons on finding purpose, balance, and growth in their careers. Listen to the full conversation for a candid guide to building both skill and purpose in oral surgery!Key Points From This Episode:Dr. Kaleem's path from UPenn to head and neck and microvascular fellowships.Establishing a full-scope private practice serving El Paso and beyond.Details of his mission trips to Pakistan, the West Bank, and Gaza.Performing and planning for complex surgeries abroad with limited resources.Advances in virtual surgical planning and custom implants in reconstructive surgery.The rise of subspecialty training within oral and maxillofacial surgery.How technology has reduced surgery time while improving precision and planning accuracy.Making head and neck surgery work within private practice.Honest advice for residents deciding on their next step, including pursuing a fellowship.Key factors to weigh when considering a fellowship: passion, finances, and quality of life.Rapid-fire questions on hobbies, favorite shows, and more.Reflections on the lasting fulfillment of helping others through surgical skill.Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:Dr. Arshad Kaleem — https://www.aboms.org/news/dr-arshad-kaleem-head-neck-oncologic-surgeonDr. Arshad Kaleem on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/akmaxfaxsurgeon/Dr. Arshad Kaleem email — arskaleem@gmail.comHigh Desert Oral and Facial Surgery — https://www.hdofs.com/High Desert Oral and Facial Surgery | Dr. Arshad Kaleem — https://www.hdofs.com/meet-us/meet-dr-kaleem/High Desert Oral and Facial Surgery on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/HDOFS/Yellowstone — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4236770/Horizon — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17505010/Everyday Oral Surgery Website — https://www.everydayoralsurgery.com/ Everyday Oral Surgery on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/everydayoralsurgery/ Everyday Oral Surgery on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/EverydayOralSurgery/Dr. Grant Stucki Email — grantstucki@gmail.comDr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720-441-6059

Sarah and Beth talk with Simon Bazelon, one of the authors of Deciding to Win, a report focused on how Democrats can strengthen their electoral chances moving forward. This is a wonderful, pragmatic conversation about what that will take. Then, outside of politics, they discuss food for Christmas Day. Topics Discussed Simon Bazelon on How Democrats Can Win Outside of Politics: Christmas Day Food Ready to go deeper? Visit our website for complete show notes, exclusive premium content, chats, and more. If you're not already subscribed, you can use this link to ensure you're getting our show notes, weekly newsletter, and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch every episode ad-free & uncensored on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyjones Ray Connolly is a former leading member of "The Children of God", one of the most radical group of Jesus Freaks spawned during the sixties. They later morphed into a headline grabbing cult known as "The Family" known for strange mixture of evangelism, doomsday prophecies and unusual sexual practices taught by their founder, David Berg. SPONSORS https://trueclassic.com/danny - Upgrade your wardrobe and save on True Classic today. https://brooklynbedding.com - Use code DANNY to get 30% off SITEWIDE. https://masterclass.com/dannyjones - Get up to 50% off today! https://whiterabbitenergy.com/?ref=DJP - Use code DJP for 20% off EPISODE LINKS Ray's book - https://a.co/d/j4608ol FOLLOW DANNY JONES https://www.instagram.com/dannyjones https://twitter.com/jonesdanny OUTLINE 00:00 - Joining the Children of God cult 11:32 - How 'Children of God' brainwashes new members 22:47 - What David Berg did before founding his cult 35:01 - CIA infiltrating cults 36:47 - Rules married couples had to follow in Children of God 43:44 - Recruiting new members with sex: "flirty fishing" 54:44 - Children's role in the Children of God cult 01:09:06 - Deciding to escape the cult 01:23:39 - The tragedy of Ricky Rodriguez 01:35:06 - How 'Children of God' escaped the FBI 01:42:08 - Embracing Christianity after leaving the cult 01:46:43 - Psychedelics + the Jesus movement 01:55:05 - Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane 02:00:08 - Myths in the Bible 02:11:08 - How do undo cult brainwashing 02:19:57 - How the military uses cult psychological programming 02:28:04 - The merge of Christianity & politics 02:39:00 - Bringing psychedelics into the Church Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today's episode, we're chatting about the challenges of navigating the complexity of becoming your fittest and healthiest version of yourself, especially in the hard moments, or when results aren't following as you hoped. I walk through how to shift your identity to the person you are trying to become and the results you dream of. Including why it's important that you get out of your comfort zone and how you can actually do that. Chapters00:00 Navigating The Transformation When it's Hard04:37 The Comfort Zone and Identity Shifts09:23 Consistency and Structure in Fitness15:08 Overcoming Fear and Embracing Change21:30 Transformational Coaching: Beyond Fitness and Nutrition23:53 Identity Shift: The Core of Transformation26:00 The Importance of Structure and Strategy28:45 Navigating Comfort Zones and Overcoming Challenges29:14 Personal Growth Through Uncomfortable Experiences34:00 Unlearning Bad Habits and Building New Structures37:22 Accountability and Commitment to Change38:31 Deciding to Transform: The Power of ChoiceWatch on YouTubeI'll calculate your macrosShare feedback/send fanmailFreebies/ProgramsTransformation RoadmapTransformation CoachingHigh Protein/Macro-Friendly Recipe eBookAll links The question is not whether you can do it. The real question is whether you want to keep doing it alone or if you are ready for a plan built around you, your lifestyle, and designed to finally deliver results. You know what to do, but let's make sure it works for your goals. → Apply for my 1:1 Transformation Program - Spots are limited; currently enrolling. Support the showInstagram | TikTok | YouTube | Pinterest

We continue our coverage of the Gene Frankel Theatre Winter Festival on the latest Whisper in the Wings from Stage Whisper. This time we welcomed on five different artists and their fantastic works that are part of this year's festivities. Just like this conversation, these shows should not be missed. So be sure you tune in and turn our for this great event!The Gene Frankel Theatre Winter Festival December 8th-22nd@ The Gene Frankel TheatreTickets and more information are available at genefrankeltheatrefestival.com And be sure to follow our guests to stay up to date on all their upcoming projects and productions: How to Decide When You're Deciding by Carolyn Bacon December 11th, 14th and 20thcarolynannebacon.com @carolyn.baconMissing Pieces by Mathew FayDecember 12th, 14th, and 20th@blondeone1026When the Hurly-Burly's Done by Cristina Noelle December 11th, 14th, and 20th@lovelycalamityproductionslovelycalamity.comCustom Options by Matthew Gilleece December 13th, 19th, and 21st@matt_gilleeceJumpin' Jim by Maggie FernDecember 13th, 19th, and 21st@magsterino

Listener Q&A where Andy talks about: A correction on something incorrect I said last week regarding deciding which spouse's pre-tax account to distribute or convert from ( 3:28 )Pros and cons of using a single total global stock market fund vs multiple other funds such as just US and just international  ( 8:17 )What's in the calculation for Modified Adjusted Gross Income ("MAGI") for purposes of determining eligibility to contribute to a Roth IRA ( 14:49 )Deciding when to start a Roth account, and whether it should be a Roth IRA or Roth 401(K) (if you have the option), and whether it should be funded via conversion or contribution ( 20:40 )What to consider when deciding on which pension payment type of choose ( 27:52 )Should IRA distributions instead be converted to Roth if you don't need to use the money any time soon ( 35:50 )What to consider when retiring late (e.g. late-60s or 70s) ( 42:02 )Explaining certain "fees" on trade confirmations, such as when buying coupon-paying bonds or stocks/ETFs ( 47:21 )Why just looking at unrealized gains or losses on a position in a dividend or distribution paying security don't tell the whole story with regards to how much money you've actually made or lost in the position ( 53:45 )To send Andy questions to be addressed on future Q&A episodes, email andy@andypanko.comLinks in this episode:My company newsletter - Retirement Planning InsightsFacebook group - Retirement Planning Education (formerly Taxes in Retirement)YouTube channel - Retirement Planning Education (formerly Retirement Planning Demystified)Retirement Planning Education website - www.RetirementPlanningEducation.com

In this episode, Jesse catches up with Ken Rosen, one of the podcast's earliest guests and the writer behind the 'E Street Shuffle' blog. They discuss Ken's blog journey, why he's hanging up the keyboard, and the emotional connections built through Springsteen's music. From touching stories to behind-the-scenes insights, this episode is a heartfelt tribute to the enduring impact of 'Set Lusting Bruce' and its community. 01:16 Introducing Ken Rosen: A Longtime Guest 01:51 Ken Rosen's Blogging Journey 04:33 Challenges and Reflections on Blogging 08:45 Deciding to End the Blog 15:27 Life Beyond Blogging 18:41 Recent Bruce Springsteen Tours and Projects 23:15 Final Thoughts and Farewell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Clinician's Corner episode, Clarissa and Molly dive into what they lovingly (and accurately) call the "Hella-Days"—that stretch from early fall through New Year's where routines disappear, food is everywhere, emotions are high, and nervous systems are fried. Together, they unpack why this season is so activating for people with food addiction and nervous system sensitivity, and how to navigate it with values, boundaries, and a whole lot of self-compassion—whether you're surrounded by family or spending the holidays on your own. In This Episode Clarissa & Molly explore: Why the holidays can feel like the "Holiday Hunger Games" and "12 Days of Dysregulation" How the nervous system responds to the build-up from September to New Year's Using values as your North Star for holiday decisions Boundary tools and scripts for parties, family gatherings, and food pushers Why holiday food environments are an "engineered stressor" (hello, peppermint-everything marketing) Strategies for: Going to events without abandoning your recovery Deciding when not to go Coping with loneliness, isolation, and dark evenings Harm reduction during high-exposure events ("good, better, best" thinking) How to re-imagine your holiday story over time instead of chasing perfection Ideas for folks who love the holidays (Clarissmas) and folks who… don't (Molly

Mike Schopp and The Bulldog talk to Sal Capaccio on the Bills claiming Darius Slay off waivers and then him deciding he doesn't want to play for Buffalo, Bills losing Ja'Marcus Ingram to Houston, Dalton Kincaid injuring his knee yesterday and practicing today, AJ Epenesa update, the Buffalo Bills injury report and more to get us ready for the Bills game vs the Bengals

Halen Mattison left SpaceX because Elon told him his vision was too long-term. He wanted to build the propellant infrastructure that would unlock Mars and everything between here and there, but the timeline didn't fit SpaceX's roadmap. So he started General Galactic to do it himself.His team is developing Genesis, a water electrolysis propulsion system that delivers hydrazine-level thrust and xenon-level efficiency using the safest, cheapest, most abundant propellant in the solar system. The company is targeting an orbital demonstration in 2026, with a long-term vision to operate refueling depots from LEO to Mars. Inside the episode:• Why the space industry's fear of new technology is creating a sitting-duck opportunityHow water electrolysis unlocks both near-term mobility services and long-term ISRU infrastructureWhat "specific impulse" actually means for mission economics and why it matters more than people thinkThe Starship refueling challenge and why cryogenic propellant depots will work at scaleSequencing from mobility-as-a-service to lunar fuel production to gas stations on MarsWhy consensus-following investors miss the most ambitious bets and how to tell the contrarian story • Chapters •00:00 – Intro01:11 – When did Halen decide to start his own company?02:18 – What did Halen do at SpaceX?02:59 – Deciding moment to devote to a career in aerospace05:16 – The current state and trajectory of Starship07:53 – What is General Galactic building?09:50 – General Galactic's products and end goals12:12 – General Galactic's perspective shift on mobility in space16:31 – Architecture vs the current market offerings21:39 – Why is now the time to build a water electrolysis system?24:27 – Genesis25:42 – Hardware in space26:19 – What would a General Galactic demonstration mission look like?27:13 – What would product 1 look like?28:15 – Mission capability unlocks and cost advantage30:56 – Offering a service31:27 – Origin and evolution of General Galactic34:59 – Space companies that sequence well outside of SpaceX36:06 – 4-year prediction if mobility gets adopted38:39 – Misunderstandings about Starship's refueling logistics42:01 – Where would General Galactic fit in the Starship ecosystem?43:25 – What a v0.1 Mars gas station would look like44:46 – How difficult is it to protect General Galactic's position with water electrolysis?46:22 – Lessons from being a founder49:30 – Sequencing • Show notes •General Galactic's website — https://gengalactic.com/Halen's socials — https://x.com/HalenMattisonMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload's socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspaceIgnition's socials — https://twitter.com/ignitionnuclear /  https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignition-nuclear/Tectonic's socials  — https://twitter.com/tectonicdefense / https://www.linkedin.com/company/tectonicdefense/Valley of Depth archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/ • About us •Valley of Depth is a podcast about the technologies that matter — and the people building them. Brought to you by Arkaea Media, the team behind Payload (space), Ignition (nuclear energy), and Tectonic (defense tech), this show goes beyond headlines and hype. We talk to founders, investors, government officials, and military leaders shaping the future of national security and deep tech. From breakthrough science to strategic policy, we dive into the high-stakes decisions behind the world's hardest technologies.Payload: www.payloadspace.comIgnition: www.ignition-news.comTectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com

