Podcasts about Design

In today's episode, you're going to learn an easy and proven way to build good habits and break bad ones. Here to offer you a guide to improving your life, no matter what your goals are, is James Clear – the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Atomic Habits, which is one of Mel's favorite books. James Clear is one of the world's leading experts on habit formation and behavior change. His work has helped millions of people lose weight, quit smoking and vaping, stop drinking, build businesses, start new chapters, achieve lifelong goals, and become the person they want to be. In this conversation, James reveals a simple truth most people never learn: if you're struggling to change your habits, the problem isn't you – it's your systems. Bad habits don't repeat because you lack motivation or willpower. They repeat because your system is designed to produce them. James breaks down the proven frameworks behind lasting change and explains how tiny, consistent improvements compound into extraordinary results over time. And even if you have read the book Atomic Habits, which Mel has several times, there are things in the interview today that James says that he has never shared before. He will also cover the things he wished he had written about when he wrote Atomic Habits 7 years ago! In this episode, you'll learn how to: -Make time for new habits -Overcome a lack of motivation -Design your environment to make success easier -Get back on track quickly when you fall off course -How 1% improvements compound into extraordinary results -The difference between goals and systems - How to break bad habits without relying on willpower -The identity shift that makes change permanent By the end of this episode, you'll understand why change has felt so hard in the past - and you'll walk away with a proven system you can use for the rest of your life. For more resources related to today's episode, click here for the podcast episode page.  If you liked the episode, check out this one next: How to Get Things Done, Stay Focused and Be More ProductiveConnect with Mel:   Order Pure Genius ProteinGet Mel's newsletter, packed with tools, coaching, and inspiration.Get Mel's #1 bestselling book, The Let Them TheoryWatch the episodes on YouTubeFollow Mel on Instagram The Mel Robbins Podcast InstagramMel's TikTok Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes ad-freeDisclaimer Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Florencia Moynihan (Flo) – a Catholic Nutritional Therapy Practitioner – joins Trending with Timmerie. Episode Guide Reset your new year by fueling your body rather than dieting (2:48) The FUEL method (17:11) Faith vs. Diet Culture: body shame, under eating, self-optimization, and the new food pyramid from Bobby Kennedy Jr. (24:17) We need to stop acting as if abortion is just something we live with (41:30) Resources mentioned: Book: “Made Good” https://sophiainstitute.com/product/made-good/?_ef_transaction_id=0a88fe7319f1490299abe81a510fed4d The Catholic Nutritionist https://thecatholicnutritionist.com/ https://supportafterabortion.com/

Design the year you want to live inside Live Like An Editor, January 12–16, 2026. Join us at https://schoolofselfimage.com/editor  What if I told you that the key to becoming the woman you're meant to be has nothing to do with discipline, willpower, or even strategy? The secret to a new self-image is actually something you already know how to do… a little game you've already mastered as a child. I'm talking about playing "make believe." This one practice (when done with intention) can make you absolutely unrecognizable in the best possible way. Every transformation I've experienced in my life, from building a multimillion-dollar business to living my dreams, started with this practice. I promise you: This is the most practical, powerful tool you can use to transform your life. Here's what we cover: • Why "playing make-believe" is one of the most powerful tools for reinvention • How acting as your future self rewires your brain and shapes your identity • Real-life examples of becoming unrecognizable through intentional identity practice • Why becoming the next version of you requires bold imagination, courage, and play • How to stay committed when others doubt, judge, or misunderstand your evolution • How living from your future (not your past) turns vision into reality and magic into results Did you enjoy this episode? Subscribe to the podcast and leave a 5-star review! You can also listen to this show on YouTube and on all your favorite podcast platforms.  How to Connect with Tonya Leigh  Website: https://schoolofselfimage.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonyaleigh Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TonyaLeighOfficial/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyaleighofficial/ Pinterest: https://ph.pinterest.com/tonyaofficial/ Twitter: https://x.com/tonyaleigh YouTube: https://schoolofselfimage.com/yt-tl

On this week's episode of The Business of Watches, we sit down with the principals of Horologer Ming and there is plenty to talk about. Founder and creative head Ming Thein explains his unique design and engineering process, while Chief Executive Officer Praneeth Rajsingh discusses financial challenges and financing solutions the small company has utilized to keep the business humming. We dive deep into the manufacturing process of the titanium, 3D-printed Polymesh bracelet that has the watch world buzzing, get an audio-only sneak peek at an upcoming release, and also hear about plans for a value-priced subsidiary brand they have in the works.We hope you enjoy the conversation. There is a lot to unpack! Be sure to leave any thoughts or questions in the comments section, and we'll do our best to respond.Want to subscribe so you never miss an episode? This new show is being published to the original Hodinkee Podcasts feed, so you can subscribe wherever you find your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or TuneIn.Show Notes4:50 Dubai Watch Week6:47 Ming and the Alternative Horological Alliance10:30 Computer Aided Design12:20 Ming Polymesh 33:20 Apple Watch39:00 Accredited Investor 42:20 Project finance 49:25 Swiss watch CEOs talk about component suppliers54:00 Ming 17.01 (Hodinkee)

In This Episode of Business Lunch, Roland and Sarah dig into why most business failures aren't actually motivation problems—they're friction problems. They explore how accidental complexity in your systems quietly kills performance, why transparency in pricing beats "customized solutions," and how mapping out every step of a process reveals the hidden friction that's sabotaging adoption. Sarah pushes back on whether removing friction just accommodates laziness, leading to a nuanced discussion about intentional versus accidental friction. They cover real examples from CRM adoption to project management tools to sales processes, and debate when systems should adapt to people versus when people should adapt to systems. The core insight: if your strategy requires people to "try harder," your system is poorly designed. Includes practical advice on friction audits and why starting small beats trying to redesign everything at once.Connect with me on social:TikTok: Check out my TikTok HereInstagram: Check out my Instagram HereFacebook: Check out my Facebook HereLinkedIn: Check out my LinkedIn HereSubscribe to my YouTube