Are your most ambitious years behind you, or still ahead? Dan Sullivan and Gord Vickman explain The Six-Year Framework™ from Dan's latest book, Always More Ambitious, and share why recent capabilities are the best fuel for your future. They also discuss how to stay smart in a distracted world so teamwork and technology keep you calm, creative, and increasingly ambitious at every age. Show Notes: The Six-Year Framework keeps you focused on three years of recent achievements and three years of future growth.​ There's a direct connection between capability and ambition: expanding one naturally expands the other.​ The real fuel for your next jump isn't more goals—it's taking your strongest capabilities and deciding where you want them to go next.​ Teamwork and technology are the two biggest multipliers behind entrepreneurs' best decades.​ Pairing your smartest past decisions with your most exciting new possibilities makes the future feel bigger and more achievable overnight.​ A fixed six-year window gives you a clear sense of progress instead of the stress of chasing a constantly moving goalpost. Entrepreneurs need to resist getting lost in new tech and instead let their team find and build the right tools.​ Deciding that your later decades will be your most ambitious changes how you use every year between now and then.​ Resources:Always More Ambitious by Dan Sullivan Perplexity Shannon Waller's Team Success podcast The Strategic Podcast Network

Deciding how to set up your bank and investment accounts is only the first step. In this episode, we discuss how to implement a cohesive financial strategy to make all of the components of your finances work together.Download our new FREE guide, "5 Money Moves Every Couple Needs to Thrive in 2026": https://pacesetterplanning.com/moneymovesTo download a free chapter of Bill's book about how to set up your bank accounts, visit https://pacesetterplanning.com/freechapter

In this episode of the How to Hunt Deer Podcast, hosts Jason and Dan discuss the challenges of balancing family life with hunting during the holiday season. They share personal anecdotes about home renovations, the overwhelming amount of hunting gear, and the impact of snowy conditions on deer behavior. The conversation shifts to late-season hunting strategies, the importance of trail cameras, and the pressure of neighboring hunters. They also explore the dilemma of whether to pursue a big buck or fill the freezer with does, and the potential for out-of-state hunts. The episode concludes with a reminder about safety and preparation for the hunting season. Takeaways: Balancing family commitments with hunting can be challenging during the holidays. Home renovations can test patience and lead to unexpected challenges. Organization of hunting gear is crucial but often neglected. Snowy conditions can significantly affect deer behavior and movement patterns. Late-season hunting strategies should focus on food sources and deer patterns. Trail cameras are essential for monitoring deer activity and making informed hunting decisions. Hunting pressure from neighbors can impact deer movement and hunting success. Deciding between pursuing a big buck or filling the freezer is a common dilemma for hunters. Planning for out-of-state hunts can be beneficial for future seasons. Safety and communication are vital during hunting season, especially during drives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We can actually build a better world, but we have to break the cycle of cynicism, first.THE CYCLE OF CYNICISM1. Finding out about a problem2. Wanting to do something to help3. Not seeing how you can help4. Not doing anything about it5. Feeling sad, powerless, angry6. Deciding that nothing can be done7. Beginning to shut down8. Wanting to know less about problems9. Repeat until apathy results.THE CYCLE OF HOPE1. Taking personal responsibility for being a good person2. Creating a vision of a better world based on your values3. Seeking out quality information about the world's problems4. Discovering practical options for action5. Acting in line with your values6. Recognizing you can't do everything7. Repeat until better world results.Read the Inner Self Article on How to Make the World a Better Place. SUPPORT JULIE (and the show!)DONATE to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund AND THE Sudan Relief FundGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM AND YOUTUBESUBSCRIBE FOR BONUS CONTENT ON PATREON.The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From jumping straight to deal structure to building repeatable acquisition programs that scale, Corey Kupfer shares the exact whiteboarding process he uses with clients to create successful deal programs across M&A, joint ventures, licensing, and any deal-driven growth strategy. In this solocast episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer walks through the five critical steps that must come before deal structure when building a repeatable deal program. Drawing on 35+ years of deal-making experience and countless whiteboarding sessions that have helped create platforms completing dozens of transactions, Corey reveals why most attorneys start in the wrong place and how proper planning separates successful programs from expensive mistakes. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In this episode, you'll discover why deal structure should be the sixth step in your process, not the first, and how to identify your personal and business motivations before pursuing any deal program. Corey shares the five whys technique from Honda's former CEO to uncover your real drivers, how to define your ideal target or partner profile to avoid wasting time on opportunities that don't fit your strategic criteria, and why your value proposition must differentiate you from competitors who may have more capital. You'll learn how to assemble the right deal team with both internal and external expertise, why building a repeatable model before doing individual deals prevents cap table nightmares and integration problems, and the power of having template documents ready to demonstrate you're a serious player. The framework applies whether you're pursuing acquisitions, joint ventures, licensing deals, franchising, or any other deal-driven growth approach. THE WHITEBOARDING PROCESS: Most clients come to Corey asking about deal structure. What should the terms be? Should they pay cash or offer equity? What about earnouts? These are important questions, but they're not where you should start. After doing whiteboarding sessions with countless clients over 35 years, Corey can say with complete confidence that every single one has gotten significant value from the process. The firms that skip these steps end up with inconsistent deal structures, cap table problems, and integration nightmares. The companies that do this right create efficient, repeatable processes that let them scale their deal programs. THE INTERNAL JOURNEY: Corey often talks about things other lawyers don't discuss. He focuses on the internal journey, making sure business leaders and executives move forward on deals from the right place. When you get to wherever you think you want to go, you should actually be happy and satisfied, and it should help you achieve your objectives and goals. Too many entrepreneurs pursue growth strategies based on external pressures or assumptions about what they think they should be doing, based on entrepreneurial wisdom out there. They grow and do things in ways that don't actually end up making them happy and satisfied and aren't necessarily best for their business. STEP ONE: START WITH YOUR WHY: The first question in every whiteboarding session is why. Not just the corporate why, although that matters. Corey wants to know your personal why as the founder or executive driving this strategy. If your why is geographic expansion because your clients need services in other markets, that's legitimate. If your why is adding capabilities that will create a better integrated client experience, that works too. If your why is increasing enterprise value before an exit in five or ten years, there's no judgment about that. You just need to be clear on what drives you, because that clarity will shape every subsequent decision. Corey uses the five whys technique, which comes from the former CEO or chairman of Honda. You ask why five times, going deeper with each question. Why do you want to grow? To get bigger. Why do you want to get bigger? To serve clients better. Why will that serve clients better? Because they have needs we currently send elsewhere, and integration would improve their experience. Why does that matter to you? Because I genuinely care about my clients and believe this will make them happier while helping our company grow. That depth of understanding separates deal programs that succeed from those that become expensive distractions. STEP TWO: DEFINE YOUR TARGET PROFILE: Once you know your why, you can determine who you should be targeting. This is where many firms waste tremendous time and energy. Doing deals is a distraction from running your business, especially if you don't have a dedicated corporate development team with finance people, legal resources, and integration specialists. You need to be surgical about who you pursue. Think about the wealth management space, which Corey works in extensively. There are huge numbers of buyers right now. The market is incredibly competitive. If you're trying to compete with private equity backed aggregators on their terms, you'll lose every time. They can pay top dollar, close fast, and offer the second bite of the apple through rollover equity and multiple arbitrage. If you don't have PE backing, you need a completely different value proposition. Maybe it's culture. Maybe it's the opportunity for advisors to expand their service offerings. Maybe it's taking administrative burden off retiring founders so they can focus on what they love. Your value proposition should be authentic to who you are and what you can actually deliver. STEP THREE: ASSEMBLE YOUR DEAL TEAM: Before you start actively pursuing deals, you need to know who will be on your deal team, both internally and externally. This includes whoever sources deals for you, whether that's an internal corporate development person, an investment banker, a recruiter, or a consultant. You need financial expertise, and it better be someone with deal experience. Accountants, CFOs, and controllers who have never worked on transactions are very different from those who have. The same goes for legal. Your general corporate lawyer is not the person to build your deal program. Then you have all the integration functions. Technology integration. HR and culture integration. Client communication and retention strategies. You might not have every person in place on day one, but you need to know what roles are required and have a plan for filling them before you close your first deal. STEP FOUR: BUILD YOUR MODEL: This is where most companies make a critical mistake. They do deals opportunistically without creating a consistent model first. Someone approaches them, they negotiate terms, they close. Then another opportunity comes along, they do it differently. After three or four deals, they have completely different structures with different equity classes, different earnout provisions, different everything. This creates massive problems. If you have different classes of equity, your cap table becomes a mess. If sellers talk to each other and realize they got very different deals, you have credibility issues and potential legal exposure. Integration becomes nearly impossible because you don't have standardized processes. The best acquirers find their model and make it repeatable. They have template legal documents. They have standardized financial analysis and underwriting processes. They have systems for due diligence and integration. Every deal follows the same fundamental structure with minor variations based on specific circumstances. When you build your model, you're deciding the big conceptual components. Are you doing all cash deals or creating an equity class for rollover? How much will you pay upfront versus over time? Will you have retention requirements tied to revenue or client retention? What about earnouts for partners who stay involved in growth? In service businesses where client relationships matter, you almost always want some backend money contingent on retention. If you're buying a manufacturing business with hard assets, the calculus is different. STEP FIVE: DRILL DOWN TO DEAL STRUCTURE: Once you have your model, you can determine the actual deal structure for individual transactions. What specific equity class will you offer? If you're an S corp, you can only have one class of equity. Will you restructure as a C corp or an LLC to offer different equity terms? What exact percentage will you pay upfront versus backend? Over how many years? If you know you're targeting retiring business owners who want to cash out, they probably want more money upfront and less backend risk. If you're targeting younger partners who want to stay and grow, they might prefer less upfront and more backend upside. All of these specific terms fit within your broader model. You're not reinventing the structure for each deal. You're applying your established approach with minor customizations based on the specific situation. THE POWER OF TEMPLATE DOCUMENTS: The ideal scenario is completing your whiteboarding session, building your model, and creating template legal documents before you start seriously pursuing targets. When someone expresses interest, you can immediately send a letter of intent. You can start due diligence with established processes. You can deliver definitive legal documents quickly. This makes you look professional and serious. It shows potential partners that you know what you are doing and have your act together. Speed matters in competitive markets. Corey understands the practical reality. Template documents cost legal fees before you have a deal in place. Some clients aren't willing to make that investment without more certainty. Others have already started conversations with potential partners before they come in for the whiteboarding session. Recently, a client did the whiteboarding session in the morning, then met with a potential seller that same afternoon. The seller was ready to move faster than expected. The documents got built for that specific deal, which also became the templates for future transactions. REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS: The framework works across any deal type. While Corey uses M&A as the primary example because that's what most clients ask about, the principles apply to licensing strategies, joint venture partnerships, franchising programs, or any other deal-driven growth approach. The key is understanding what the ideal process looks like and getting as close to it as circumstances allow. A lot of these factors depend on your industry and the types of relationships with clients and customers. The contractual length and other factors with those customers and clients help dictate what the model will be around things like retention requirements. If you're bringing in retired folks who are looking to get out of the business and will be gone after a consulting arrangement, that will dictate a different part of the model than somebody who is younger, coming in, going to stay with the company, and wants to continue to grow. THE PERSONAL WHY MATTERS MOST: Company objectives matter. Strategic rationale matters. Financial considerations matter. But your personal why as the founder or executive is equally important. Why are we entrepreneurs if we're not creating companies that let us build the lives we want? Too many business leaders grow based on external pressure or assumptions about what they should be doing. They read about how some company scaled through acquisition, so they think they need to do the same thing. They hear about the multiples PE backed platforms are achieving, so they assume that's the only path. Then they build companies they don't actually want to run. They create obligations and structures that make them miserable. They achieve financial success but personal dissatisfaction. Your personal motivations are relevant and legitimate. If you want to build a legacy company, own that. If you want to create enterprise value for an exit, be honest about it. If you genuinely care about providing better client experiences, let that drive your decisions. When your personal why aligns with your company strategy, you create something sustainable. PROVEN RESULTS: These whiteboarding sessions have helped build platforms that have completed dozens of acquisitions. The firms that invest in proper planning make deal-driven growth look easy because they've built proper foundations. The firms that skip these steps end up scrambling, making mistakes, and wondering why their deal program isn't delivering expected results. The process creates tremendous value for every client who goes through it, helping founders create businesses they actually want to run while achieving their financial objectives. Perfect for business leaders considering deal-driven growth, entrepreneurs building acquisition programs, executives exploring joint ventures or strategic alliances, and anyone who wants to pursue deals without wasting time and resources on opportunities that don't align with strategic objectives. • • •FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE:https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/dealprogram• • •FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER:https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/http://coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast.Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today! Episode Highlights with Timestamps [00:00] - Introduction to the whiteboarding process for building deal programs [01:01] - Why this process applies to all deal types, not just M&A [01:53] - Five steps that must come before deal structure [02:43] - The passion for visioning, planning, and strategy sessions [03:24] - Why starting with deal structure is the wrong approach [04:18] - The internal journey and making sure deals align with happiness [05:24] - Step One - Starting with your why and getting clear on motivations [06:26] - Using the five whys technique to go deeper on your drivers [06:49] - Example of the five whys in action with client scenarios [08:02] - Step Two - Defining who you're targeting to avoid wasting time [09:54] - How to compete when you don't have PE backing in competitive markets [10:59] - Creating authentic value propositions that differentiate you [12:43] - Step Three - Assembling your deal team internally and externally [13:27] - Why you need the model before individual deal structures [14:08] - The mistake of doing deals opportunistically without consistency [14:44] - Problems created by inconsistent deal structures across multiple deals [15:02] - Step Four - Building a repeatable model that can scale [17:01] - Deciding conceptual components like cash versus equity structures [19:35] - Step Five - Drilling down to specific deal structure within your model [20:34] - Determining upfront versus backend payment percentages [22:17] - The ideal scenario of having template documents ready [22:38] - The practical reality when clients have already started conversations [24:56] - Socializing deals to key stakeholders after closing [24:58] - The importance of not skipping the process even under time pressure [25:25] - Why your personal why matters as much as company objectives [26:24] - The danger of building companies you don't want to run Host Bio Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker with more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Show Description Do you want your business to grow faster? The DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer reveals how successful entrepreneurs and business leaders use strategic deals to accelerate growth. From large mergers and acquisitions to capital raising, joint ventures, strategic alliances, real estate deals, and more, this show discusses the full spectrum of deal-driven growth strategies. Get the confidence to pursue deals that will help your company scale faster. Related Episodes Episode 80 - Deal-Ready Foundations with Corey Kupfer: Explore the foundational elements needed before pursuing any deal strategy, including team building and internal preparation. Episode 84 - Business Partnerships Deals with Corey Kupfer: Understand how partnership structures work and how to create successful collaborative deals. Episode 90 - The BEST Of Company Founders with Corey Kupfer: Learn from multiple founders about their deal-driven growth strategies and what worked in building their companies. Episode 134 - Deal Preparation with Corey Kupfer: Discover the five steps toward deal-making success and how proper preparation prevents poor performance. Episode 138 - 5 More Steps Towards Deal-Making Success with Corey Kupfer: Building on the foundation of deal preparation, explore additional critical steps for executing successful transactions. Social Media Follow DealQuest Podcast: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ Website: https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Keywords/Tags deal program planning, M&A strategy, acquisition planning, joint venture strategy, licensing deals, deal structure framework, whiteboarding sessions, strategic deal planning, repeatable deal process, deal-driven growth, deal team building, value proposition for deals, target partner profile, deal legal structure, franchise strategy, strategic alliances, five whys technique, business motivation alignment, personal why in business, cap table management, template legal documents, integration strategies, corporate development, wealth management M&A, PE competition strategies, deal model building

While fighting anorexia Lexi Crouch was admitted to hospital 25 times and placed in an induced coma twice. When doctors told her she would die, she began the slow climb up and out to health (CW: discussion of eating disorders)Lexi was 16 when she was first admitted to hospital and diagnosed with anorexia and spent the next decade in and out specialist clinics.When she overheard doctors talking about how she was going to die, Lexi decided she wasn't ready to give up and began to confront what was driving her illness and begin the slow process of recovery.Lexi is now a clinical nutritionist and eating disorders recovery coach and has co-written a book with psychiatrist Dr Warren Ward called ReNourish: a complete and compassionate guide to recovery from eating disorders.Listen to Sarah's interview with Dr Warren Ward Treating anorexia by nourishing the heartThis episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake, executive producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores eating disorders, mental health, body image, boarding school, anorexia, eating disorder clinics, psychiatric ward, perfectionism, extreme exercise, near death, intensive care, therapy, yoga, spirituality, recovery, pregnancy, clinical nutrition.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

We can actually build a better world, but we have to break the cycle of cynicism, first.THE CYCLE OF CYNICISM1. Finding out about a problem2. Wanting to do something to help3. Not seeing how you can help4. Not doing anything about it5. Feeling sad, powerless, angry6. Deciding that nothing can be done7. Beginning to shut down8. Wanting to know less about problems9. Repeat until apathy results.THE CYCLE OF HOPE1. Taking personal responsibility for being a good person2. Creating a vision of a better world based on your values3. Seeking out quality information about the world's problems4. Discovering practical options for action5. Acting in line with your values6. Recognizing you can't do everything7. Repeat until better world results.Read the Inner Self Article on How to Make the World a Better Place. SUPPORT JULIE (and the show!)DONATE to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund AND THE Sudan Relief FundGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM AND YOUTUBESUBSCRIBE FOR BONUS CONTENT ON PATREON.The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lani Woods is a passionate cyclist, adventurer, and creative force behind a vibrant community of outdoor enthusiasts. Known for blending her love of cycling with a flair for design, Lani leads initiatives like Triple Crown Adventures to inspire others to explore the world on two wheels. Whether organizing group adventures in Hawaii or crafting unique cycling gear, she's dedicated to building an inclusive, adventure-loving community. * Marked as explicit — just one F bomb! ***  New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.  Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.  Your support makes a difference.  Thank you x *** Show notes Who is Lani Being based in Hawaii  Being a full time adventurer Loving to travel and explore Being a curious soul Growing up in Southern California Not being athletic when she was younger  Getting into athletics in her 30s What happened in her 30s  Having kids at a young age and being in a long term relationship  Deciding to leave an abusive relationship  Wanting to feel stronger and release the relationship stress Getting back into running and how it made her feel better  Getting back into the gym and how it helped her mental health  Deciding to try an obstacle course race  Dealing with injury and needing to rehab after 3 surgeries  Getting into bike riding Deciding to ride 20 miles to the beach and back Feeling the rewards after doing something hard Deciding to ride a 100 miles Being inspired by the Race Across America  The self confidence piece  Being attracted to challenge Gaining new knowledge about cycling Hosting 2 podcasts :-  Podcast - Unrelenting Humans  Podcast - Black with Endurance  Joining Major Taylor Cycling Club, Los Angles  Riding from San Francisco to Los Angles  Wanting to do more business with women  Tripe Crown Adventures - where the name came from (the California triple crown, riding 3 double centuries in a year) Adventure Femmes  Hosting her first event in Hawaii Honolulu Century Ride Lanikai Pillbox Hike  New event happening in 2026 Training…. Working with different mentors How many bikes… Making the decision to move to Hawaii Dealing with the heat in Hawaii Bucket list races Being in a place where she knows what she's capable of and want she can accomplish  Wanting to create her own challenges  Wanting to create more than be apart of other people races and challenges Her love for road cycling  Travelling in Europe Bike packing adventures? Lael Wilcox  Jenny Graham  Lael Rallies  How to connect with Lani Final words of advice for women who want to get into cycling and go on more adventures Stay curious, fail big and don't wait for anyone else Don't be afraid to make your own way—do what you feel is right for you.   Social Media Instagram @lanitheadventurer @triplecrownadventures @adventurefemmes   

Send us a textMastering Portfolio Cleanup for a Simpler, Smarter Investment StrategyIn this episode of The Retire Early Retire Now podcast, host Hunter Kelly, a certified financial planner and founder of Palm Valley Wealth Management, dives into the essential practice of portfolio cleanup. Hunter outlines a clear framework for evaluating and reorganizing your investment portfolio to ensure it aligns with your financial goals and remains efficient. Topics include creating an inventory of your holdings, identifying duplicates, assessing sector and style concentrations, reviewing tax efficiency, and strategic rebalancing. Hunter also emphasizes simplicity and intentionality as keys to successful long-term investing. Tune in to learn practical steps for maintaining a clean and organized portfolio.00:00 Introduction to Portfolio Cleanup01:21 Understanding Your Current Portfolio04:18 Identifying and Eliminating Overlap05:43 Evaluating Sector and Style Allocation06:43 Tax Efficiency and Asset Location07:41 Deciding What to Keep12:16 What to Sell and Why17:11 The Importance of Rebalancing20:18 Actionable Steps for Portfolio Cleanup22:00 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsCheck out the Palm Valley Wealth Management WebsitePalmValleywm.comCheck us out on InstagramLinkedIn FacebookListen to the Podcast Here! AppleSpotify

In this episode, I share the story of my sister Sarah and how we found better alternatives to group homes that gave her a life of independence, dignity, and joy. Many families feel forced to accept group home placements, but there are real options that offer more privacy, control, and community connection.   What you'll discover: - What group homes are and why they may not suit everyone - The ins and outs of Supported Independent Living and Shared Living - How creating a customized home can transform lives - Practical steps to begin planning for a better future   Deciding where and how your loved one lives is one of the most important choices you'll make. Learning about these alternatives empowers you to make intentional decisions that lead to meaningful, secure, and fulfilling futures.   Ready to start planning? Download your FREE Life Planning 101 Guide 

What are the Most Effective Marketing Strategies to Get Clients? 2:15 - The Reality: There's NO Silver Bullet 2:59 - Not All of Your Clients are Active on Facebook 6:33 - Do Your Research and Understand Your Niche 7:57 - Finding Alignment With What You Do and Match It With a Potential Medium 9:16 - You Have to Start With Who is Your Audience 12:11 - Not All Marketing Strategies Have the Same Results 13:53 - Getting People to Go Through a Series of Processes 14:17 - What Ad Campaigns Do in Marketing? 15:44 - Focusing on a Particular Channel and Building Engagement With Your Audience 18:11 - Leveraging the People You Already Have Personal Relationships With 18:46 - You Can Learn a Lot From the Multilevel Marketing Methodology 20:24 - The Basic Ideas of Utilizing Your Existing Network 22:38 - The Stuff That's Going to Work is the Stuff That's Scary 27:22 - Recommendation on a Marketing Strategy to Get Clients 29:40 - The Long-Term Marketing Strategies 32:01 - Leveraging the Relationship With People Who Already Know You Want help building or growing a successful financial coaching business? Find resources below based on where you're at in your journey: Deciding whether Financial Coaching is right for you? Join our free Facebook Community with over 5000 current and aspiring financial coaches! https://www.facebook.com/groups/financialcoachescommunity Already decided you're going to be a Financial Coach and want to learn more? Get 30+ tips and best practices in our free 8-part email series! https://www.financialcoachesnetwork.com/pre-launch-email-series Ready to Launch your Financial Coaching business? Join FCN Launch, our step-by-step program that will help you successfully launch your business in four months and grow it to a consistent part-time income. https://www.financialcoachesnetwork.com/launch Are you already coaching clients and want to grow your business to a full-time income? Join FCN Grow, our program that helps you scale your business to a full-time income. https://www.financialcoachesnetwork.com/grow

How do you become a C++ Standards Committee member?Why is C++ prevalent in audio?Should you still use it for audio software?Honestly, Timur Doumler is someone I have looked up to ever since I saw his “C++ in the audio industry” talk at CppCon 2015.He has a rich development history with C++ and/or audio:developer at Native Instrumentsdeveloper of the JUCE C++ framework (podcast sponsor ❤️)C++ linter developer and developer advocate at JetBrains (who make the CLion IDE)founder of Cradle, an audio plugin startupC++ Standards Committee memberCppCast podcast hostnotorious Audio Developer Conference and CppCon speakerI have probably missed a ton of stuff here, but that should already give you a flavor of what Timur is up to