Tiff and Monica break down what it takes to operate your practice like a CEO in 2026, including mindset (especially if you don't exactly feel like a CEO), leadership team delegation, dialing in goals, and more. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript:   The Dental A Team (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team I am so excited to be here. You guys know I love podcasting. It's one of my favorite things that we do throughout the month. I usually get at least two podcasting sessions in with my ladies. And today I have Monica back here with us again. Monica, how are you? I'm so excited you're here. How was this? This is a Monday. So like, how was your weekend? Did you get to rest, relax your grandbaby? What did you do? What was your, what was your weekend like?   Monica (00:25) Yeah, hi Tiff, happy Monday. Happy Monday, everyone. I'm so excited to start off my week with podcasting. ⁓ I think I just have like this new found joy and like interest and passion around podcasting and just showing up authentically and having this conversation. So thank you for inviting me. ⁓ My weekend, I had such a magical weekend. First of all, guys, December is such a magical time for me.   The Dental A Team (00:28) Thank you.   Of course.   Monica (00:56) You know, it's just tapping into all the unseen, right? The hope, the faith, the love that is never ending is all expansive. And December goes by really fast. So I made it a point to be super present in all the little things that I do and the mundane things. And I had such a magical weekend with my grandson. ⁓   The Dental A Team (01:09) It does.   Monica (01:21) I've got two grandkids, ⁓ Elijah who's 12 years old and my granddaughter Sophia who is three months old and I'm just enamored obviously with both of them but Sophia takes the stage right now. ⁓ But my grandson, know, he came over and he, you know, he's earning money to buy an electrical bike and I said, hey, you gotta earn it buddy so.   You know, ⁓ Mimi, I'm Mimi for him. I gave him a little weekend project to come and redo, re-sand, refinish my patio furniture. And we did that. We did that over the weekend and he did an amazing job. And then it turned into like this, Mimi, can I sleep over? Let's have a sleepover. You know, let's sleep right in front of the fireplace. When's the last time you did something fun like that? So.   The Dental A Team (02:03) Yeah.   my   gosh.   Monica (02:11) ⁓   it was, it was amazing. The Christmas tree lights were on, the fireplace was on and Charlie and I and Elijah were having sleepover on the couch. So that was fun. And, ⁓ we got to make breakfast the next morning and we had, you know, the magical dance in the kitchen. Yeah, that happened too. So it was just so special. And, ⁓ those are just memories that I want to hold on to forever. Those are those forever memories, you know? Yeah.   The Dental A Team (02:29) Mm-hmm.   They are, they   are. Those are the memories, those are the things that make life, life and make life enjoyable. So I'm really glad you got that time and ⁓ thank you for sharing. Thank you. You always, share your family with us. You share Charlie, who is her adorable dog. You share just all of them with us. So thank you. Thank you. On that note though, I think Monica, that's like the perfect lead in, into what we're talking about today because   Monica (02:44) Yes. Yes. Thank you.   Monica (02:57) Yeah, yeah, thank you.   The Dental A Team (03:06) what I really wanted to chat about and just get some information out for our listeners and for those of you who are here with us today, make sure that you either go back and listen to some of these pieces. We're gonna have some really good nuggets for you or you're taking notes now if you're in a place that can take notes. I always caveat that if you are driving, I drive and listen to podcasts a lot and I have to go back and listen to them. So please don't take notes while you're driving. But on that note of December and ⁓ we're recording this in December, it'll...   populate in January, which is kind of perfect because this time of year is great because we're winding down and we are enjoying the magic, like you said, and enjoying all of the love and the faith and all of those pieces. But then it turns into January, which is like a fresh new beginning and a magic of its own. And moving into January and being in January, something that I really want CEOs to start thinking about is how to think like a CEO.   Dental practice owners, doctors, don't often think of themselves, I think, as a CEO. Monica, often just, they're a practice owner, they're a business owner. But I think that CEO mindset is something that's very different. And really just looking at 2026, how can 2026 be your CEO year? And how can you start thinking like a CEO? What does it take to move and operate like a CEO? And this is something that we work on with our dental practice owners a lot. So our clients,   We're constantly bringing them back into that CEO mindset. We're really, really lucky in the fact that we have Kiera here on our team that we get to watch ⁓ move through the CEO mindset. And I've had the privilege of side by side walking with her and watching her build the business and building it with her and seeing those trials and tribulations. So being able to impact the world of dentistry with those pieces is something that's huge for us.   We're in January, it's beautiful. I feel like when I think of January, I think of like white and it's just clean and it's this beautiful, sparkly, clean slate that we can just create anything with. So as we're creating this, question that I have is really as we're building like a scalable vision, right? So we're looking forward, what's something that you like to encourage your CEO mindset doctors to really start with? Like where do you, how do we say this is where   Monica (05:24) Yeah.   The Dental A Team (05:24) This   is where I want to go. know, we've got especially a visionary mindset who just is in the clouds a lot. But how do you help them narrow that down into really thinking like a CEO and kind of time-lining that out, measurable? Like, what are all the pieces that you're looking for?   Monica (05:38) Yeah, that's a great question, Tiff. Thanks for asking. Well, first, before we dive into that, I want to say, doctors, it's you. You are the leader, right? You are the CEO and you've got to think like one. And I think ⁓ most of the time we're looking outward for the answers, but the answers are already in you. You've got to take some time to have some introspection time and say, okay,   What does the CEO do? Like, let me put my CEO hat on and bring that mindset in. what is my philosophy as a CEO? You've got to start with your philosophy, right? What does that mean to you? How am I going to achieve that, that one vision? And you got to make sure that your vision and your philosophy is inspiring enough to fire you up, to want to create a change.   right, because ⁓ it starts with you. We've got to be, we've got to be and show up as a person that we expect our leaders, our leadership team to show up as, right? So if you want your leadership team to come in and prepared and be on topic and be on the KPIs and know your numbers, guess what? You got to know the numbers. You've got to show up with that strong leadership, that inspiring, that motivating.   you know, knowing which KPIs you're going to look at, which in my mind, I think there's like the really high value KPIs and then the lower value KPIs, right? Everything is important, but we can't focus on all things at once. So what are the top KPIs that you as a CEO are going to focus on that drive, that philosophy that gave you that drive and that passion to wake up every single day fired up to, you know, tackle the day.   So if you don't have a philosophy, get one, right? Just start writing it down. I think we all have it here in our mind. You gotta put it on paper. Because if it's not on paper, you can't create it. Part of the creation process is thinking it, materializing it, and then sharing it. sharing it with your team, your leadership team. ⁓ And then seeing it, right? Like what is the process of creating that philosophy and executing that philosophy?   Doctors, it starts with you. Be the leader that you expect your leadership team to show up as. That's what a CEO does, right? Like what, who's, who's carrying the torch? The difficult part about being a CEO is that you've got the visionary and then you also have an operational piece, right? And we often say there's, there's two great leaders in any successful business, the visionary and the operational one, right? The one that carries a torch every single day. But you have to be both.   before you can delegate it. You've got to know what that feels like. You've got to know how to drive that. You've got to know how to become it before we expect our team to become it. So it starts with you doctors. Start with your philosophy. I would love to know for, you know, anyone that wants to just comment or just share, what is your philosophy? What do you wake up, you know, every single morning, what do you wake up with? What are you going to take to the office?   I think that's where we start, right? And then there's three things that I think are crucial for any CEO. You've got to be obsessed with this. Your clinical excellence, your patient experience, your culture, your team, and growth and profitability. Those are three things you've got to be obsessed about. Those are three things that you've got to be curious about every single day. Every time that you meet with your team,   We recommend that you have a weekly meeting with your leadership team. Make sure that you're touching on those three things. Those, I think, are the driver to everything. Your clinical experience and your patient experience is everything that builds trust, that builds efficiency, ⁓ that builds retention, patient retention, team retention. Yeah. What are your thoughts, Tiff?   The Dental A Team (10:00) Yeah, I love that. Thank you, thank you. And I know you have some really fantastic nuggets. So I hope you guys, if you are driving, you go back and listen and write them down. And I agree. think the philosophy, right, or translated, you can call it your mission, your vision. Like, why are you here? What is it that you believe in? We talk a lot about your, ⁓ like your patient philosophy or your clinical philosophy. So it's really just, what do you believe in? What are you trying to accomplish with what you're doing? And I love that because   If you can see what you're trying to accomplish, if you can, like she said, get it out on paper and Monica, I think that's brilliant. I do so much better when I'm like handwriting. I even got one of those journals, you know, the little, the notepads that are erasable because I think you just, you can take a picture and it uploads because I just do better with handwriting it. And when you can get it out and you can say, this is where I'm trying to get to, you can start to like build that house. It's like when you're, when you're going to, you're looking at model homes, the model home is already done.   And so it gives you a vision of what you could create if you were to build a home within that development. And so you need that model home. need something that models. you might not be, you might build your home and you might not do the same kitchen. You might have a different tile. You might have different countertops than what was shown in the model, but you're able to at least get a vision for something to start. And then you work backwards from that. And Monica, think that's...   the key there and what you said with the KPIs and the metrics and knowing your numbers and knowing your stats, watching those KPIs and really seeing if this is where I'm going, what are the top three goals that I can get to? And then scaling those backwards. And that's how a CEO works, right? We've got big goals that we scale backwards and say, okay, what are the steps? What is the plan? What's it actually going to take to get to this goal? And how can I recruit then my team to help support   Monica (11:36) Yep.   The Dental A Team (11:55) that and I think Monica, that's a huge word for me and my coaching is the support team. Like how can the team support these goals and I don't know Monica. This might be a side tangent, but something that I've experienced for sure is doctors or leaders or practice owners getting in the mindset of like worker bees like I've got worker bees under me and they are they are the ones that are going to get this instead of that mindset of really   like they're here to support me to get to these goals. How can I support them to get there? And I have to then think a clear vision. If I'm not clear on where we're going, how are they gonna support me to get there? And Monica, do you think in that transition? Because I do think that's a big switch from practice owner to CEO mindset is that really that supportive reaching the goals together, that support rather than.   I gave them tasks and they're gonna get me there. We're really kind of building this house together.   Monica (12:58) Yeah, no, that's a great point. think there's two parts to a successful practice. You've got to be able to work on the business and in the business. And you've got to really protect that time. When you're working on the business, be about that. Show up and be present. ⁓ I think, you   We're so used to multitasking and that that's our culture, right? That's the culture of dentistry is like, you've got to be able to like do a million things at once and your brain is going a million miles an hour. ⁓ you're seeing multiple patients, you're, know, you're constantly shifting and wearing various hats during the day. But to work on your business, you've got to, you've got to be present. No interruptions. Like don't.   get to the office before you get to the office, right? When you're in the office, don't get home, don't work on your personal stuff when you're in the office, work on the things that really matter. And it's difficult to kind of change gears and focus, but I think it's crucial. Working on the business really means, what's my philosophy, right? And reverse engineering that.   Here's where I want to be. Where am I now? What are the steps that I need to do next before I get there? I think having presence of mind is super important because we can't focus on all things, right? If we do, nothing gets done. And so write them down, write all the steps that you need to get there, then prioritize them. What do I need to do first before I move on to the next? And so I like to think about it as layered.   The Dental A Team (14:34) Yeah. Yeah.   Monica (14:48) Right? When you layer it, when it's written down, like create a visual for yourself. And then when it's written down, you can, it's easier to digest and you can journey that, that map per se in a much easier way. you're visual and you can go in and, and, know, add steps to it along the way. But if it's all up here, this is, this is where chaos happens. Right? This is where you get stressed out. This is where, ⁓ unease.   comes in, right, because it's all here and you can't see it. And I think most of us are visual when it comes to, you know, our practice and success and our teams. I mean, we've got to be able to see it, right, to believe it. ⁓ So I think working on the business and then working in the business, guys, that's really important. We can't expect our team to give, you know, above and beyond.   The Dental A Team (15:32) Mm-hmm.   Monica (15:44) and expect them to stay and work after hours on their own time when we're working two days a week in in tearside, right? And leading the team. No one's going to care more than you, right? Your team is there to support you, right? And your vision. So they're not the they may be the drivers, but they're not the principal. You are right. And I think we we tend to forget.   We tend to forget that we are the ultimate authority and we are the leaders. We're the go-to people, right? And ⁓ becoming a dentist and opening your practice, you automatically become a CEO whether you like it or not, right? And we're business owners, we're leaders. The team is looking to us to establish our philosophy, our vision, ⁓ the map. Where are we going, right? You've got to be the captain of your ship.   The Dental A Team (16:12) Okay.   Mm-hmm.   Monica (16:40) And if you don't take on that role, people are just waiting. They're doing the best that they can, but it's, you know, they're in uncharted waters.   I think that's when we lose, you know, the, ⁓ the passion and that fire, because we don't know where we're headed. Right. And everyone's just trying to work in their own little Island and they're, they're working in silos. And then, you know, instead of locking arms and saying, Hey, here's our vision. We're all rowing in this direction and let's go after it. Right. And we've got to be able to row in the same direction.   The Dental A Team (17:21) Mm-hmm.   Yeah, and I think that's where, to your point, the KPIs come into play, right? So you had mentioned earlier, like those measurables and those KPIs, because those are our oars. That's how we're getting there. So it's very easy, I think, for a visionary to have the vision. They know it. They're like, I can see the house. But then you've got to put that, you said, put that implementer hat on for a second, that worker hat on for a second, and say, cool, that's the vision. Now what goes in first?   Monica (17:29) Totally.   The Dental A Team (17:53) Like do we put the countertops in before we put the cupboards in? No, like how do we get there? So those are, I think Monica, to your point, those are the KPIs that are there so that the team can support that vision. So if you want increased new patients, what is the team gonna do to help support that? We've got a marketing company probably, but what can the team do asking for reviews, asking for referrals, like counting those pieces? And Monica, do you feel like that's where, I think personally,   That's where the CEO mindset really takes hold from that visionary kind of practice owner, I just wanna have a business mindset. That's that CEO tactical piece. And I think for practices I've worked with, structures I've worked with, that's the space that's like, we've gotta get over that hurdle and is sometimes the more difficult space for them to be able to see the applicable KPIs that will get us to those goals.   Monica (18:32) Yeah.   Yeah, I agree with you. think inaction equals no action, right? And so most of the time we know what needs to be done, but again, it's up here, right? And we choose for whatever the reason is, we're choosing not to get behind it. ⁓ And so, you know,   Also, sometimes we have to unpack what our limiting beliefs are. What is the story I'm telling myself about myself? That self-talk. Self-talk is super impactful, whether it's positive or negative. So what is your self-talk? What is your little voice saying? Right? Can I do this? Let's do this. Or, ⁓ nobody cares. Nobody cares as much as I do. You know, ⁓   I think self-talk is powerful.   The Dental A Team (19:50) I think   a lot of times it comes down to as well if I can see the vision but I'm not willing to share the vision, ⁓ what is keeping me from sharing that vision? Like why am I afraid to vocalize or put it on paper? What about this scares me? And that's what we're running away from, And we just replace it with the tactical do-do-dos, the checklist of like easy do's throughout the day and it holds us back from really reaching those.   personal and professional goals.   Monica (20:22) Yeah, and also, you know, to add to that, that's really valuable what you just spoke. ⁓ To add to that, think self-accountability and owning your part of it, right? ⁓ It's difficult, like the responsibility of knowing you've got this amazing practice that you've built, a place where patients can   come and seek wellness and that you are contributing to the livelihoods of your team. I mean, that's a big, and your own livelihood, right? Like this is it. That's a big responsibility. And it's a beautiful one. It's one that impacts many, many lives. ⁓ And that can be scary sometimes. What if I make a mistake? What if this is not the right choice? But what if it is?   Take the chance. You can always pivot. If you don't like the result, change it. That's the beauty of being a CEO in your own practices. You can change it. So what's stopping you from creating the change to propel you to the next level?   The Dental A Team (21:21) would have bit worked.   Yeah, I love that. Thank you, Monica. I think some takeaways I have, I always try to think of, you know, three tactical pieces, are the three action items? And I think from listening to everything that you've got today, thank you, Monica, it was beautiful. I really pulled out three, I feel tactical, I wrote down philosophy, make sure you know your philosophy, your CEO, your practice philosophy. And then like three,   Audacious goals for your one year your three year your tenure and really work backwards again ten years Where do I want to be? What will it take to get to that ten-year mark in three years from now? And then this year what do I have to accomplish? So those really those big three goals and then really breaking those down into applicable key performance indicators KPIs applicable pieces that we can work on this year to get us towards those goals and really enlisting the team to help with those things so if you're trying to switch to that CEO mindset   Like Monica said, you gotta get it on paper. Write that philosophy down first. Where is it that you're trying to get to? What are three things that you could work on right now that will help get you there? And what are the small things we can do every single day, those KPIs, that we can do every single day that will help us get to those three goals? Monica, those are my three action items I pulled from everything that you had beautifully stated. think there's also action items they can pull out on the personal side, like journal, you guys. I love your idea.   you know, what's holding me back from doing this? What are my limiting beliefs right now? And if that's scary to get it out on paper, probably back up a little bit and start there. And re-listen to everything Monica said, because she's spot on you guys. you're having trouble localizing it, you're having trouble getting it on paper, or you're scared to share it with your team, there's something internal there. And if you're scared that your team's gonna react a certain way, is that you? Or is that them and you need to go back to the right person, right seat?   that we recorded a few weeks ago. That's a good question there. So Monica, is there anything else that you would leave as a parting statement, something that can really wrap up the CEO mindset for them?   Monica (23:41) Yeah.   Yeah, thank you. actually do. And I was thinking about ⁓ what's the first thing I would do after listening to a podcast like this. And I would go back and ask great questions. Great leaders ask great questions and start with you. Go ask yourself three great questions that are going to start to unpack the CEO that's already within you.   The Dental A Team (24:11) I love that. I love that. Thank you, Monica. I love podcasting with you. You have just, your brain, I love picking pieces out of your brain, because you and I think similarly in a lot of ways in that introspective kind of world, and I think you and I could live there for hours and be so happy. So thank you. Thank you for always sharing everything with us, and...   Monica (24:20) Thank you.   I know.   The Dental A Team (24:35) bringing such amazing tools. The CEO mindset is really important and I know you work on this really, really hard with a lot of your practices. So handpicked for you. Thank you Monica for your time today and everyone here shares that sentiment I'm sure. Of course. Of course. All right listeners, you heard her earlier. She said, pop it in, pop it in your review, pop it in an email to us. Let us know what's your philosophy. Let us know what you love today.   Monica (24:49) Yeah, thanks, Tiff. This was great. Thank you. Thanks so much.   The Dental A Team (25:03) what you want more of, you can drop us a five star review below or Hello@TheDentalATeam.com or both you guys, we love hearing from you. We do get a lot of you that email in different ideas and things that you'd like to hear about. We love that. So please reach out Hello@TheDentalATeam.com and you guys, can't wait to catch you next time. Thank you.  

Send us a textLosing weight after 40 can backfire if it's done the wrong way—and in this episode of the Strong By Design Podcast, we uncover why that matters more than ever. Coach Chris Wilson sits down with Dr. Ron Eccles to explore the growing role of peptides and GLP-based therapies in sustainable weight and fat loss. Dr. Eccles breaks down peptides in simple terms, explaining how gut hormones like GLP-1, GLP-2, and GIP influence hunger, metabolism, and body composition. Together, they discuss why weight loss alone doesn't equal better health—and how preserving muscle, protecting joints, and improving metabolic health must be part of the equation.The conversation also tackles America's declining health outcomes, the concept of the “bliss point” in eating behavior, and what truly happens after you reach your target weight. Dr. Eccles shares insights on emerging peptide technologies, common myths around GLPs, and why lifestyle factors like sleep, movement, and nutrition determine long-term success. You'll also hear real-world lessons from clinical practice, including differences between men and women and the key health metrics that actually matter. This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about modern weight-loss solutions and how to approach them safely, intelligently, and with long-term health in mind. Time Stamps00:00 – Lose weight the wrong way: Hidden dangers for anyone over 4000:56 — Welcome to the Strong by Design podcast!02:20 – Join Coach Chris and special guest Dr. Ron Eccles03:11 – Dr. Ron's 4 pillars of life balance—and why health is a top priority05:06 – Peptides explained: What they are and how they work06:56 – Discover the peptide that started it all10:38 – GLP-1, GLP-2, and GIP: the gut peptides that silence hunger12:53 – Why losing weight isn't the same as building a better body14:48 - Discussion of the abysmal health outcomes in America16:59 – The concept of the “Bliss Point” explained19:06 – What comes next? 3 options after hitting your target21:02 – Next-level peptides: control appetite, burn fat, and save muscle26:50 – The future of peptides: No injections required29:12 – Debunking myths about GLPs33:30 – How chronic joint pain affected Dr. Eccles's wife36:33 – Weight loss differences between men and women37:56 – The 5 key metrics Dr. Eccles tracks with his clients39:18 – The science behind Alpha Shred revealed43:35 – Lifestyle factors that make peptides work47:02 – Why sleep is essential for brain health53:31 – Key advice before your peptide journey55:39 – Why some “unconventional” doctors get it right1:00:26 - Stay connected beyond the episode with Ron Eccles1:03:23 - Fun fact about the Strong by Design Podcast name1:05:23 - Please share and leave ratings & reviews for the SBD podcast! Resources:15-minute Consultation at 941-799-6583Connect with Dr Ron: InstagramStart the New Year with more Focus, Clarity & Mental Energy!Grab some Neuro-Thrive at a Discount - Use Code: SBD2026

In this episode we'll talk about:Why early interests matter more than we thinkHow conditioning disconnects us from instinctThe difference between fascination and fantasyTranslating childhood curiosity into adult workWhy intuition usually speaks before strategyHow to reconnect without blowing up your lifeand more. CONNECT WITH ME…→ Instagram — @mattgottesman→ My Substack — mattgottesman.substack.com → Apparel — thenicheisyou.comRESOURCES…→ Recommended Book List — CLICK HERE→ Masterclass — CLICK HEREWORKSHOPS + MASTERCLASS:→ Need MORE clarity? - Here's the FREE… 6 Days to Clarity Workshop - clarity for your time, energy, money, creativity, work & play→ Write, Design, Build: Content Creator Studio & OS - Growing the niche of you, your audience, reach, voice, passion & incomeOTHER RELATED EPISODES:Faith Isn't Knowing the Whole Path… It's Taking the Next Honest StepApple: https://apple.co/3MB62IuSpotify: https://bit.ly/4rZw3RN

Luxury floral designer Susan Chambers, owner of San Francisco-based bloominCouture. She's a longtime Slow Flowers member whose high-end residential and corporate clients support her sustainable values, which do not compromise her design aesthetic or her approach to seasonal sourcing. Many of you first met Susan when she and her shop appeared in our 2021 book, […] The post Episode 750: Susan Chambers of San Francisco-based bloominCouture – a luxury florist designs with seasonal and local flowers appeared first on Slow Flowers Podcast with Debra Prinzing.