Martin Forde is the co-founder and partner at Highline Brands, a retail brokerage built for modern CPG and emerging brands. As the first sales hire at Dr. Squatch, he helped lead the brand's Walmart launch—which did over $50M in year one and set the foundation for a $1.5B exit to Unilever.In this episode of DTC Pod, Martin shares the full playbook for making the leap from DTC to retail. He breaks down how to evaluate which channels make sense, what buyers actually care about (hint: it's not your brand), how to pitch them, and how to choose the right brokerage partner. He also gets into the operational side: how deals are structured, why retail timelines take longer than most founders expect, and what actually drives velocity on shelf.Episode brought to you by StordInteract with other DTC experts and access our monthly fireside chats with industry leaders on DTC Pod Slack.On this episode of DTC Pod, we cover:1. When to consider retail (and when you're not ready)2. Independent retail vs. major retailers: where to start3. The old DTC-first playbook vs. the new hybrid approach4. Understanding your consumer and choosing the right retailer5. What buyers actually care about (hint: category growth, not your brand)6. Three ways to reach buyers: cold outreach, inbound, or through a broker7. Why and when to say no to a retailer8. How brokers work: deal structures, retainers vs. commission, red flags9. The 9-12 month timeline from first conversation to shelf10. Merchandising and digital tactics that drive velocity on shelfTimestamps00:00 Martin Forde's background and experience in CPG03:14 Launching and scaling brands into retail04:20 Key lessons from Dr. Squatch retail rollout07:30 Dr. Squatch's early days and pent-up retail demand09:39 Defining “why retail” and evaluating retail opportunities10:38 Understanding independent retail channels and platforms15:14 Retail supply chain basics: MOQs, case packs, and 3PLs17:46 Testing and iterating supply chain through small-scale channels18:56 Leveraging online marketplaces (Faire, Thrive, Bubble)23:33 Deciding when to break into retail; timing and strategy24:44 Comparing DTC-first and direct-to-retail playbooks29:28 Raising capital, prepping for retail, and first retail sale process30:57 How to approach retail buyers and pitch34:03 Different ways to reach retail buyers: direct outreach, inbound, brokerages39:51 Working with brokers: models, deal structures, and choosing a partner50:29 Preparing retail pitch materials and buyer presentations51:39 Identifying category white space and incremental value54:53 Merchandising and digital tactics for retail success57:06 Where to connect with Martin Forde and closing thoughtsShow notes powered by CastmagicPast guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more.  Additional episodes you might like:• #175 Ariel Vaisbort - How OLIPOP Runs Influencer, Community, & Affiliate Growth• #184 Jake Karls, Midday Squares - Turning Your Brand Into The Influencer With Content• #205 Kasey Stewart: Suckerz- - Powering Your Launch With 300 Million Organic Views• #219 JT Barnett: The TikTok Masterclass For Brands• #223 Lauren Kleinman: The PR & Affiliate Marketing Playbook• ​​​​#243 Kian Golzari - Source & Develop Products Like The World's Best Brands-----Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further?Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you.Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox?Check out our newsletter here.Projects the DTC Pod team is working on:DTCetc - all our favorite brands on the internetOlivea - the extra virgin olive oil & hydroxytyrosol supplementCastmagic - AI Workspace for ContentFollow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates!DTCPod InstagramDTCPod TwitterDTCPod TikTokMartin Forde - Co-Founder of Highline BrandsBlaine Bolus - Co-Founder of CastmagicRamon Berrios - Co-Founder of Castmagic

In the summer of 2024, I FINALLY went to see  @JanetJackson  in concert and have been basking in the afterglow ever since. Deciding to bring my camera along, I captured...

Coach Ted talks about standing up for yourself and deciding who you want to be. (Originally aired 10-04-2024)

How do you know if you can support your lifestyle after retirement without a paycheck? Deciding when to retire isn't just about the date on the calendar, it's about confidence, clarity, and knowing whether your lifestyle can truly support the transition. In this episode, Nick and Jake explore the factors that shape the "work longer or retire early" decision and the answer often has less to do with money than people expect. Here's what we discuss in this episode:

Anthony Arillotta was a powerful boss in the Genovese Crime Family, one of New York's most feared mafia organizations. Rising through the ranks in Springfield, Massachusetts, Arillotta became a made man and later took control of the family's operations — running gambling, loansharking, and extortion rackets that defined East Coast organized crime. After years of violence, betrayal, and federal investigations, he made a decision that shocked the mob world and changed his life forever. Anthony opens up about his rise in the Genovese family, life as a mafia boss, the murders and power struggles that came with it, and what ultimately made him walk away from one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in America. #AnthonyArillotta #GenoveseCrimeFamily #MafiaBoss #LockedInWithIanBick #OrganizedCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #MafiaStories #prisoninterviews Thanks to RULA & CASH APP for sponsoring this episode: Rula: Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/LOCKEDIN  #rulapod Cash App: Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/6pao71et #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Connect with Anthony Arillotta: Buy his book: https://www.amazon.com/South-End-Syndicate-Genovese-Springfield/dp/B0DRC2VHWC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthony_bingy_arillotta/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tony.canoli.378/ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro: Mafia Life, Mob Culture & Guest Overview 00:41 – Guest Background, Upbringing & How He Entered Mob Circles 02:32 – His Book, Untold Mafia Territory & Forgotten Mob History 05:32 – Organized Crime in Western Massachusetts & Connecticut 08:36 – Family Roots, Wine Business & Early Influences 13:10 – Growing Up in Springfield: Family, Business & Early Identity 19:55 – Lessons from Parents, Money, Loyalty & Discipline 24:26 – Childhood Dreams & Early Attraction to the Mafia World 27:38 – First Fights, Street Rules & Learning the System 32:10 – Violence: Where It Started, Justifications & Mindset 37:00 – Teenage Chaos: School Trouble, Street Life & First Jail Time 41:45 – First Prison Sentence & Learning Real Mob Education 50:05 – Entering Organized Crime: Becoming Part of the Mob 57:55 – Mob Myths vs Reality, Age, Recruitment & Street Credibility 01:00:45 – Money-Making Rackets: Loansharking, Collections & Street Hustles 01:14:09 – Being Put ‘On Record' & Living as a Mob Associate 01:22:28 – Becoming a Made Guy: Hits, Violence & Mob Orders 01:43:56 – The Downfall: Mafia Wars, Betrayals & FBI Pressure 01:58:38 – Prison Time: Surviving as a High-Ranking Mobster Behind Bars 02:05:37 – Walking Away: Internal Conflict & Deciding to Cooperate 02:21:05 – Final Prison Sentence, FBI Cooperation & Turning Informant 02:34:12 – Life After Prison: Regrets, Recovery & Lessons Learned 02:41:00 – Advice to His Younger Self & Powerful Closing Reflections Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Missing Secret Podcast, John and Kelly introduce an interesting idea. You are two people in one. There is the do'er you and there is the observer you. John points out that this is a powerful way to look at your life from a 30,000 foot view. And it is particularly appropriate for someone doing the think it be it 12 minute a day methodology. That's the case because the observer you took the life GPS template and with the conscious mind created your desired life. Exactly the person you want to be, exactly what you want to accomplish, and precisely how you're going to achieve your clearly defined goals. Again, all conscious mind involving the observer you.Then for 12 minutes a day, when you read your life GPS template, you got everybody on the team together at the same time. The life GPS template is instructing the doer side of you on exactly what you want done. Giving all the specifics. But while you are reading your life GPS template, the observer you is also evaluating it. Deciding if there's any tweaks to it. And factoring in that the observer you actually created the life GPS template and customized it to your unique life. When you really think about this idea it really puts your life in perspective. And more than anything else, at the end of that you're really an observer of your life. When we talk about who YOU are, you're really the observer of your life. Buy John's book, THE MISSING SECRET of the Legendary Book Think and Grow Rich : And a 12-minute-a-day technique to apply it here.About the Hosts:John MitchellJohn's story is pretty amazing. After spending 20 years as an entrepreneur, John was 50 years old but wasn't as successful as he thought he should be. To rectify that, he decided to find the “top book in the world” on SUCCESS and apply that book literally Word for Word to his life. That Book is Think & Grow Rich. The book says there's a SECRET for success, but the author only gives you half the secret. John figured out the full secret and a 12 minute a day technique to apply it.When John applied his 12 minute a day technique to his life, he saw his yearly income go to over $5 million a year, after 20 years of $200k - 300k per year. The 25 times increase happened because John LEVERAGED himself by applying science to his life.His daily technique works because it focuses you ONLY on what moves the needle, triples your discipline, and consistently generates new business ideas every week. This happens because of 3 key aspects of the leveraging process.John's technique was profiled on the cover of Time Magazine. He teaches it at the University of Texas' McCombs School of Business, which is one the TOP 5 business schools in the country. He is also the “mental coach” for the head athletic coaches at the University of Texas as well.Reach out to John at john@thinkitbeit.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-mitchell-76483654/Kelly HatfieldKelly Hatfield is an entrepreneur at heart. She believes wholeheartedly in the power of the ripple effect and has built several successful companies aimed at helping others make a greater impact in their businesses and lives.She has been in the recruiting, HR, and leadership development space for over 25 years and loves serving others. Kelly, along with her amazing business partners and teams, has built four successful businesses aimed at matching exceptional talent with top organizations and developing their leadership. Her work coaching and consulting with companies to develop their leadership teams, design recruiting and retention strategies, AND her work as host of Absolute Advantage podcast (where she talks with...

Last week, I talked about building credibility by looking outside your organization for validation. External benchmarking, expert opinions, and industry recognition all help shift internal perception. But validation only works if people understand the actual value you're delivering. That brings us to today's topic: measuring and communicating UX success in ways that resonate with stakeholders.Because, unless you can demonstrate value clearly, the rest of the organization won't recognize it.Fortunately, decision makers across your company have an inherent need to improve the metrics they see. By establishing the right metrics, you'll influence their behavior. It's a weird phenomenon, but if you give people something to measure, they will want to improve that thing.Two ways to quantify successThere are basically two ways to demonstrate the benefit of what you're doing.Qualitative data can be incredibly powerful. A compelling story generates empathy among stakeholders in ways that raw numbers sometimes can't. Testimonials, videos, and user feedback help people understand the human impact of your work.But quantitative data is even more powerful because people believe in hard numbers in a way they don't believe anything else. Ideally, this data should tie to some kind of financial return for the organization.There is something about hard data and having hard numbers you can track that really resonates with people and makes them want to start moving that needle.Deciding on your metricsThe first step is to have metrics based around organizational goals. Right back at the beginning of this course, I talked about getting that company strategy and identifying the organizational goals. Now we need to translate those into something measurable.Depending on what kinds of products and digital services your organization offers will impact how you go about doing this. Essentially, you're taking the company objectives and translating those to the website, app, or digital service that you're running. For example, "increase revenue" might be a company goal for the year, so your website's role might be to generate more leads. Then you need to get specific about key performance indicators. What metric are we going to measure? Maybe we're measuring the number of people completing an online form or visiting a contact page. You need to make those metrics very tangible because otherwise, you can't track them easily.Vary your metricsHowever, be careful. Many organizations end up focusing on a single metric like conversion, which often ends up undermining their long-term success. For example, if you only care about conversion, you end up using pop-up overlays and attention-grabbing things, especially if you're thinking about conversion over the next quarter rather than longer term. You'll do anything to meet that target for that particular month. But what you're also doing is alienating people who won't come back because your website is hard to use or annoying.It's much better to have a variety of metrics that you measure rather than focusing on just one area so that you approach things in a more rounded way.I typically try to have metrics in three broad areas:Engagement metrics assess if users find your design delightful, if the content is interesting, and if it's relevant to their needs. You might put out a quarterly survey on the website or measure dwell time (although sometimes that can be a sign that people are lost on the website) or track how much of a video they watch.Usability metrics answer whether users can find answers to their questions and use features effectively. Periodic usability testing can bring those metrics in. You can measure things like task success rate, time to complete tasks, error rates, and the system usability scale I mentioned earlier.Conversion metrics show whether the right users take action on the site and what the financial value of those actions is. You've got the conversion rate, average order value, average lifetime value, number of repeat customers, and so on.Tie metrics to dollar valueThe most important thing is to try and tie these metrics to a dollar value if possible. Let me give you an example of how powerful this can be.I was at a restaurant called Pizza Express here in the UK. My wife and I were sitting there when the server came over to take our order. However, they took forever to input the order into an iPhone app. I glanced at my wife, who immediately rolled her eyes at me because she knew exactly what I was thinking. That the app had a bad user experience and needed improvement. The server went away, and my poor wife had to listen to me go on about how annoying these apps can be. I then became obsessed and ruined our lunch by starting some calculations.I calculated that if we could save 10 seconds per order, with about 350 orders placed per day in an average restaurant, that would save 58 minutes every day. Pizza Express is open about 364 days a year, meaning we could save 351 hours per year per restaurant. With 450 restaurants worldwide, that equates to nearly 158,000 hours that could be saved by fixing this app. According to ChatGPT, the average server in the UK earns about £9.90 per hour, so fixing the app could save the company over £1.5 million a year.Now, you might think I made up these numbers, and that would be the kind of feedback you'd get if you did something similar. You're right. People will say the numbers are made up, and yes, I did make them up. But it shows the potential. You can use that as a case to run a proof of concept project to work out the real cost savings. It's okay to make educated guesses, and the power of linking a usability or user experience problem to a financial value cannot be overstated. That is where you'll really get people's attention and begin to show the organization the value you can provide.If you want to make similar calculations, I've created a UX ROI calculator on my website that helps you work out the financial impact of UX improvements. Whether you're trying to increase your conversion rate, improve user retention and engagement, or boost productivity and efficiency, it walks you through the math and gives you numbers you can take to stakeholders.Report your successHowever, we can't just calculate these numbers. We also need to report them back. There are several techniques I use for demonstrating this value across the organization.I use storytelling quite a lot. Creating an engaging story that demonstrates how UX enhancements can address issues and achieve measurable business results. That's where your qualitative feedback becomes valuable because you've got all these stories of different users and their experiences. I could have just given you the hard numbers about the Pizza Express example, but by telling you how I ruined our lunch and alienated my wife, I made that story more interesting.I'm also a great fan of dashboards. Providing UX metrics in a dashboard will demonstrate how changes in the user experience help meet business objectives in a very tangible, visual way that people can instantly understand.I also produce impact reports either quarterly, half-yearly, or annually which report back to the organization about the impact that user experience changes have had on the long-term goals of the business.And then there are demos. Host demo days to showcase recent successes, what you changed, what it was like before and after, and the tangible difference that made.Reporting success is really an important part of the equation, and that means you need to be measuring success and tying that back to a financial benefit if you possibly can.Outie's AsideIf you're a freelancer or agency working with clients, demonstrating value becomes even more critical. Your client relationships depend on proving ROI.When you start a project, agree on the metrics you'll track upfront. Don't wait until the end to figure out how you'll demonstrate success. Build measurement into your proposal. If your client says "increase conversions," get specific about which conversions, by how much, and over what timeframe.Document the baseline before you start work. Take screenshots, record the current metrics, and note the user complaints. This gives you a clear before state to compare against.During the project, create a simple dashboard that your client can check anytime. Share wins as they happen. Don't save everything for the final report.When you're calculating potential value, be conservative. Underpromise and overdeliver. If your rough calculation suggests £100,000 in savings, present it as "potentially £50,000 or more." This protects you from overpromising while still showing meaningful impact.Finally, make your impact reports visual. Before-and-after screenshots, simple charts showing metric improvements, and short video clips of users struggling with the old design versus succeeding with the new one. These make your case far more compelling than a spreadsheet full of numbers.So that is it for this time. Next week, I'll wrap up this course with some final thoughts and a summary of everything we've covered. I'll pull together the key lessons and give you a framework for moving forward with confidence.