In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Wei-Wu, Executive Chairman at Human Longevity, Inc. Together, they explore how advances in genome sequencing, AI, and multi-layered diagnostics are changing the fight against age-related diseases. Wei-Wu shares why understanding your own genetic risks and combining them with other health data leads to better prevention and a longer healthspan.Wei-Wu explains the value of integrating genome sequencing, advanced imaging, and liquid biopsy to catch diseases like cancer early, before symptoms appear. He draws on real-world examples, including how combining different tests can spot cancers that single methods might miss. The conversation highlights how technology brings down costs, making once-rare insights widely available, and how each person stands to benefit from personalized risk profiles.The episode closes with practical advice: use today's tools to become the CEO of your own health. Wei-Wu urges listeners to embrace data-driven, individualized care and stresses that no single tool or habit holds all the answers. Instead, true longevity comes from a holistic, ongoing approach, one that uses all available knowledge to prevent disease and extend both life and health.Guest-at-a-Glance

In this comprehensive episode, host Favour Obasi-ike, joined by guests Celese Williams, Dr. Fashion, and Ryan Dennis, cuts through the noise to deliver the five most essential SEO fixes small businesses must implement in 2026. Moving beyond abstract theory, the discussion provides a masterclass in actionable strategy, covering the non-negotiable foundations of site architecture, the currency of strategic link building, the revenue-killing impact of slow site speed, the power of dominating local search, and the technical integrations needed to get indexed and noticed by search engines.Next Steps for Booking A Discovery Call | Digital Marketing + SEO Services:>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Need SEO Services? Book a Complimentary SEO Discovery Call with Favour Obasi-Ike⁠ here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠>> Visit our Work and PLAY Entertainment website to learn about digital marketing services.>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our exclusive SEO Marketing community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠>> Read SEO Articles>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the We Don't PLAY Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Key TakeawaysMaster Your Site Architecture: A well-structured website with proper canonical tags, optimized images, and clear headings is the non-negotiable foundation for both user experience and search engine visibility.Treat Links as Currency: Strategically build internal and external links, ensuring every piece of content has a corresponding URL on your website to build authority and drive traffic from multiple sources.Prioritize Blazing-Fast Speed: A slow website kills conversions and rankings. Actively manage site speed through optimized hosting, a Content Delivery Network (CDN), and compressed media files.Dominate Your Geographic Area: For businesses serving specific areas, embedding location data (maps, zip codes, city names) directly into your site is crucial for capturing "near me"searches.Integrate to Accelerate: Directly connect your website to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools and manually submit new content to get indexed significantly faster than waiting for organic crawls.Detailed Show Notes & Timestamps[00:00:00] Introduction: Setting the Stage for 2026Host Favour Obasi-ike kicks off the new year by tackling the evergreen challenge of Search Engine Optimization. He frames "fixing" SEO not as a one-time task but as a continuous process of optimization that is fundamental to brand awareness, website traffic, and revenue growth. He provides an initial call to action, directing listeners to the link in the show description to book a consultation or subscribe to his email list for ongoing insights. With the stage set, the episode transitions into the first and most foundational technical fix for any small business website.[00:04:15] SEO Fix #1: Site Architecture - The Foundation of Your Digital PresenceSite architecture is the fundamental blueprint of a website, dictating how both users and search engine algorithms navigate, understand, and value its content. A strong architecture is the bedrockof any successful digital presence, ensuring content is organized, accessible, and easily discoverable.Key components of a robust site architecture include:Canonical Tags: A canonical tag tells search engines which version of a page is the "master copy," preventing duplicate content issues. As Favour Obasi-ike explains with the "Adam Apple"analogy, just as a person has one true name, your content must have one single, consistent identity recognized by search engines to avoid confusion.Image Optimization: Large, uncompressed image files are a primary cause of slow load times. Uploading images that are several megabytes in size will significantly degrade site performance and hurt search rankings.Link Health: Regularly checking for and fixing broken or duplicate links is essential for a clean and functional site structure.Website Updates: Using the "brushing your teeth" analogy, Favour Obasi-ike explains that keeping content and copyright dates current signals relevance. Search engines prioritize fresh, well-maintained content, and an outdated copyright date is a direct signal that a site may be abandoned or irrelevant.*Heading Tags (H1-H6):* Properly structured headings organize content for human readers and provide a clear hierarchy that helps search engines understand the main topics and subtopics of a page.URLs & Schema: Keyword-rich URLs (e.g., .../cookie-recipes) and schema markup (microdata for recipes, events, etc.) give search engines explicit context about a page's purpose, improving its chances of ranking for relevant queries.[00:14:30] Guest Spotlight: Celese Williams on Design, UX, and SEOGuest speaker Celese Williams distills her formula for a successful small business website into three core principles: simple design, easy user experience (UX), and findable SEO. She powerfully underscores this advice with her own success story, revealing that her "basic" but architecturally sound website generated $247,000 in revenue last year, proving that a solid foundation is more valuable than flashy design.With a solid architectural blueprint defined, the next strategic imperative is to establish realistic implementation timelines, which vary dramatically based on a business's starting point.[00:19:45] Strategy Session: SEO Timelines for New vs. Existing BusinessesDetermining a realistic timeline for SEO results is a common strategic challenge. The approach differs significantly for a business building its digital footprint from scratch versus one that is optimizing an existing but underperforming presence.Prospect ProfileProspect A: No online presence, thriving on referrals.6-12 Months: Building a digital foundation from the ground up requires significant time to establish authority, build content, and gain visibility. Favour Obasi-ike notes this timeline can be shortened to 3 months if a podcast is part of the strategy.Prospect B: Existing local presence, but not definitive.3-6 Months: Leveraging an existing foundation allows for a faster path to scalable results. The focus shifts from creation to optimization, building upon the authority the site already has.Celese Williams adds a critical counterpoint, emphasizing that industry competition is the ultimate "X factor" that can heavily influence any projected timeline. A business in a low-competition niche may see results faster, while one in a saturated market will face a longer road. From this high-level strategy, the focus shifts to the practical tactics of audience building across different platforms.[00:26:30] Community Q&A: Building a Social Media AudienceThis Q&A session addresses a common pain point for small businesses: how to efficiently build and maintain an audience across multiple social platforms without getting overwhelmed. The speakers offer a unified message centered on smart, focused distribution.Celese Williams' "Master a Few" Strategy:Trying to be on every platform is an unsustainable and difficult strategy.Businesses should focus on mastering the top 2-3 platforms where their target audience is most active and engaged.Dr. Fashion's "Smart Distribution" Method:She advocates for the "create once, distribute smartly" approach.This involves batch recording long-form content and using tools like repurpose.io to efficiently atomize and distribute it across various platforms, tailoring the hook for each audience.Favour Obasi-ike's "Ecosystem" Approach:He analyzes the importance of building a presence within a platform ecosystem like Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads, WhatsApp).He highlights the power of using long-form content, such as a podcast, as a source for dozens of micro-content pieces (clips, quotes, articles), which dramatically improves searchability and reach.[00:39:00] Case Study: The Power of Organic Keyword GrowthFavour Obasi-ike presents his own podcast as a powerful case study on the long-term value of consistent, high-quality content. He illustrates its organic keyword growth over just three months:Top 3 Keywords: Grew from 85 on October 13th to 198 in January.Top 10 Keywords: Grew from 91 on October 13th to 245 in January.Top 50 Keywords: Grew from 469 on October 13th to 1,196 in January.Top 100 Keywords: Grew from 238 on October 13th to 627 in January.This tangible growth demonstrates how a steady stream of relevant content creates a compounding interest effect on search visibility. The discussion on content distribution logically pivots back to a core SEO technical fix: the links that tie all that content together.[00:41:10] SEO Fix #2: Web Links - The Pathways to ProfitabilityLinks are the nervous system of a website, creating pathways that guide both users and search engines to valuable content. They are the currency of the internet, signaling authority and relevance.Favour Obasi-ike outlines a simple yet powerful three-step strategy for link building:Identify Core Products/Services: Begin with a clear understanding of what you sell. This focus will guide your keyword and content strategy.Embed Keywords in URLs: Create descriptive, keyword-rich URLs for every page (e.g., velvet.com/red-velvet-cookies). Avoid using "stop words" (like for, the, a), as they add no contextual value for search engines and make URLs longer and less focused.Match Social Posts to Website Links: Implement a *"1-to-1 match"* strategy. For every social media post you create, ensure there is a corresponding article or landing page on your own website. This ensures you are building authority for your domain, not just for the social media platform.Celese Williams enthusiastically endorses this approach, noting that SEO agencies charge clients $1,000 on the low end, up to $20,000-$30,000 on the high end for this exact strategy. However, a perfectly linked site is useless if it's too slow to load. This brings us to the third critical fix: optimizing for pure speed, a non-negotiable factor for both user retention and rankings.[00:52:15] SEO Fix #3: Site Speed - Winning the Race for AttentionIn 2026, website speed is a make-or-break SEO factor. A slow website directly harms user experience, increases bounce rates, kills conversions, and leads to lower search rankings. Google prioritizes sites that provide a fast, seamless experience for its users.Key actions for improving site speed include:Identify Performance Bottlenecks: Use a tool like GTmetrix.com to analyze your website's performance and get a baseline score.Optimize Hosting: Invest in a high-performance hosting platform that can handle your traffic and content demands.Leverage a CDN: A Content Delivery Network (CDN) stores copies of your site in multiple geographic locations, serving content from the closest server to the user, which drastically improves loading times for a global audience.Compress Images: Use a tool like compressor.io to significantly reduce image file sizes without sacrificing visual quality. This is one of the most effective ways to boost speed.From the technical dimension of speed, the analysis moves to the equally important geographical aspect of location.[00:57:45] SEO Fix #4: Location - Dominating Your Local MarketSince the vast majority of online searches have local intent (e.g., "tacos near me"), it is strategically vital for businesses to clearly signal their service area to capture nearby customers. Location-based SEO is not just for brick-and-mortar stores; it's essential for any business serving a specific geographic region.Actionable strategies for location optimization include:Integrate Map Links: Embed Google Maps and Apple Maps links directly on your website to provide clear location signals and improve user experience.Connect to Google Business Profile: A complete, updated, and active Google Business Profile is the cornerstone of local SEO. Ensure it is linked directly to your main website.Focus on a Target Radius: Optimize your content and keywords for a specific 5-20 mile radius to serve the most relevant local audience and avoid competing on a national level unnecessarily.Celese Williams strongly reinforces this point, advising that local service-based businesses must "master their own backyard" before even considering expansion. This on-page focus on location provides a natural bridge to the final, technical step of integrating the site with search engines.[01:02:10] SEO Fix #5: Integrations & Setup - Connecting to the Digital EcosystemThe final critical fix involves technical integration. This is not just a one-time setup step but the official act of submitting your website to search engines, ensuring your content gets seen, crawled, and indexed in a timely manner.The essential integration process includes:Connect to Google Search Console: This is the primary and non-negotiable step for submitting your site to Google, monitoring performance, and identifying technical issues.Submit Your Sitemap: A sitemap (sitemap.xml) is a file that lists all the important pages on your website. Submitting it through Search Console is like handing Google a complete directory, ensuring it knows what to crawl.Integrate with Microsoft Bing: By importing your Google Search Console profile directly into Bing Webmaster Tools, you can easily gain visibility on the world's second-largest search engine.[01:06:15] The "Fast Pass" Technique: Manual IndexingRyan Dennis and Celese Williams highlight a powerful tactic for new content. By manually requesting indexing for a new page in Google Search Console, you can effectively get a "fast pass" that prompts Google to crawl it within hours or a day, rather than waiting weeks for an organic crawl. Favour Obasi-ike adds a key detail: Google allows a daily quota of 10 manual indexing requests per website. This tactical discussion sets up the final Q&A, shifting from established SEO practices to the emerging influence of AI.[01:08:30] Community Q&A: The Role of AI in Content CreationThe episode concludes with a forward-looking discussion on a pressing question for 2026: is using AI for content creation a viable SEO strategy or a potential pitfall? The consensus is that AI is a tool, not a replacement for human expertise and authenticity.The speakers offer nuanced perspectives:Favour Obasi-ike's "Personalized AI" Stance: AI-generated content is only effective when deeply infused with human elements: brand tone, personal stories, case studies, and unique media. AI should be used for leverage, but the final product must align with Google's quality principles.Celese Williams' "Cautious Tester" Approach: She advises that businesses with strong SEO have more to lose and should be wary of AI, while those starting from scratch could test it. She raises a critical question about how AI aligns with Google's ranking systems. In response, Favour Obasi-ike highlights that Google updated its E-A-T framework to E-E-A-T, adding a new "E" for Experience. This update reinforces the need for human-led content, as AI cannot generate genuine, first-hand experience—a critical ranking factor in 2026.The ultimate takeaway is that AI is a powerful assistant, but it must be used to enhance—not replace—the unique experience, expertise, and emotion that only a human can provide.[01:19:00] Final Thoughts & How to ConnectFavour Obasi-ike wraps up the episode by reiterating the five critical SEO fixes that can transform a small business's digital presence. The primary call to action for listeners is to click the link in the show description to either book a direct consultation or access his comprehensive 12-hour training course, which is available with a 26% discount throughout January. He also recommends reading his recent article, "Is it worth hiring an SEO expert in 2026," also available via the link.Mentions & ResourcesPeople:Favour Obasi-ike (Host)Celese Williams (Guest Speaker)Dr. Fashion (Guest Speaker)Ryan Dennis (Guest Speaker)Tools & Platforms:Google Search Console: Google's free tool for monitoring website performance in search.Microsoft Bing Webmaster Tools: The equivalent of Search Console for the Bing search engine.GTmetrix.com: A website for testing and analyzing site speed and performance.Compressor.io: An online tool for reducing the file size of images.Repurpose.io: A tool for automating the distribution of content across multiple social platforms.SerpApi.com: A real-time SERP API to see what search results look like from any location.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Behind the Design is officially back and this is not the same podcast you've known since 2019. In this relaunch episode, I'm sharing the story of how this show began, how it evolved alongside my design studio and mentoring work, and why I knew it was time for something bigger. Because while I'll always love talking business, I'm no longer just a designer and entrepreneur, I'm a mom of two, a mentor and someone deeply invested in high-performance, wellness, and designing a life I'm genuinely obsessed with.This next chapter of Behind the Design is for the ambitious woman who wants it all, the business, the energy, the presence, the freedom, and the confidence to build success without burning out or playing small.This isn't a new podcast, it's the next chapter and if you're craving growth that feels aligned, sustainable, and expansive, you're in exactly the right place.

Featured playlist: The Church (That Meets in My Home) — https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5Yobt1jZDd9Zzn8Ufa-BNciyYv04Cl6mMy books:Exalted: Putting Jesus in His Place — https://www.amazon.com/Exalted-Putting-Jesus-His-Place/dp/0985118709/ref=tmm_pap_title_0God's Design for Marriage (Married Edition) — https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Design-Marriage-Married-Amazing/dp/0998786306/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493422125&sr=1-4&keywords=god%27s+design+for+marriageGod's Design for Marriage (Pre-married Edition) — https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Design-Marriage-What-Before/dp/0985118725/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_topSupport us - become a CTC Partner: https://crosstocrown.org/partners/crosstocrown.org@DougGoodin

Throughout season 3 of this series, I've been speaking with leaders in the practice of civic design; designers who have dedicated their careers to improving the everyday experience we, as citizens, have when we interact with our government. My guests for this episode are two of the most respected leaders in the global civic design community: Arianne Miller and Sean Baker. For more than a decade, Arianne and Sean worked side by side as leaders of The Lab at OPM, a pioneering human-centered design team embedded within the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Arianne served as Managing Director, and Sean as Director of Design Strategy and Operations.The Lab at OPM was dissolved in early 2025 as part of the Trump administration's sweeping cuts to U.S. federal government staffing. Since then, Arianne and Sean founded Civic Design Collaborative, with a mission to help government and civic-minded organizations create services that are easier to use, more equitable, and more effective.In our conversation, I was struck by how their approach to driving sustainable change in government is actually transferable to other complex, scaled organizations, especially in the private sector. We touched on themes that come up again and again on this podcast: the importance of building trust and nurturing relationships with key stakeholders, and approaching complex problems with deep curiosity and humility.Doug Powell is an award-winning designer and executive design leader with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. Learn more about Doug's practice as a consultant, educator, and coach at his website dougpowell.design.

Dylan Field is the co-founder and CEO of Figma, a design software company that went public in July 2025. Founded in 2012, Figma transformed how people design, prototype, and build products together. After a $20 billion acquisition attempt by Adobe collapsed in 2022 because of regulators, Dylan helped Figma rebound stronger than ever. Just three years later, Figma listed its shares at nearly $20 billion and its stock price more than tripled on its first trading day.A few highlights:Expanding a sleepy marketMerging of designers and product rolesCounter-narrative to polarizing CEOsIf models get better, we have toRemembering Brat Summer Resources:More on Dylan:https://www.figma.com/https://X.com/zoinkMore on Jack:https://www.altcap.com/https://x.com/jaltmahttps://linktr.ee/uncappedpodEmail: friends@uncappedpod.com Stay Updated:If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zListen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYXListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.  Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Show on SpotifyListen to the a16z Show on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode we'll talk about:Why the most powerful people, creators, and leaders don't chase validation, opportunities, or outcomes… they stand in who they are.What it means to trust your inner vision, remain unphased by pressure, and let your life speak louder than negotiation, fear, or force.The difference between force and pressureAttraction comes from coherence not controlLiving in a way that invites, not chasesand more. CONNECT WITH ME…→ Instagram — @mattgottesman→ My Substack — mattgottesman.substack.com → Apparel — thenicheisyou.comRESOURCES…→ Recommended Book List — CLICK HERE→ Masterclass — CLICK HEREWORKSHOPS + MASTERCLASS:→ Need MORE clarity? - Here's the FREE… 6 Days to Clarity Workshop - clarity for your time, energy, money, creativity, work & play→ Write, Design, Build: Content Creator Studio & OS - Growing the niche of you, your audience, reach, voice, passion & incomeOTHER RELATED EPISODES:Faith Isn't Knowing the Whole Path… It's Taking the Next Honest StepApple: https://apple.co/3MB62IuSpotify: https://bit.ly/4rZw3RN

There was a time when a movie title sequence was just the moment you grabbed your popcorn and waited for the real show to start. But in the mid-90s and early 2000's, that changed forever with films like Seven and shows like Mad Men and Stranger Things. The title sequence became a prologue—a metaphor for the film itself. This is a preview of a premium episode. To listen to the full interview, head over to our Substack:https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/mikon-van-gastel Our guest today, Mikon Van Gastel, was right there in the trenches of that revolution. After a formative and intense education at the Cranbrook Academy of Art—where the only teachers were artists in residence and your toughest critics were your peers—Mikon cut his teeth at the legendary studio Imaginary Forces. Today, Mikon is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Sibling Rivalry, a hybrid brand studio and production company he founded with his best friend, Joe Wright. They've built a reputation for work that blurs the lines between branding, storytelling, and architecture.z In this episode, we explore the sheer scale of modern experience design. Mikon takes us behind the scenes of his work for the Sphere in Las Vegas—a venue he calls the “Champions League of content creation”. We discuss how to design for shared emotion, balancing the “collective gasp” of a 20,000-person audience with moments of intimate connection. We also dig into the business of creativity. Mikon opens up about the “sleepless nights” of running an agency in a project-based economy and how he refuses to transition fully into a management role, preferring to write treatments and stay hands-on with the work on nights and weekends. Whether you are designing software interfaces or directing films, Mikon's philosophy on collaboration and stripping away the noise to serve the core idea is something we can all learn from. Bio Mikon van Gastel is Director, CEO, and Co-Founder of creative agency Sibling Rivalry, based in New York and Miami. Originally from Holland, he earned his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art before launching his career at Imaginary Forces, where he designed award-winning title sequences for feature films and theatrical trailers. Van Gastel's work spans multiple disciplines, with notable projects in architecture and experience design including MoMA's interactive signage system, BMW World in Munich, the digital displays at Santiago Calatrava's World Trade Center Oculus, and most recently, immersive films for the world's first keynote inside The Sphere in Las Vegas. He also created a VR series with renowned curator Paola Antonelli. He continues to direct commercial campaigns and product launches for major brands including Apple TV+, Ford, Google, Target, BVLGARI, and Vogue, working with high-profile talent such as Drake, Taylor Swift, Lionel Messi, and Lewis Hamilton. Van Gastel speaks internationally about design integration and emerging industry trends at cultural and educational institutions worldwide. *** This is a premium episode on Design Better. We release two premium episodes per month, along with two free episodes for everyone. Premium subscribers also get access to the documentary Design Disruptors and our growing library of books: You'll also get access to our monthly AMAs with former guests, ad-free episodes, discounts and early access to workshops, and our monthly newsletter The Brief that compiles salient insights, quotes, readings, and creative processes uncovered in the show. And subscribers at the annual level now get access to the Design Better Toolkit, which gets you major discounts and free access to tools and courses that will help you unlock new skills, make your workflow more efficient, and take your creativity further. Upgrade to paid ***

In my latest episode, Brett Fischer talks about how AI is transforming teacher creativity. I loved his practical insights and depth of knowledge on this subject. Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog but you'd like to listen to it on the go,... The post Brett Fischer on AI and Teacher Creativity appeared first on Spencer Education.