Storytelling gets treated like decoration. A flourish. Something you add once the "real work" is done. But the truth is sharper. Story is the spark that brings everything else to life.     In this episode, I'm joined by Jon Burkhart. Texas-born. West London based. A career that runs from sports marketing to real-time social to helping brands pitch with more conviction. He runs TBC Global and brings the kind of restless, inventive energy that makes rooms sit up.   What stayed with me was Jon's definition of a good story. Not something new. Something true. A messy human insight told in a fresh way that shakes a memory loose. The line that makes someone think: I've always felt that, but no one's ever said it quite like that.     If you care about making your work land, this conversation will help. We talk about:   • Bringing emotion and humour into industries that default to logic  • Using story to build trust rather than just grab attention  • Deciding who the real hero is in your marketing  • Keeping the human heartbeat strong in an age of AI     It's equal parts useful and uncomfortable, in the best way. The kind of conversation that makes you want to scrap a few slides and tell one sharper, truer story instead.  

After more than 80 hours of labor, Erica Wright found herself exhausted, emotional, and determined to keep trusting her body. With the steady support of her doulas (including EBB Instructor Tara Thompson), she discovered that birth doesn't have to go "according to plan" to be powerful.   In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker talks with Erica and Tara about how preparation, advocacy, and teamwork carried them through a marathon labor filled with unexpected turns. From switching hospitals late in pregnancy to finding strength through challenges, their story exemplifies flexibility, informed choice, and the power of doula support.   (05:55) Tara's updates from Atlanta and her path to becoming an IBCLC (09:17) Erica's lightbulb moments from the EBB Childbirth Class (11:22) Switching hospitals at 35 weeks and advocating for the right fit (16:18) Labor begins: prodromal labor, GBS, and waiting for spontaneous birth (24:30) Hospital admission, challenges with staff, and early interventions (32:17) The Pitocin battle and advocating for movement and monitoring choices (35:40) Finding a supportive nurse and regaining freedom during labor (39:53) Tara's night shift: rest, affirmations, and encouragement (44:20) Deciding on the epidural and reframing "failure" as flexibility (49:18) The final stage: rest, relief, and meeting baby (55:12) Postpartum recovery and breastfeeding challenges (01:00:25) Tara's advice for navigating long labors (01:02:43) Erica's reflections on flexibility, intuition, and informed choice   Resources Get in touch with Tara: tarasbirthservices.com | @taras.birthservices Connect with Tara's teammate, Brittany: @wellpreparednest Listen to EBB 146 - How Doula and EBB Instructor Tara Thompson Supports Families in Atlanta Listen to EBB 357 – Making Decisions about Elective Induction of Labor with Dr. Ann Peralta & Kari Radoff, CNM, from Partner to Decide The Evidence on: GBS (Group B Strep): evidencebasedbirth.com/groupbstrep/ The Evidence on: Pitocin During the Third Stage of Labor: evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-on-pitocin-during-the-third-stage-of-labor/ Epidural during Labor for Pain Management: evidencebasedbirth.com/epidural-during-labor-pain-management/ Learn more about the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class: evidencebasedbirth.com/childbirthclass   For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.

Deciding how to structure your business is one of the biggest choices you'll make as an entrepreneur. While the traditional path often emphasizes profit above all else, more business leaders are starting to see the value in purpose-driven models that can be just as rewarding. My guest this week is challenging the conventional wisdom that profit comes first, and is here to share how she... Read More The post Can Purpose and Profit Coexist in Today's Market? appeared first on Healy Success Solutions.

In this episode of Cross Button VR, host Reece speaks with Yacine Salmi, founder and CEO of Salmi Games, about the development of their game Sweet Surrender and the future of VR gaming. They discuss the evolution of the VR industry, the challenges of game development, and the technical aspects of porting games to platforms like PSVR2.-Sweet Surrender LinksPSVR2 - https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/concept/10015727Steam - https://store.steampowered.com/app/638130/Sweet_Surrender_VR/Quest - https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/sweet-surrender/4723352327707414/-Meta Quest Affiliate: 10% off all Quest Games Here - https://tinyurl.com/39mxmkcv - or use code CBVR on the Meta store for a discountAll links, including Discord: https://linktr.ee/crossbuttonvr-Chapters00:00 Introduction to Yacine Salmi and Salmi Games02:48 The Journey of Sweet Surrender and Future Projects05:25 Exploring Previous Titles and Development Philosophy08:04 The Evolution of VR and Market Dynamics11:08 Yacine's Path to Game Development and VR Vision14:01 The Challenges of Developing in the VR Space16:49 Porting to PSVR2: Insights and Experiences19:28 The Technical Aspects of Porting and Development Challenges22:00 Certification and Release Process on Consoles26:07 Branding and Terminology in Gaming27:56 Experiences with Sony and Game Development30:21 Deciding to Port to PlayStation34:42 Game Mechanics and Player Experience38:52 Industry Changes and Market Dynamics48:03 Visual Style and Game Design Choices51:25 The State of the VR Industry58:24 Game Development Insights and Challenges01:05:02 Community Engagement and Feedback01:11:43 Looking Ahead: Future Projects and Aspirations