This week on Catalyst Tammy chats with Parisa Zander, a seasoned professional in the tech industry who recently retired after a successful career spanning nearly three decades at companies like Meta, Samsung and Microsoft. Parisa discusses the challenges of being a woman in tech, the importance of finding one's voice, and the values that guide her leadership style, including honesty, empathy, and the need for fun in the workplace. She also emphasizes that to truly understand your customer you need to go to them and set time aside for real-world testing. How else will you see how people across the country are actually engaging with your product? Please note that the views expressed may not necessarily be those of NTT DATALinks: Parisa Zander - LinkedIn Learn more about Launch by NTT DATASee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As we begin a new year, this podcast will help you take the time to bless your 2025 and Design your 2026. Grab your journal and get ready to feel so much gratitude for the life you have and the life you are creating. Find Kolette's Class here. Buy your copy of It Just Takes One on Amazon here. Write a review here. Sign up for weekly inspiration here.

If you've ever had a beautiful vision board that inspired you and then sat untouched while your real life stayed the same, this episode is for you.Because dreaming is not your problem. Design is.Today, I'm breaking down the exact process I use with high-performing leaders to turn big visions into results you can actually measure, track, and celebrate. Whether you're scaling a business, reinventing your lifestyle, or just tired of feeling stuck in someday, this conversation gives you the blueprint to create real momentum.This is where inspiration meets implementation.What You'll Learn:Why your vision board might be keeping you stuck instead of moving you forwardThe language shift that turns someday I'll have more time into action you can schedule this weekThe exact formula I use with clients to create results, even in the middle of chaosThis isn't about being perfect. It's about getting precise.When you start speaking in specifics, scheduling with intention, and tracking what actually matters, your vision stops living on a corkboard and starts showing up in your calendar.Stop hoping harder. Start designing better.Press play if you're ready to move from dreaming to doing, and from reacting to truly creating the life you say you want.Join Word Bootcamp: My brand-new ONE TIME ONLY LIVE ON ZOOM, 4-week workshop to build the muscle of your word so that your word is law in the universe. This is where your self-trust gets rebuilt from the ground up. Spaces are limited, so grab your spot NOW.wordbootcamp.comConnect With MeWebsite: beunmessablewith.comInstagram: @beunmessablewith

Derek Fordjour was born in Memphis, Tennessee to Ghanaian parents. He is the recipient of the 2025 Gordon Parks Foundation Artist Fellowship, the 2023 St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Spirit of the Dream Award, and previously served as the Alex Katz Chair at Cooper Union. He has received public commissions for the Highline, the NYC AIDS Memorial, MOCA Grand Avenue and the MTA's Arts & Design program. Fordjour's work has been reviewed in The New York Times, Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Los Angeles Times. A monograph of his work will be published by Phaidon in 2027.He is a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta Georgia, earned a Master's Degree in Art Education from Harvard University and an MFA in painting from Hunter College. His work is held in the private and public collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Guggenheim Museum, and The Royal Collection in London among others. He is the founder of the Contemporary Arts Memphis.He and Zuckerman discuss his work, particularly his exhibition “Night Song,” identity, memory, and community, how art can evoke emotional responses and create shared experiences, his creative process, the importance of collaboration, his commitment to giving back to the community through his foundation in Memphis, and how art is life!

About John Dwyer:John is a marketing enigma, a “direct response customer attraction expert” who thinks way outside the box, and his marketing consultancy business is called The Institute Of Wow, with John's mantra being that one's marketing needs to “wow” prospects. He's also the guy who shocked the marketing world some years back when he convinced Jerry Seinfeld to come out of retirement to be the spokesman for an Australian banking institution, The Greater Building Society, heading up a “free vacation campaign” which broke home loan lending records and remains folklore in the global banking industry. This was probably one of the most successful “incentive-promotions” in the world, resulting in many billions of dollars in extra home loans. John helps business owners understand how to exploit platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn by implementing “incentive-based marketing offers” that can be targeted specifically to certain audiences. His client list reads like a Who's Who of business and includes the likes of Rupert Murdoch's News Ltd, 7-Eleven, Westfield Shopping Centres, Walt Disney, KFC, and BP, because they acknowledge he is “the master of creating incentives that work.” In this episode, Dean Newlund and John Dwyer discuss:Why most marketing efforts fail to prove real ROIHow direct response marketing builds brands and drives sales simultaneouslyThe role of incentives and sampling in moving customers off the fenceUsing data and statistics to earn credibility with executivesTranslating creative ideas into measurable business outcomes Key Takeaways:Track cost per lead and conversion rates daily so you can identify ad fatigue early and change creative before performance drops.Design marketing offers that distract attention from price by using incentives, sampling, or bonuses instead of discounts.Present marketing results to executives using statistics and ROI metrics rather than ideas, branding language, or vanity metrics.Turn your expertise into a high-converting offer by giving value first, then inviting prospects to engage deeper instead of selling immediately. "Give, give, give, give before you ask.” — John Dwyer Connect with John Dwyer:  Website: https://theinstituteofwow.comEmail: john@theinstituteofwow.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/instituteofwow/See how incentive-based vacations can drive instant leads: https://vacationsincentive.com/Discover how Facebook contests can generate qualified leads fast: https://fbcontestleads.com/   See Dean's TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I Connect with Dean:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkwWebsite: https://www.mfileadership.com/The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/deannewlundFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/Email: dean.newlund@mfileadership.comPhone: 1-800-926-7370 Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Why do some go-to-market strategies fall flat while others drive lasting success? In this episode of StrategyCast, learn how to cut through GTM complexity, align teams, and use AI for smarter decisions, so your marketing efforts produce real, reliable impact!And don't forget! You can crush your marketing strategy with just a few minutes a week by signing up for the StrategyCast Newsletter. You'll receive weekly bursts of marketing tips, clips, resources, and a whole lot more. Visit https://strategycast.com/ for more details.==Let's Break It Down==03:52 Decision-Making Breakdown Causes Complexity07:41 SDR Impact on Campaign Success12:35 "AI's Role in Early Strategy"15:25 "Key Skills for Better Execution"17:42 "Integrated Marketing Ecosystem Explained"20:06 "Know Your Buyer"23:35 "Streamlining Decisions with AI"==Where You Can Find Us==Website: https://strategycast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strategy_cast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strategycast==Leave a Review==Hey there, StrategyCast fans!If you've found our tips and tricks on marketing strategies helpful in growing your business, we'd be thrilled if you could take a moment to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback not only supports us but also helps others discover how they can elevate their business game!

Most people think discipline is the problem. It's not. The problem is that their life is perfectly engineered for distraction, convenience, and drift. In this episode, Jim breaks down why willpower always loses, how environments quietly shape outcomes, and why 2026 must be designed on purpose. If you want momentum without burnout and results without constant self-negotiation, this is the framework you've been missing. What You'll Learn Why willpower is a losing strategy  How default settings silently dictate your financial and personal outcomes The three environments that shape behavior  The winning strategy of high performers  How to make the right decisions feel obvious instead of exhausting Action Steps: Audit Your Environments Identify one physical, digital, or social environment that is working against the 2026 version of you. If it's producing friction, it's costing you momentum. Remove One Easy Failure Path Delete, hide, or add effort to one habit that is pulling you backward. Convenience works both ways. Use it intentionally. Install One Automatic Win Preload success by setting up a simple system that supports the outcome you want. Layout, automation, and visibility beat motivation every time. Jim Oliver's Shared Wisdom "Stop trying to become disciplined. Design your life so the right decisions happen by default."

Learn how Ben Wise goes about combining training for a class goer who wants to accelerate their progress with individualized programming.» Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6FP_SjVAxwA» View All Episodes: https://zoarfitness.com/podcast/» Hire a Coach: https://www.zoarfitness.com/coach/» Shop Programs: https://www.zoarfitness.com/product-category/downloads/» Follow ZOAR Fitness on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoarfitness/Support the show

Carina talks with Brenna Powell about lessons learned from Design Suite and now as a University of Arts & Design student. These are lessons every designer can relate to!Learn more about Brenna on all her feeds at crafting with brenna. Visit her website at https://craftingoverload.com/.Links to help new designers:What's New: https://www.carinagardner.comDesign Bootcamp: http://www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcampUniversity of Arts & Design: http://uad.educationGet my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional

Most B2B brands think growth comes from turning everything up: more campaigns, more hustle, more competitive swagger. But the brands people actually follow know when to slow down, tune out the noise, and get real.That's the unexpected lesson of KPop Demon Hunters, a movie that uses K-pop stardom, rivalry, and emotional honesty to show what makes an audience stay loyal. In this episode, we break down his marketing lessons with the help of our special guest Ray Lin, Fractional Head of Marketing.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from pacing for quality, standing for something bigger than the rivalry, and making vulnerability a trust engine that drives demand.About our guest, Ray LinRay Lin is a mission-driven marketing leader who turns messy funnels into clean revenue. Over 13+ years across SaaS, marketplaces, and wellness tech, he's built demand gen and ABM machines that actually align with sales—and he's unapologetically pro-AI when it lifts both creativity and efficiency.A Bay Area native and former sports writer turned “accidental but strategic marketer,” Ray believes great marketing is H2H—human to human—before it's ever B2B. He's led and rolled up his sleeves across demand gen, digital, ABM, field, performance, growth, content, product marketing, and lifecycle CRM, with 8+ years inside B2B2C marketplaces like Grubhub, Wellhub and SeatGeek.If your pipeline's leaky, your teams are siloed, or “content” isn't moving deals, Ray's the marketing leader who fixes the system, centers the customer, and gets momentum back on the scoreboard.What B2B Companies Can Learn From KPop Demon Hunters:Work smarter, not harder. KPop Demon Hunters shows that momentum dies when you confuse output with impact. Ray pulls a direct B2B parallel: “one of the lessons that come from Golden is working smarter, not harder… [Marketers] a lot think that extra 10 attempts at ad creative or 10 extra emails that you queue up in your CRM are gonna make all the difference. When in reality, it's about quality, not quantity.” For B2B, this movie is your warning label: speed without intention burns out the team and blurs the story. Make fewer bets, make them sharper, and give your work room to land.Compete with conviction, not contempt. The movie's diss track, Takedown, is a trap: when your identity becomes anti-them, you shrink your own story. Ray says it plainly: “Don't let competitive obsession poison your well.” The point isn't to never compete, it's how you compete. If your positioning is mostly about your rival, you've already let them write your narrative. Lead with what you stand for, and you won't need a villain to feel heroic.Let vulnerability be your differentiator. The movie's emotional turn lands because the heroes stop performing perfection and start telling the truth. That's the B2B move too: honesty travels farther than polish. Ray says, “ The power of vulnerability and transparency… can really skyrocket a B2B brand.” In B2B, authenticity isn't a vibe, it's a trust engine. Build a brand worth believing in.Quote“Always be ready. You don't know what's gonna be a hit and what's not going to. And when it does happen, know how to capitalize on it. And the multiple prongs, the octopus of this behemoth that is KPop Demon Hunters, I think, is that it has all these tentacles… [and] is what makes it so powerful. You can't plan for the success of one tentacle without thinking at least about the others.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Ray Lin, Fractional Head of Marketing[02:15] Why KPop Demon Hunters?[05:10] Role of a Fractional Head of Marketing[06:20] Behind the Scenes of KPop Demon Hunters[16:00] B2B Marketing Lessons from KPop Demon Hunters[27:00] High Concept Storytelling in Media[40:57] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Ray on LinkedInAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today's episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this deeply personal and wide-ranging episode of the AART Podcast, host Chris Stafford sits down with acclaimed South African production designer Sabrina Linder for an intimate biographical conversation about life, creativity, and the winding path that leads to a career in film. Rather than focusing on technical process, this episode explores the human story behind the work. Sabrina Linder reflects on growing up in South Africa, the formative experiences that shaped her artistic sensibility, and how curiosity, resilience, and observation guided her toward a life in visual storytelling. From early influences and cultural identity to the emotional intelligence required to collaborate at the highest levels of film and television, Sabrina shares the moments that quietly — and sometimes unexpectedly — defined her career. Throughout the conversation, Sabrina opens up about navigating creative industries, finding confidence as an artist, and learning how to trust instinct over expectation. She discusses what it means to build worlds for the screen while simultaneously building a life, and how storytelling — whether through design or lived experience — remains at the center of her work. Chris guides the discussion with warmth and curiosity, allowing space for reflection on ambition, self-doubt, mentorship, and the invisible labor behind creative success. The result is a thoughtful portrait of an artist whose career is rooted not only in visual craft, but in empathy, memory, and lived experience. This episode will resonate with artists, filmmakers, designers, and anyone interested in the personal journeys behind creative careers, offering insight, honesty, and inspiration well beyond the screen. Sabrina's links:https://www.sabrinalindercreative.com/ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9513117/ https://www.instagram.com/sabrina_linder_creative/ Fertile by Design on Substack - https://substack.com/@fertilebydesign Keywords / SEO Tags Sabrina Linder, South African production designer, AART podcast, Chris Stafford podcast, production designer interview, film industry careers, women in film, creative biography, artist life story, behind the scenes film, visual storytelling, art and cinema, creative journeys, film design careers, African artists in film, personal stories in art, creative identity, storytelling podcast, film and art podcast BIO South African born Production Designer Sabrina Linder is well known for her trademark work in I Swear 2025, Salvable 2025, The Last Victims (2019).  Her portfolio includes commercials, films, TV and music videos. Sabrina was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1992. to parents Helene Linder, an Artist and interior design enthusiast and father Desmond Lawrence Linder, a quantity surveyor and business owner.  She has one brother Brendan. Sabrina grew up in post Apartheid South Africa where artistic expression among women was not encouraged but subtle influences from her artistic mother subconsciously steered Sabrina towards fashion design. She attended Cornwall Hill College for Grades 0-12 after which she moved to Cape Town to study for her BA Degree in Fashion Design at FEDISA Cape Town. Upon graduating she deferred a BA Honours at the London College of Fashion instead breaking into her first job in film which opened the door to opportunities she had not imagined. Her path was now set in production design and she worked in Props, Costume and Design before focusing in the Production Design where she has found her creative home. She is a multi award winning designer with BFDG Design Award Nominations, the Berlin Music Video Award both in 2023 as well as Lourie Awards and Ciclope Awards in 2022. Sabrina moved to London in 2021 and is currently working on commercials before preparing for her next film production this spring. Sabrina lives in Beaconsfield, England with her partner, and the couple are expecting their first child in March. Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: theaartpodcast@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/women-unscripted--4769409/support.

Late last year, I moderated an event hosted by Pacific Sales Kitchen & Home with the goal of breaking down kitchen desires and needs of todays well informed and demanding design clients. You would think this is an easy conversation to have. I assembled an all star cast of design and architecture talent for an incredible conversation. One that you might want to save and re-listen every now and then. Late last year, I moderated an event hosted by Pacific Sales Kitchen & Home with the goal of breaking down kitchen desires and needs of todays well informed and demanding design clients. You would think this is an easy conversation to have. I assembled an all star cast of design and architecture talent for an incredible conversation. One that you might want to save and re-listen every now and then. At Pacific Sales Kitchen & Home in Torrance, leading architects, designers, and industry specialists gathered to examine how pandemic-era shifts, rising client expectations, and rapid product innovation are reshaping the future of kitchens and baths. Their insights reveal an industry moving beyond trend talk toward highly personalized, wellness-driven, and performance-first design. The kitchen is no longer just a workspace, and the primary bath is no longer just a retreat. Over the past five years, these rooms have become emotional anchors, wellness centers, hospitality zones, tech platforms, and reflections of how people believe they should live. At Pacific Sales Kitchen & Home in Torrance, a cross-section of the industry's leading voices came together to discuss how the profession is adapting—and what clients now expect designers to deliver. For Sayler Design Studio founder Beth Sayler (https://saylorstudio.com), the shift is rooted in emotion. After years of pandemic-related uncertainty, material shortages, and insurance-driven rebuilds, clients want spaces that feel personal, restorative, and meaningful. Her projects now lean into “experience design,” where primary suites might include refrigeration drawers, espresso stations, integrated audio, and hospitality-level details. Her biggest tool is expectation-setting—helping clients redefine what's realistic, what's essential, and what will ultimately make them feel at home again. Architect Luis Escalera of LMD Architecture Studio (https://www.lmdarchitecturestudio.com) experiences the evolution through the lens of constraints. Small lots, stricter codes, and the ongoing battle between mandated electrification and client cooking preferences require tight onboarding, detailed questionnaires, and careful translation of desires to built form. The modern kitchen triangle now includes the deck, yard, and pool—one interconnected lifestyle zone that must function as a unified system. For Jessica Nicastro Design (https://www.jessicanicastrodesign.com), the challenge is volatility. Pricing, tariffs, and supply chains remain inconsistent, making early builder involvement essential. Her firm works to recalibrate what clients think they want—often shaped by social media—into spaces appropriate to the home, lifestyle, and budget. Transparency and trust have become the designer's most valuable currency. At Laney LA (https://www.laney.la), designer Michelle Her sees a growing demand for wellness integration: whole-home RO systems, chromotherapy, therapeutic water pressure, and recovery spaces designed with the same rigor once reserved for kitchens. Their philosophy—“the best idea wins”—creates an environment where architecture, interiors, and engineering collaborate fluidly to support elevated living. Representing the host venue, Pacific Sales Kitchen & Home (https://www.pacificsales.com) showcased the power of specialized knowledge. Trade leaders Verzine Hovasapyan and Juan Pantoja describe a client landscape with no single standard—making customization and education critical. Manufacturer immersion programs ensure staff can guide clients through increasingly complex appliances and smarter home ecosystems, offering a level of service no online retailer can match. Designer Shanna Shryne of Shanna Shryne Design (https://www.shannashryne.com) emphasized lifestyle-first programming. Outdoor kitchens, in particular, require multi-disciplinary collaboration—interiors, landscape architecture, and systems integration—to achieve unified performance. Complexity, she argues, demands partnership rather than lone-wolf generalists. Finally, RHG Architecture + Design founder Rachel Grachowski (https://www.rhgdesign.com) and Hudson Home Interior Design principal Shelly Hudson (https://www.hudsonhomeinteriors.com) highlighted biophilia, natural light, and personalized ergonomics as the next frontiers. From adjustable counter heights to dedicated recovery rooms, the home is becoming a hybrid of spa, laboratory, and living space. Taken together, their perspectives reveal a profession not following trends but redefining standards—one kitchen, one bath, one wellness ecosystem at a time. Design After Disruption: How We Live Now—and Why Process Matters More Than Ever The pandemic didn't just change where we work—it redefined how we live, gather, and experience our homes. In this episode, designers and industry experts explore how COVID accelerated shifts in lifestyle, technology, and client expectations, forcing a fundamental rethink of residential design. From wellness and personalization to process and trust, this conversation reveals why great design today begins long before materials are selected. A wide-ranging conversation about how post-pandemic living reshaped residential design, why understanding behavior matters more than trends, and how slowing the process leads to better, more meaningful homes. Today, we examine the profound shift in how people relate to their homes—and how designers have had to evolve in response. What began as a temporary adjustment during the pandemic became a lasting transformation: homes turned into offices, classrooms, social hubs, and sanctuaries, often all at once. As a result, clients now arrive more informed, more opinionated, and more influenced by social media than ever before. But with that access comes confusion. The conversation explores how designers increasingly serve as educators and translators—helping clients filter inspiration, understand trade-offs, and make decisions rooted in how they actually live rather than how a space looks online. The discussion moves beyond aesthetics into behavior: how families gather, how kitchens function, how storage works, and how subtle design decisions impact daily life. From kitchen planning and furniture layout to the psychology of comfort and the importance of workflow, the episode highlights why the smallest details often matter most. A central theme emerges around process. Thoughtful design requires slowing down, asking better questions, and resisting the pressure for instant gratification. Whether it's understanding how a family entertains, how they cook, or how they want to feel in their home, the best outcomes come from listening first—and designing second. 1. Life After COVID: A Permanent Shift How the pandemic changed expectations around home design The rise of multifunctional spaces Why the home is now both personal and professional 2. Social Media's Influence on Design Culture The upside and downside of endless inspiration Why clients arrive more informed—but often overwhelmed Separating aspiration from practicality 3. Designing for Real Life Understanding how people actually use their homes Why square footage means nothing without function Designing for habits, not hypotheticals 4. The Role of the Designer Has Changed From decorator to strategist Educating clients through experience and data Acting as a guide through complex decisions 5. The Importance of the Kickoff Process Why the first conversations matter most Learning how clients live before proposing solutions Creating clarity through dialogue, not questionnaires 6. Kitchens as Behavioral Maps Storage, workflow, and daily rituals Why drawers often matter more than appliances Designing around how people actually cook and gather 7. Slowing the Process to Improve Outcomes Resisting the urge for instant answers Why design is both art and structured process Helping clients avoid regret through thoughtful planning 8. Trust, Education & Long-Term Value Helping clients understand what they don't yet know Using experience and precedent to guide decisions Designing homes that evolve with the people in them Great design isn't about trends, finishes, or fast decisions—it's about understanding people and tailoring functional design to their lifestyle. This episode reinforces a simple truth: when designers take the time to listen, observe, and educate, the result is not just a better-looking home, but one that truly supports the lives lived inside it.