Last time we spoke about the Changkufeng Incident. In a frost-bitten dawn along the Chaun and Tumen rivers, a border notched with memory becomes the stage for a quiet duel of will. On one side, Japanese officers led by Inada Masazum study maps, mud, and the hill known as Changkufeng, weighing ground it offers and the risk of war. They glimpse a prize, high ground that could shield lines to Korea—yet they sense peril in every ridge, every scent of winter wind. Across the line, Soviet forces tighten their grip on the crest, their eyes fixed on the same hill, their tents and vehicles creeping closer to the border. The air hums with cautious diplomacy: Moscow's orders pulse through Seoul and Harbin, urging restraint, probing, deterring, but never inviting full-scale conflict. Yet every patrol, every reconnaissance, seems to tilt the balance toward escalation.   #177 The point of no return for the USSR and Japan Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Days passed and the local emissaries had not been released by the Russians. Domei reported from Seoul that the authorities were growing worried; the "brazen" actions of Soviet front-line forces infuriated the Manchurians and Japanese. From Seoul, too, came ominous news that villagers were preparing to evacuate because they feared fighting would soon begin in the Changkufeng area. While diplomatic activity continued in Moscow without effect, the Tokyo press continued to report intense military activity throughout the Soviet Far East—the greatest massing of troops in months, with planes, armored cars, and motorized equipment choking the Trans-Siberian railway. The press was dominated by commentary about the danger of war. One enterprising Tokyo publisher ran advertisements under the heading: "The Manchukuo-Soviet Border Situation Is Urgent—Ours Is the Only Detailed Map of the Soviet Far East: Newspaper-size, in seven clear colors, offset printed, only 50 sen." Although the Manchukuoan foreign office issued a statement on 20 July about the dire consequences the Soviets were inviting, it is probable that the next Russian actions, of a conciliatory nature, were reached independently. Either Moscow had taken almost a week to make the decision, or the diplomatic conversations there had had an effect. Local Japanese authorities reported inactivity on the Changkufeng front from the morning of 23 July. On the next day, word was received that the USSR proposed to return the two emissaries as "trespassers." At midday on 26 July, the Russians released the blindfolded agents at a border site along the Novokievsk road. After completing the formalities, the Japanese asked the Russians for a reply concerning local settlement of the incident. According to Japanese sources, the "flustered" Colonel Grebennik answered: "My assignment today was merely to turn over the envoys. As for any request about the Changkufeng Incident, our guard commander must have asked for instructions from the central government. I think this is the type of matter which must be answered by the authorities at Moscow through diplomatic channels." Grebennik's postwar recollection does not differ appreciably from the Japanese version. Soviet sources mention a second effort by the Japanese military to deliver a message under more forceful circumstances. On 23 July a Soviet border unit drove off a four-man party. Russian cavalry, sent to investigate, discovered that the Japanese had pulled down a telegraph pole, severed lines 100–150 meters inside Soviet territory, absconded with wire, and left behind a white flag and a letter. Undated, unsigned, and written in Korean, the message struck Grebennik as being substantively the same as the communication delivered formally by the emissaries on 18 July. Japanese materials make no reference to a second, informal effort by local forces, but there is little reason to doubt that such an attempt, perhaps unauthorized, was made. Although Japanese efforts at low-level negotiations came to naught, two observations emerged from the local authorities and the press. First, on-the-spot negotiations had broken down; it had been difficult even to reclaim the emissaries, and the Russians in the Posyet region were using various pretexts to refer matters to diplomatic echelons. Second, the Russians had released the men. Some interpreted this as the first evidence of Soviet sincerity; possibly, the USSR would even return Matsushima's body as a step toward settlement. Other Japanese observers on the scene warned the public that it was imperative to stay on guard: "All depends on how diplomacy proceeds and how the front-line troops behave." Yet the excitement in the Japanese press began to abate. It is difficult to ascertain the nature of the decision-making process on the Russian side after the Japanese attempted local negotiations. The Soviets contend that nothing special had been undertaken before the Japanese provoked matters at the end of July. Grebennik, however, admits that after receiving the two Japanese communications, "we started to prepare against an attack on us in the Lake Khasan area." He and a group of officers went to Changkufeng Hill and sent as many border guards there as possible. Although he personally observed Japanese troops and instructed his officers to do the same, he denied categorically that the Russians constructed trenches and fortifications. Only the observation of Manchurian territory was intensified while instructions were awaited from higher headquarters. For its part, the Korea Army was carrying out Imperial general headquarters first instructions while pursuing a wait-and-see policy. On 16 July, Korea Army Headquarters wired an important operations order to Suetaka. With a view toward a possible attack against intruders in the Khasan area, the army planned to make preparations. The division commander was to alert stipulated units for emergency dispatch and send key personnel to the Kyonghun sector to undertake preparations for an attack. Lt. Col. Senda Sadasue, BGU commander of the 76th Infantry Regiment, was to reconnoiter, reinforce nearby districts, and be ready for emergencies. Particular care was enjoined not to irritate the Soviet side. Maj. Gen. Yokoyama Shinpei, the Hunchun garrison commander, was to maintain close contact with the BGU and take every precaution in guarding the frontiers. Like Senda, Yokoyama was warned against irritating the Russians. Korea Army Headquarters also dispatched staff to the front and had them begin preparations, envisaging an offensive. Upon receipt of the army order, Suetaka issued implementing instructions from his Nanam headquarters at 4:30 A.M. on the 17th. The following units were to prepare for immediate alert: the 38th Infantry Brigade Headquarters, 75th Infantry Regiment, 27th Cavalry Regiment, 5th Antiaircraft Regiment, and 19th Engineer Regiment. The same instructions applied to the next units, except that elements organic to the division were designated: the 76th Infantry Regiment, 25th Mountain Artillery Regiment, and 15th Heavy Field Artillery Regiment. Another order enjoined utmost care not to irritate the Russians; Japanese actions were to be masked. Next came a directive to the forces of Senda and K. Sato. The former comprised mainly the 76th Infantry BGU and a cavalry platoon. The latter was built around the 75th Infantry Regiment, the Kucheng garrison unit, another cavalry platoon, two mountain artillery and one heavy field artillery battalion, and the 19th Engineers. Suetaka's idea about a solution to the border troubles had become concrete and aggressive. From the night of July 17, concentration would be accomplished gradually. The exact timing of the attack would be determined by subsequent orders; in Senda's area, there was no such restriction regarding "counteraction brought on by enemy attack." Division signal and intendant officers would conduct reconnaissance related to communications, billeting, food, and supplies. Sato and his subordinates were to reconnoiter personally. Having ordered the division to begin concentration and to stand by, Korea Army Headquarters was prepared the next morning, July 17, to direct the movement. Nevertheless, there was concern in Seoul that Suetaka's advance elements might cross the Tumen River into Manchurian territory, which could result in a clash with Soviet troops. Such an outcome might run counter to the principle established by Imperial general headquarters. Consequently, it was decided that "movement east of the river would therefore have to be forbidden in the Korea Army's implementing order." Nakamura transmitted his operational instructions to Suetaka at 6:00 on July 17: "No great change in latest situation around Lake Khasan. Soviet forces are still occupying Changkufeng area. Diplomaticlevel negotiations on part of central authorities and Manchukuoan government do not appear to have progressed. Considering various circumstances and with view to preparations, this army will concentrate elements of 19th Division between Shikai, Kyonghun, Agochi." Restrictions stipulated that the division commander would transport the units by rail and motor vehicle and concentrate them in the waiting zone in secret. Movement was to begin on the night of July 17 and to be completed the next day. Further orders, however, must govern unit advance east of the Tumen as well as use of force. The remainder of the division was to stay ready to move out. Troops were to carry rations for about two weeks.   Late that day, Suetaka received an order by phone for his subordinates in line with Seoul's instructions. Senda would handle the concentration of elements assembling at Kyonghun, and Sato would do the same for the main units arriving at Agochi. A communications net was to be set up quickly. Caution was to be exercised not to undertake provocative actions against the opposite bank of the Tumen, even for reconnaissance. The division would dispatch two trains from Hoeryong and four from Nanam. At 11:58 pm on 18 July, the first train left Hoeryong for Agochi. Concentration of units was completed by dawn. By that time, the Japanese had dispatched to the border 3,236 men and 743 horses. Past midnight on 20 July, Division Chief of Staff Nakamura wired headquarters that the division was ready to take any action required, having completed the alert process by 11 pm. Japanese scouting of the Changkufeng sector began in earnest after mid-July. Although the affair had seemed amenable to settlement, Sato took steps for an emergency from around the 14th. His thoughts centered on readiness for an attack against Changkufeng, which simultaneously required reconnaissance for the assault and preparation to pull the regiment back quickly to Hoeryong if a withdrawal was ordered. After arriving at Haigan on 18 July, Sato set out with several engineers. At Kucheng, the officers donned white Korean clothing, presumably the disguise directed by the division—and boarded native oxcarts for a leisurely journey southward along the Korean bank of the Tumen across from Changkufeng. The seemingly innocent "farmers" studied the river for crossing sites and Changkufeng Hill for the extent of enemy activity. On the hill's western slope, in Manchurian territory, three rows of Russian entanglements could be observed 300 feet below the crest. Only a handful of soldiers were visible, probably a platoon, certainly not more than a company. Infantry Captain Yamada Teizo conducted secret reconnaissance of the entire Changkufeng-Hill 52 sector for 314 hours in the afternoon of 18 July. Even after intense scanning through powerful binoculars, he could detect no more than 19 lookouts and six horsemen; camouflage work had been completed that day, and there were ten separate covered trench or base points. Barbed wire, under camouflage, extended about four meters in depth, yet even Yamada's trained eye could not determine whether there was one line of stakes or two. He jotted down what he could see and compared his information with that learned from local police. Artillery Colonel R. Tanaka shared the view that the Soviets had intruded. When he went reconnoitering along the Korean bank, he observed Russian soldiers entrenched around the hilltop, easily visible through binoculars at a range of two kilometers. Trenches had been dug 20 to 30 meters below the crest on the western slope. Eventually, there were three rows of barbed wire, the first just below the trenches and the lowest 100 meters under the summit. Tanaka estimated Soviet strength at two companies (about 200 men). Suetaka's intelligence officer, Sasai, recalls seeing barbed wire after Japanese units deployed to the front on 18–19 July; he had surmised then that the entanglements were being prepared out of fear of a Japanese assault.   To obtain first-hand information, the Gaimusho ordered a section chief, Miura Kazu'ichi, to the spot. Between 23 July and the cease-fire in August, Miura collected data at Kyonghun and transmitted reports from the consulate at Hunchun. On 28 July he visited Sozan on the Korean bank. He observed Soviet soldiers on the western slopes of Changkufeng, digging trenches and driving stakes. These actions were clearly on Manchukuoan territory even according to Soviet maps. Miura insisted that he saw no friendly troops on territory claimed by the Russians and observed no provocative actions by the Japanese. These statements are supported by a map drawn for him in early August by Division Staff Officer Saito Toshio, a sketch Miura retained as late as 1947. Miura's testimony is tempered by his assertion that he saw a red flag flying near the top of Changkufeng Hill. This contention conflicts with all evidence, as Russian lawyers at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East argued, it is improbable that a Soviet frontier post, highly interested in camouflage, would have hoisted a pennon so large that it could be seen from Sozan. Russian sources are unanimous in stating that no flag was put up until 6 August and that no trenches or entanglements were established by Soviet border guards in July, at least prior to the 29th. The two Army General staff consultants, Arisue and Kotani, arrived in Seoul on 16 July, the day Korea Army Headquarters was ordering an alert for the 19th Division "with a view toward a possible attack against enemy intruders." Inada dispatched them mainly to inspect the frontline situation; but he had not fully decided on reconnaissance in force. At Shikai, Arisue and Kotani donned Korean garb and traveled by oxcart on the Korean side of the Tumen, reconnoitering opposite the Shachaofeng sector. Kotani was convinced that hostile possession of Changkufeng posed a serious threat to the Korean railway. He agreed with the division's estimate that, if the Japanese did decide to seize Changkufeng, it ought not to be too difficult. Arisue, as senior observer, dispatched messages from Kyonghun to Tokyo detailing their analysis and recommendations. Meanwhile, in Tokyo, on 17 July the central military authorities received a cable from the Japanese envoy in Moscow, Colonel Doi Akio, reporting that prospects for a diplomatic settlement were nil. The USSR was taking a hard line because Japan was deeply involved in China, though there were domestic considerations as well. The Russians, however, showed no intention of using the border incident to provoke war. It would be best for Japan to seize Changkufeng quickly and then press forward with parleys. Meanwhile, Japan should conduct an intensive domestic and external propaganda campaign. There was mounting pressure in the high command that negotiations, conducted "unaided," would miss an opportunity. Based on reports from Arisue and Kotani, that army seemed to be contemplating an unimaginative, ponderous plan: an infantry battalion would cross the Tumen west of Changkufeng and attack frontally, while two more battalions would cross south of Kyonghun to drive along the river and assault Changkufeng from the north. Inada sent a telegram on 17 July to Arisue for "reference." Prospects had diminished that Soviet troops would withdraw as a result of negotiation. As for the attack ideas Arisue mentioned, Inada believed it necessary to prepare to retake Changkufeng with a night attack using small forces. To avoid widening the crisis, the best plan was a limited, surprise attack using ground units. The notion of a surprise attack drew on the Kwantung Army's extensive combat experience in Manchuria since 1931.  The next morning, after the forward concentration of troops was completed, Suetaka went to the front. From Kucheng, he observed the Changkufeng district and decided on concrete plans for use of force. Meanwhile, Nakamura was curbing any hawkish courses at the front. As high-command sources privately conceded later, the younger officers in Tokyo sometimes seemed to think the commander was doing too good a job; there was covert sentiment that it might be preferable if someone in the chain of command acted independently before the opportunity slipped away. This is significant in light of the usual complaints by responsible central authorities about gekokujo—insubordination—by local commands. An important report influencing the high command's view arrived from Kwantung Army Intelligence on 19 July: according to agents in Khabarovsk, the USSR would not let the Changkufeng incident develop into war; Russians also believed there would be no large-scale Soviet intrusion into their territory. By 19 July, the Tokyo operations staff was considering the best method to restore control of the lost hill by force, since Seoul appeared to maintain its laissez-faire stance. On 18 July, Arisue and Kotani were instructed by Imperial General headquarters to assist the Korea Army and the 19th Division regarding the Changkufeng Incident. What the Army general staff operations officers sought was an Imperial General headquarters order, requiring Imperial sanction, that would instruct the Korea Army to evict the Russian troops from Changkufeng the way the Kwantung Army would, using units already under Nakamura's command. The sense was that the affair could be handled locally, but if the USSR sought to escalate the incident, it might be prudent for that to occur before the Hankow operation began. The IGHQ and War Ministry coordinated the drafting of an IGHQ order on 19–20 July: "We deem it advisable to eradicate Soviet challenges . . . by promptly delivering blow on this occasion against unit which crossed border at Changkufeng. That unit is in disadvantageous spot strategically and tactically; thus, probability is scant that dispute would enlarge, and we are investigating countermeasures in any case. Careless expansion of situation is definitely not desired. We would like you people also to conduct studies concerning mode of assault employing smallest strength possible for surprise attack against limited objective. Kindly learn general atmosphere here [Tokyo] from [Operations] Major Arao Okikatsu." The 20th of July proved to be a hectic day in Korea, and even more so in Tokyo. The division had informed the Korea Army that it was finally "ready to go," a message received in Seoul in the early hours. Then Arisue received a wire from Inada presenting limited-attack plans and noting that Arao was on the way. By that day, Japanese intelligence judged there were 400 Soviet troops and two or three mountain guns south of Paksikori. Russian positions at Changkufeng had been reinforced, but no aggressive intentions could be detected. Soviet ground elements, as well as materiel, appeared to be moving from Vladivostok and Slavyanka toward Posyet. Suetaka headed back to the front. Sato told him that it was absolutely necessary to occupy Chiangchunfeng Hill across the Tumen in Manchurian territory. Upon reaching the Wuchiatzu sector and inspecting the situation, Suetaka agreed to send a small unit to Chiangchunfeng on his own authority.  Colonel Sato Kotoku had ordered one company to move across the Tumen toward Chiangchunfeng on 21 July, a maneuver that did not escape the Russians' notice. On 24 July, the same day another Japanese unit occupied Shangchiaoshan Hill, Marshal Blyukher ordered the 40th Rifle Division, stationed in the Posyet area to be placed on combat readiness, with a force of regulars assigned to back the Soviet border guards; two reinforced rifle battalions were detached as a reserve. According to Japanese records, Russian border patrols began appearing around Huichungyuan, Yangkuanping, and Shachaofeng from 26 July, but no serious incidents were reported at that stage. At about 9:30 am on 29 July, Captain Kanda, the 2nd Company commander of Lieutenant Colonel Senda's 76th Border Garrison Unit, was observing the Shachaofeng area from his Kucheng cantonments. Through his glasses, Kanda observed four or five Soviet soldiers engaged in construction on high ground on the west side of Shachaofeng. Kanda notified Senda, who was at BGU Headquarters inspecting the forward areas. Senda transmitted the information to Suetaka. Deciding to cross the Tumen for a closer look, Senda set off with Kanda. A little after 11 am, they reached Chiangchunfeng Hill, where the men from Captain Noguchi's company were already located. Senda verified, to his own satisfaction, that as many as 10 enemy infantrymen had "violated the border" to a depth of 350 meters, "even by the Soviets' contention", and were starting construction 1,000 meters south of Shachaofeng. Senda decided to oust the Russian force "promptly and resolutely," in light of the basic mission assigned his unit. He telephoned Suetaka, who was in Kyonghun, and supplied the intelligence and the recommendation. Subordinates recalled Suetaka's initial reaction when the BGU reported a Soviet intrusion about a mile and a half north of Changkufeng. "The arrogant Russians were making fools of the Japanese, or were trying to. At stake was not a trifling hill and a few invaders, but the honor of the Imperial Army. In the face of this insult, the general became furious. He insisted upon smashing the enemy right away."  Kanda phoned 2nd Lieutenant Sakuma, who was still at Kucheng, and told him to bring his 25-man platoon across the river by 2 pm Sakuma crossed by boat and arrived at 1:30. Kanda set out from Chiangchunfeng at 2:20, took over Sakuma's unit, bore east, and approached within 700 meters of the enemy. He ordered the men not to fire unless fired upon, and to withdraw quickly after routing the Russians. It is said that the Japanese troops were fired upon as they advanced in deployed formation but did not respond at first. In a valley, casualties were incurred and the Japanese finally returned fire. Sakuma's 1st Squad leader took a light machine gun and pinned down the Russians facing him. Sakuma himself pressed forward with his other two squads, taking advantage of the slope to envelop the enemy from the right. At the same time, he sent a patrol to the high ground on the left to cover the platoon's flank. Thanks to the 1st Squad's frontal assault, the Russians had no chance to worry about their wings, and Sakuma moved forward to a point only 30 meters from the foe's rear. Kanda was now 50 meters from the Russians. When the enemy light machine gun let up, he ordered a charge and, in the lead, personally cut down one of the foe. Sakuma also rushed the Soviets, but when about to bring down his saber he was stabbed in the face while another Russian struck him in the shoulder. Grappling with this assailant, Sakuma felled him. Other Japanese attackers sabered two more Russians and shot the rest. By 3:10 pm the eight enemy "trespassers" had been annihilated. The covering patrol reported that five Soviet horsemen, with a light machine gun, were galloping up from Khasan. Sakuma had his platoon fire grenade dischargers, which smashed the enemy. Seventy more Russian soldiers now came, attacking from northwest of the lake and supported by fire from the east side. Using light machine guns and grenade dischargers, Sakuma checked them. Meanwhile, Miyashita's platoon, part of Noguchi's company, had departed from Chiangchunfeng at 2:20 pm and swung right until it reached the crestline between Changkufeng and Kanda's company. One squad faced 200 Russians on Changkufeng; the other faced the enemy south of Shachaofeng. Soviet forces opened intense machine-gun fire from Changkufeng and from the high ground east of the lake. After 20 minutes, Kanda's unit charged, two or three Russians fled, and Miyashita's platoon shot one down. Senda, who had gone with Miyashita, directed the platoon's movements and proceeded north, under fire, to Kanda's unit. Once the Russians had been cleared out, Senda forbade pursuit across the boundary and gradually withdrew his forces to the heights line 800 meters southwest. It was 4:30 then. By 5 pm Soviet reinforcements, apparently brought up from the Changkufeng and Paksikori sectors, advanced anew. With 80 men in the front lines, the enemy pushed across the border to a depth of at least 500 meters, according to the Japanese, and began to establish positions. Several tanks and many troops could be observed in the rear. Senda had Noguchi's company hold Chiangchunfeng. Kanda's unit, reinforced by 33 men from Kucheng, was to occupy the heights southwest of Shachaofeng, while Imagawa's company of the 76th Regiment was to occupy other high ground to the west. Senda then reported the situation to Suetaka in Kyonghun and asked for reinforcements. In Seoul, Army headquarters understood the developments reported by Suetaka as a response to the hostile border violation, and about 20 men of the Kucheng BGU under Lt. Sakuma drove the enemy out between 2:30 and 3 pm. Afterward, Sakuma pulled back to high ground two kilometers south of Yangkuanping to avoid trouble and was now observing the foe. Although Seoul had heard nothing about Japanese losses, Corp. Akaishizawa Kunihiko personally observed that Kanda had been wounded in the face by a grenade and bandaged, that Sakuma had been bayoneted twice and also bandaged, and that the dead lay on the grass, covered with raincoats. According to Suetaka "the enemy who had crossed the border south of Shachaofeng suffered losses and pulled back once as a result of our attack at about 2:30 pm". By about 4:30, Suetaka continued, the Russians had built up their strength and attacked the platoon on the heights southwest of Shachaofeng. Behind the Russian counterattack, there were now several tanks. Earlier, Suetaka noted ominously that several rounds of artillery had been fired from the Changkufeng area; "therefore, we reinforced our units too, between 5 and 6 pm., and both sides are confronting each other." Details as to the fate of Sakuma's platoon are not given, but it is now admitted that casualties were incurred on both sides. The Korea Army Headquarters consequently reported to Tokyo in the evening that, according to information from the division, 20 Japanese had driven out the Russians near Shachaofeng; 25 men from Senda's unit were occupying the heights 600 meters west of Changkufeng; and another 16 men were deployed in ambush at Yangkuanping. Such an enumeration would have tended to suggest that only a few dozen Japanese were across the Tumen on the 29th. But a review of the numbers of combat troops committed and the reinforcements sent by Senda reveals that Japanese strength across the river was in the hundreds by nightfall. In Moscow, Tass reported that on 29 July detachments of Japanese-Manchukuoan intruders had attempted to seize high ground apparently located 0.5 miles north of a Russian position. The assailants had been "completely repelled from Soviet territory, as a result of measures taken by Russian frontier guards," and instructions had been sent to the embassy in Tokyo to protest strongly. Walter Duranty, the veteran American correspondent in Moscow, heard that the Japanese press had published reports, likely intended for internal consumption, that hours of furious fighting had occurred at the points in question. Since the dispatches were unsubstantiated and "failed to gain credence anywhere outside Japan," Duranty claimed this may have forced the Japanese to translate into action their boast of "applying force" unless their demands were satisfied. "Now, it appears, they have applied force, unsuccessfully." The Soviet communiqué on the Shachaofeng affair, despite its firm tone, appeared unostentatiously in the following day's Pravda and Izvestiya under the headline, "Japanese Militarists Continue Their Provocation." The Japanese Embassy in Moscow heard nothing about the Shachaofeng affray until the morning of the 30th, when a wire was received from the Gaimusho that ten Russian soldiers had occupied a position northwest of Changkufeng and had begun trench work until ejected by frontier guards. Since the Russian communiqué spoke of afternoon fighting, American correspondents concluded that Soviet troops must have counterattacked and driven off the Japanese. No additional information was available to the public in Moscow on the 30th, perhaps because it was a holiday. Nevertheless, in the afternoon, Stalin's colleague Kaganovich addressed an immense crowd in Moscow on "Railroad Day" and at the conclusion of a long, vigorous speech said:  "The Soviet Union is prepared to meet all enemies, east or west." It certainly was not a fighting speech and there is no reason to suppose the Soviet will abandon its firm peace policy unless Japan deliberately forced the issue. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Diplomacy flickered as Moscow pressed restraint and Tokyo whispered calculated bravado. As July wore on, both sides massed troops, built trenches, and sent scouts across the river. A tense, hidden war unfolded, skirmishes, patrols, and small advances, until a fleeting moment when force collided with restraint, and the hill's future hung in the frost.

In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Anna Hicks-Jaco has a conversation with two of Spivey's newest consultants—Sam Parker, former Harvard Law Associate Director of Admissions, and Julia Truemper, former Vanderbilt Law Associate Director of Admissions—all about the law school admissions advice that admissions officers won't give you, discussing insider secrets and debunking myths and common applicant misconceptions. Over this hour-and-twenty-minute-long episode, three former law school admissions officers talk about the inner workings of law schools' application review processes (31:50), the true nature of “admissions committees” (33:50), cutoff LSAT scores (23:03, 46:13), what is really meant (and what isn't) by terms such as “holistic review” (42:50) and “rolling admissions” (32:10), tips for interviews (1:03:16), waitlist advice (1:15:28), what (not) to read into schools' marketing emails (10:04), which instructions to follow if you get different guidance from a law school's website vs. an admissions officer vs. on their application instructions on LSAC (14:29), things not to post on Reddit (1:12:07), and much more.Two other episodes are mentioned in this podcast:Making Your Law School List: Advice & Resources for Deciding Where to Apply“Safety Schools” and Making a Law School Backup PlanYou can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠. You can read a full transcript of this episode here.

What happens when a dream is so big, so audacious, that you commit to it long before you have the skills, money, or confidence to make it happen? For Paula Ralph, that dream was to cycle from Cape Town, South Africa to Nordkapp, Norway— a 12,290 km journey across 17 countries. What began as a Guinness World Record attempt soon transformed into something far more powerful: a test of courage, resilience, and self-belief. Paula set off with one goal — to become the fastest woman to complete the route. But along the way, reality hit hard. Injuries, financial setbacks, fear, loneliness, and a traumatic collision with a truck in Zambia forced her to confront a heartbreaking truth: the record might no longer be possible. At this crossroads, Paula had a choice — stop, or redefine what success looked like. She chose to keep going. In this episode, Paula shares the raw truth behind the miles: the moments of doubt, the joy of human connection, the quiet sunrises that kept her pedalling, and the inner strength she discovered when everything else was stripped away. Her story is not just about endurance on a bike — it's about holding on to your "why" when the original plan falls apart. If you've ever had a dream that felt too big, or found yourself at the edge of giving up, Paula's journey will remind you that progress isn't always measured in records — sometimes it's measured in courage, growth, and the refusal to quit.  This episode is for you if: You're chasing a big goal or adventure You've experienced setbacks or self-doubt You want inspiration to keep going when life gets tough You love stories of resilience, solo travel, and human grit Ready to be inspired by what's possible when you simply refuse to stop? Hit play and let Paula take you on the road with her.  New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.  Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.  Your support makes a difference.  Thank you x *** Show notes Who is Paula Doing the Long Ride - Cape Town to Nordkapp, Norway Being based in the UK  Growing up in South Africa in the middle of nowhere Not being very adventurous  Getting sporty in her adult years  Getting married and putting on weight Deciding to join a gym to lose weight in  Paying a Personal Trainer  How her outlook on fitness changed  Wanting to encourage other people to live a healthy life Getting into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Becoming a sports therapist in 2009  Going into retail after college  Getting her personal training qualifications  Advice and tips for women who aren't feeling comfortable in their body Encouraging women to find something they'd enjoy  Getting the idea for the ride in 2020 Being inspired by the longest walkable road in the world - from cape town to a tiny town in Russia Sharing her dream on Facebook  Giving herself 4 years to plan and train Deciding to do a cycling camp in Italy  Meeting her coach - Ian  Deciding it was now or never and starting the ride The challenges of getting to the start line Getting divorced in 2012 and not having children  The challenges of being self employed Struggling financially Creating a go fund me, to fund the challenge Wanting to start a foundation to help children in disadvantaged communities  Needing to take a little diversion to get back on track The start line of the long ride Being driven to the start line at 5am Dealing with the nerves at the start Wanting to beat the record and complete the challenge in 72 days Not having a support crew anymore due to the sponsorship falling through  Having an 8kg pack on her back while cycling  Crossing the border into Botswana Her cycle route through Africa The anxiety heading up to the Ethiopia border Border crossing  Heading through the Middle East and making it to Europe Mental resilience during the ride Reflecting on each day, how the day went and how she was feeling  Why the only way is forward Smiling through the pain Being on the bike and where her focus was Getting hit by a truck in Zambia  Needing to set the world record aside  Feeling overwhelmed and not wanting to continue the ride - being completely done  The end of the journey and knowing the end was insight Feeling proud of herself  Going live on Instagram to thank everyone  Adjusting back to life after the trip Leaving everything in the UAE Heading back to the UK after the ride Finding a contract job Trying to enjoy the downtime after the ride and struggling with not moving forward How to connect with Paula on social media Having her first account hacked on Instagram Fail to plan - plan to fail Why its all in the planning  Be prepared to be adaptable Forge forward    Social Media Instagram: @thelongridec2c.2   

DPE John Boos and NAFI Program Development Manager Sarah Staudt dive into the power of scenario-based training to strengthen student judgment and decision-making. They discuss why rote memory—while valuable—is only the starting point, and how realistic simulations help students apply knowledge in meaningful ways. The discussion includes how AI can support instructors by generating scenario ideas, variations, and trigger events, all while emphasizing the importance of CFI curation to ensure accuracy, realism, and safety. This episode offers practical strategies for building stronger pilots through intentional scenario design, thoughtful evaluation, and smart use of AI as a creative tool—not a replacement for instructor expertise. Join NAFI at https://my.nafimentor.org. Use promo code PODSAVE5 to save $5 on your NAFI membership. Thank you to Sporty's and AOPA for sponsoring this episode.

Hey there, hero!Deciding to pursue a performance related career also guarantees an immense amount of weirdness.You can't even begin to predict what's going to happen, like you can in some more traditional lines of work.In this episode, I reveal the strange cascade of events that resulted in me booking a multi-season run on NBC/BBC's sci-fi series HEROES, playing the creepy, evil Puppetmaster, Eric Doyle.I mean really, really strange.Have there been strange twists in your career? Care to share? Let me know in the comments below.REQUEST: Please join this video's conversation and see the full episode on VOHeroes, where the comments are moderated and civil, at https://voheroes.com/the-weird-twists-that-landed-me-heroes/#Acting #Voice #VoiceOver #Performance #Productivity #Tips #Art #Commerce #Science #Mindset #Success #Process #Options #BestPractices #MarketingWant to be a better VO talent, actor or author? Here's how I can help you......become a VO talent (or a more successful one): https://voheroes.com/start ...become an audiobook narrator on ACX (if you're an actor or VO talent): https://acxmasterclass.com/ ...narrate your own book (if you're an author): https://narrateyourownbook.com/ ...have the most effective pop filter (especially for VO talent): https://mikesock.com/ ...be off-book faster for on-camera auditions and work (memorize your lines): https://rehearsal.pro/...master beautiful audiobook and podcast audio in one drag and drop move on your Mac: https://audiocupcake.com/ The VOHeroes Podcast is heroically built with: BuddyBoss | LearnDash | DreamHost | SamCart | TextExpander | BuzzSprout ...

On this episode of Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different, we sit down with business thinker Joe Pine, the legendary co-author of "The Experience Economy," for an in-depth conversation about building a career around unique ideas. Joe Pine shares insights from his early days as a self-described nerd at IBM to his role in shaping the field of mass customization and ultimately designing a business that made him stand out as a category of one. The discussion moves fluidly from personal transformation to the sweeping changes he helped pioneer in business, and what it means to thrive as a creator capitalist in today's rapidly changing world. You're listening to Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different. We are the real dialogue podcast for people with a different mind. So get your mind in a different place, and hey ho, let's go.   Finding a Different Path: From Palo Alto to Publishing with Harvard Joe Pine's journey began in Palo Alto during the era of the Arpanet, with technology in his blood and a passion for applied mathematics. Pine joined IBM in 1980, at its peak as arguably the most desirable company for ambitious technologists. Despite a technical start, he found himself increasingly drawn to management, strategy, and the world of business ideas. His trajectory changed dramatically when IBM sent him to MIT for a master's in the management of technology. There, Pine encountered Stan Davis's concept of "mass customization" and felt a lightning bolt of inspiration. Deciding to turn his MIT thesis into a book, Pine landed a contract with Harvard Business School Press. The credential of publishing with Harvard, he notes, was a powerful stamp of intellectual rigor. As he recalls, “Harvard puts its stamp on it, says this is intellectually rigorous. This is a good book. This ought to be out in the world, and we want to publish it.”   Joe Pine on Leaping from Employee to Icon, and Creating the Experience Economy With his first book in hand, Pine found himself at a crossroads. The culture at IBM was changing, and a timely severance package offered him a financial cushion to take a risk. Encouraged by thought leaders he admired, he struck out on his own. Initially, IBM remained his primary client, but Pine quickly built a reputation for leading-edge thinking and collaborating with other luminaries like Don Peppers and Jim Gilmore. The launch of "The Experience Economy" marked a turning point, not just for Pine, but for the business landscape itself. He didn't merely spot a trend or invent a new buzzword; he named and framed a fundamental shift in the economy's fabric. “We didn't identify a fad, but a fundamental change in the fabric of the economy. And if it is a change in the economy, then it is always going to go like that, right? Until something surpasses it and it starts to go down as happened with commodities and goods and services.” The central idea that businesses must stage memorable experiences to remain relevant only grew more compelling over time, with Pine's frameworks gaining more relevance as the digital age accelerated.   Transformation and Identity in the Age of AI As the episode moves to the present, Pine discusses how transformation, both personal and organizational, is ultimately about changing identity. He credits much of his own success to an ability to recognize patterns and develop frameworks to describe and prescribe changes in business. Pine's recent work, including his Substack and newest book, explores not just customer experience but transformation itself, emphasizing that “all transformation is identity change.” The conversation turns to AI and the breaking waves of change it represents for businesses today, paralleling Pine's earlier identification of evolving economic eras. He sees transformation as most successful when companies or individuals are willing to fundamentally shift who they are, not just what they do. “The identity issues there are paramount because who you think you are often stops you from being able to do these things because it would change who you are so much.” Joe Pine believes that in the new world shaped by AI, those who can shed old identities and truly reinvent themselves—much as he did when he left IBM—will be the ones to define the next era. The lesson for aspiring creator capitalists is clear: the greatest value comes not only from unique ideas but also from the courage to turn those ideas into new identities, new categories, and new realities. To hear more from Joe Pine and how he built a business with his Intellectual Capital, download and listen to this episode.    Bio Joe Pine is a renowned author, speaker, and management advisor best known as the co-author of The Experience Economy, a groundbreaking book that reshaped how businesses create value. His work introduced the concept that companies must orchestrate memorable experiences to remain competitive in an evolving marketplace. With deep expertise in innovation and customer experience design, Joe helps organizations around the world architect differentiated experiences that drive growth and loyalty. He has worked with leading global brands across industries from retail and hospitality to healthcare and technology. Joe is also a sought-after keynote speaker and co-founder of Strategic Horizons LLP. His insights continue to influence leaders seeking to transform the way they engage customers.   Links Connect with Joe Pine! LinkedIn | Strategic Horizons   We hope you enjoyed this episode of Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and subscribe on Apple Podcast / Spotify!

Join the Social Sales Society: https://www.lindsaydollinger.com/mastermind In this episode of the Passports, Profits, and Pixie Dust podcast, host Lindsay delves into the concept of the 'entrepreneur era shift,' a transformative phase that can elevate both your business and personal life. By comparing personal growth phases to Taylor Swift's eras, Lindsay discusses the importance of mindset shifts and overcoming self-doubt to unlock new levels of success. The episode emphasizes the need to expand one's identity, remain consistent, and treat oneself as a CEO. Lindsay also introduces the Social Sales Society, a supportive coaching community aimed at helping women achieve their most profitable era through personalized systems, strategies, and accountability. 00:00 Welcome to the Entrepreneur Era Shift 01:33 Understanding Plateaus and Identity Expansion 03:32 Deciding to Step into Your Next Era 05:23 Implementing the Era Shift in Business 06:56 The Power of Community and Coaching 07:41 Join the Social Sales Society 08:40 Final Thoughts and Encouragement Join the Social Sales Society: https://www.lindsaydollinger.com/mastermind

Foundation for what God was doing with creation; Mark of God?; aleph-lamad-hey-yod-mem = god/goddess/judge…; Atheists?; Melchizedek = righteous king; City walls; Liberty?; Blessings upon Abraham; Terah the idolater; Earth without form; Darkness and Light; Interpreting dreams; Joseph's talent; Bible authors inspired, translators?; Cancelling Joseph; Freedom of speech; Deciding fact and law; Violating justice; Genesis 38 purpose; Tamar's justice; tav-mem-resh; 2 Sam 13:10; Relationship with God; Care-giver; Modern-day churches riding the beast; Joseph in Egypt - why?; Strange gods; 400 years of bondage; Gen 39:1; Non-Egyptians holding office?; Israel a bloodline?; Honoring your father; "LORD"; Sanctity of the family; Betrayal; Temptation; resh-ayin = going against God's nature; Respect for marriage; Less than righteous?; Immigration; Interfering with contracts; Understanding law and human nature; Avoiding wickedness; Ambush; Potiphar's wrath?; Keeper of the King's prison; Understanding history; "Q" gospels; God is the same; Good servants; Alexander the Great's entourage; Joseph's reach of relationships; Bible mostly about government; Faith = belief that compels action; Allegiance = compels action via force; My Lai Massacre; Lawful orders?; Understanding law; Judge Pliny the younger; Destroying society via benefits; Morality; v4 "grace"; serve = minister = shin-resh-tav; "Leaven"; Changing condition; Socialism; Breaking down families; Covetous practices; Means of production; Who are your ministers?; Join us!

We're back on The Mail-In this week with Brett Merriman and Producer Randy Trembacki for a dose of nostalgia and some questions on top. Here's what we've got: 1. Deciding between family members as a wedding officiant. 2. What does "a couple" mean at the store? 3. My buddy is getting married and we're not a fan of his fiancée... 4. Need help with my Thanksgiving mac n' cheese! 5. What is Randy thankful for? Our Partners: Aura Frames: Get $20 OFF with code AURA20 at AuraFrames.com MasterClass: Get as much as 50% OFF by heading to MasterClass.com/MAILIN Green Chef: Get 50% OFF your first month with code 50MAIL at GreenChef.com/50MAIL WRITE IN TO THE MAIL-IN LEAVE A VOICEMAIL 888-362-6245 FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM FOLLOW US ON TWITTER Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Jake Jaworski interviews Tom Zhang and Matt from RitFit, discussing their backgrounds, the evolution of RitFit, and the impact of the home gym community. They share insights on the company's growth, product innovations, and the importance of customer feedback. The conversation also touches on misconceptions about RipFit as a budget brand and their future plans in the fitness industry.Chapters00:00 Introduction to RipFit and Its Founders02:44 Tom Zhang's Journey to RipFit05:38 Matt's Background and Entry into RipFit08:26 The Evolution of RipFit11:42 Daily Operations and Future Plans at RipFit14:29 The Growth and Recognition of RipFit17:32 Market Trends and Competition in Home Gym Equipment20:33 Misconceptions About RipFit as a Budget Brand33:46 Commitment to Quality Equipment34:06 Deciding to Attend Home Gym Con36:19 Key Takeaways from Home Gym Con38:50 Personal Experiences at Home Gym Con42:48 Current Offerings and Innovations49:45 Team Structure and Growth54:28 Differentiation in the Market01:02:23 Future Vision for RITFIT and Home Gym Community

What do voters actually want—and why do so many politicians keep getting it wrong? This week I talk with the great Simon Bazelon about the real data behind voter shifts, why popular narratives miss the mark, and what a winning path forward for Democrats really looks like.Simon is the lead author of a terrific new report, “Deciding to Win: Toward a Common Sense Renewal of the Democratic Party.” This report, released by our friends at Welcome, is a must read for anyone involved in Democratic politics:In order to take back Congress and the presidency, Democrats need to understand the political and strategic landscape we face. Deciding to Win aims to provide the most comprehensive account to date of why Democrats lost and what our party needs to do to win again. We draw on thousands of election results, hundreds of public polls and academic papers, dozens of case studies, and surveys of more than 500,000 voters we conducted since the 2024 election. Deciding to Win argues that since 2012, highly educated staffers, donors, advocacy groups, pundits, and elected officials have reshaped the Democratic Party's agenda, decreasing our party's focus on the economic issues that are the top concerns of the American people. These same forces have pushed our party to adopt unpopular positions on a number of issues that are important to voters, including immigration and public safety. To win again, Democrats need to listen more to voters and less to out-of-touch donors, detached party elites, and Democratic politicians who consistently underperform the top of the ticket. Please check out Simon's report and listen in on the discussion!A transcript of this podcast is available on our website. Get full access to The Liberal Patriot at www.liberalpatriot.com/subscribe

In this episode, Julia talks about how to use the power of deciding for your manifestations and goals to come to fruition. She covers: The science behind decidingWhy wanting attracts more wantingPractical steps to manifest your goalsLearn the neuroscience behind manifestation, including how your Reticular Activating System (RAS) works, and how to align your mindset, emotions, and daily actions to bring your desires into reality!Work with Julia:⁠⁠⁠⁠Apply to work 1:1 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Julia on her social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@juliachien.rd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Senior Reporter Brad Johnson interviews state Representative Briscoe Cain about his campaign for Congress in Texas's new Congressional District 9. Cain shares his thoughts on the recent ruling that overturned district maps, his continued commitment to his campaign, and his work in the Texas legislature, including his pivotal role in passing the Texas Heartbeat Act. 00:00 Intro00:49 Thoughts on the Court's Decision04:11 Special Session and Redistricting09:13 Institutional Knowledge and Term Limits13:38 Texas Heartbeat Act19:55 Redistricting20:55 Deciding to Run for Congress21:37 Challenges in the US House of Representatives22:48 Campaign Strategy and Opponents25:58 Addressing Criticisms29:48 Local Issues and Community Concerns37:49 Restoring Congressional Power40:59 Closing

While Democrats recently scored some much-needed electoral wins, the party remains in crisis. Recent reports like Welcome PAC's “Deciding to Win” argue that the Democrats must drop unpopular cultural positions and recenter economic demands. Can a populist economic agenda shorn of unpopular identity politics get the party back on track? On this episode of Confronting Capitlism, Vivek Chibber evaluates these reports and examines the pros and cons of this approach. Based on recent polling data, working class voters have rejected elitist cultural demands but support social-democratic economic solutions. The latest issue of Catalyst Journal is out and you can subscribe for just $20 using the code CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM: https://catalyst-journal.com/subscribe/?code=CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM Have a question for us? Write to us by email: confronting.capitalism@jacobin.com Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber is produced by Catalyst: A Journal of Theory and Strategy and published by Jacobin. Music by Zonkey.

Have you ever wondered how some people keep standing even when life seems determined to knock them flat? That question lingered with me as I spoke with Dave Munson, the founder and CEO of Saddleback Leather Co., whose journey is marked by sharp turns, risk-taking, loss, grit, faith, and a remarkable ability to get back up again. This conversation reminded me that the path to becoming unshakable is rarely smooth. It is formed through moments that challenge our identity, stretch our resolve, and reveal what we truly rely on when everything around us feels uncertain. Dave brought stories that moved from the deserts of Mexico to the busy floors of his factory, from being a young volunteer teacher dreaming up a rugged bag to building a global brand rooted in people-first values. He talks openly about the setbacks that shaped him, including financial loss, near closures, a cartel theft of an entire truckload of products, and the intense pressure of keeping a business alive during COVID when travel bags suddenly fell to the very bottom of consumer demand. What struck me was his response each time. He chose gratitude, service, and faith as his grounding tools. He decided to stand up quicker with each hit instead of staying down. The heart of this episode unfolds as Dave shares how compassion has shaped his leadership. From standing beside employees during personal crises to hiring people who are often overlooked in society, he paints a picture of leadership that meets people where they are and walks with them. He also speaks candidly about his own process of unlearning, particularly the need to relinquish self-reliance and trust others to grow alongside him. His story is full of uncomfortable growth, unexpected blessings, and a willingness to pivot when the world shifts beneath his feet. It made me reflect on what anchors each of us and how we choose to rise. As you listen, consider your own sense of grounding. What helps you get back up when life hits you in ways you never saw coming? And if something Dave shared resonates with you, I would love to know your thoughts. What part of this conversation helps you reflect on your own journey toward becoming unshakable?