Featured playlist: The Church (That Meets in My Home) — https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5Yobt1jZDd9Zzn8Ufa-BNciyYv04Cl6mMy books:Exalted: Putting Jesus in His Place — https://www.amazon.com/Exalted-Putting-Jesus-His-Place/dp/0985118709/ref=tmm_pap_title_0God's Design for Marriage (Married Edition) — https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Design-Marriage-Married-Amazing/dp/0998786306/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493422125&sr=1-4&keywords=god%27s+design+for+marriageGod's Design for Marriage (Pre-married Edition) — https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Design-Marriage-What-Before/dp/0985118725/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_topSupport us - become a CTC Partner: https://crosstocrown.org/partners/crosstocrown.org@DougGoodin

In this deeply personal and wide-ranging episode of the AART Podcast, host Chris Stafford sits down with acclaimed South African production designer Sabrina Linder for an intimate biographical conversation about life, creativity, and the winding path that leads to a career in film. Rather than focusing on technical process, this episode explores the human story behind the work. Sabrina Linder reflects on growing up in South Africa, the formative experiences that shaped her artistic sensibility, and how curiosity, resilience, and observation guided her toward a life in visual storytelling. From early influences and cultural identity to the emotional intelligence required to collaborate at the highest levels of film and television, Sabrina shares the moments that quietly — and sometimes unexpectedly — defined her career. Throughout the conversation, Sabrina opens up about navigating creative industries, finding confidence as an artist, and learning how to trust instinct over expectation. She discusses what it means to build worlds for the screen while simultaneously building a life, and how storytelling — whether through design or lived experience — remains at the center of her work. Chris guides the discussion with warmth and curiosity, allowing space for reflection on ambition, self-doubt, mentorship, and the invisible labor behind creative success. The result is a thoughtful portrait of an artist whose career is rooted not only in visual craft, but in empathy, memory, and lived experience. This episode will resonate with artists, filmmakers, designers, and anyone interested in the personal journeys behind creative careers, offering insight, honesty, and inspiration well beyond the screen.Sabrina's links:https://www.sabrinalindercreative.com/ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9513117/ https://www.instagram.com/sabrina_linder_creative/ Fertile by Design on Substack - https://substack.com/@fertilebydesign Keywords / SEO Tags Sabrina Linder, South African production designer, AART podcast, Chris Stafford podcast, production designer interview, film industry careers, women in film, creative biography, artist life story, behind the scenes film, visual storytelling, art and cinema, creative journeys, film design careers, African artists in film, personal stories in art, creative identity, storytelling podcast, film and art podcast BIO South African born Production Designer Sabrina Linder is well known for her trademark work in I Swear 2025, Salvable 2025, The Last Victims (2019).  Her portfolio includes commercials, films, TV and music videos. Sabrina was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1992. to parents Helene Linder, an Artist and interior design enthusiast and father Desmond Lawrence Linder, a quantity surveyor and business owner.  She has one brother Brendan. Sabrina grew up in post Apartheid South Africa where artistic expression among women was not encouraged but subtle influences from her artistic mother subconsciously steered Sabrina towards fashion design. She attended Cornwall Hill College for Grades 0-12 after which she moved to Cape Town to study for her BA Degree in Fashion Design at FEDISA Cape Town. Upon graduating she deferred a BA Honours at the London College of Fashion instead breaking into her first job in film which opened the door to opportunities she had not imagined. Her path was now set in production design and she worked in Props, Costume and Design before focusing in the Production Design where she has found her creative home. She is a multi award winning designer with BFDG Design Award Nominations, the Berlin Music Video Award both in 2023 as well as Lourie Awards and Ciclope Awards in 2022. Sabrina moved to London in 2021 and is currently working on commercials before preparing for her next film production this spring. Sabrina lives in Beaconsfield, England with her partner, and the couple are expecting their first child in March.Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: theaartpodcast@gmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.A Hollowell Studios ProductionInstagram: @theaartpodcast Email: hollowellstudios@gmail.com© Copyright: Chris Stafford | Hollowell StudiosAll Rights Reserved

In this episode, I want to say something clearly—and maybe a little provocatively:Stability isn't something you earn later. It's something you design early—or you pay for it. Dearly.If you're leading a nonprofit right now and feeling overwhelmed by how hard it all feels, I want you to lean in. Because what I'm talking about in this episode might just be the shift you've been looking for.So many of the leaders I work with assume the chaos and pressure are temporary—that things will ease up after the next grant lands, or once a new hire settles in. But I want to challenge that belief. Because the truth is: chaos doesn't resolve itself. It compounds.In this episode, I unpack one of the most important frameworks I teach: the idea of the Design Deficit™—what happens when your organization grows on top of systems that were never built to hold that growth.You'll hear why your org might be feeling fragile or unsustainable even as you grow, and why no amount of hustle will fix that. I'll also walk you through the Stability Flywheel™—my model for designing predictable revenue, distributed leadership, and actual strategic clarity that doesn't live in a dusty doc somewhere.This is an episode about reclaiming your sanity, designing for sustainability, and getting real about the cost of “just making it work.”Let's stop waiting for stability to arrive, and start building it—on purpose.What You'll Learn:Why instability isn't a temporary phase—it's a structural issueHow to spot a “design deficit” in your org (and what it's costing you)The 3 pillars of The Stability Flywheel™: Capital, Capacity, and ClarityA simple “pressure test” to assess your org's ability to scaleWhy later is a lie—and what to do now to reclaim your time and sanityKey Takeaways:Chaos doesn't resolve itself—it compoundsYou're not the problem: your org wasn't designed to carry this weightReal resilience comes from structure, not hustleYou can't scale on heroic effort—you need a flywheel that spins without youStability is built. And it starts with a single intentional shift.Reflection Questions:What would break if your organization doubled in size tomorrow?Where are you still the glue?What is one workflow, system, or role that you could redesign this month to absorb pressure?Want to work together? Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale. Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board! Connect with me! LinkedIn Instagram YouTube

Every building comes with a set of expectations. Students are quiet in a library, but loud on a playground. Adults are focused in their deckchairs yet chatty on bar stools. Witnessing the limitations of conventional building design, Jan Golembiewski began to leverage design psychology to improve the lives of different groups, from inmates to the elderly. As one of the world's leading researchers in architectural design psychology, Dr. Golembiewski works to create spaces that prioritize health and overall flourishing.In this revisited episode, Dart and Jan discuss how salutogenic design works, how the spaces around us shape the way we think and feel, and what it means to create workplaces and buildings where people can truly thrive.Dr. Jan Golembiewski is an architect and researcher focused on the psychology of the built environment. He studies how design can support health, dignity, and human flourishing.In this episode, Dart and Jan discuss:- A unique design approach called salutogenesis- Designing a workplace where employees can thrive- Salutogenic architecture- Balancing affordances and choices in design- The narrative context embedded in architecture- How money-driven architecture affects livability- The key traits of salutogenic architects- And other topics…Dr. Jan Golembiewski is an architect and researcher who specializes in the psychology of the built environment. He is the director and nominated architect of Psychological Design and the co-founder and CEO of Earthbuilt Technology. His work explores how architectural settings affect health, behavior, and well-being, with a particular focus on salutogenic design. Golembiewski received his Ph.D. in architecture from the University of Sydney and has served as an adjunct professor and a judge for international design and health awards.Resources mentioned:Claus Raasted and Paul Bulencea on Work for Humans: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-art-of-transformation-experience-design/id1612743401?i=1000623034271 The Battle for the Life and Beauty of the Earth, by Christopher Alexander: https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Life-Beauty-Earth-World-Systems/dp/0199898073Magic, by Jan Golembiewski: https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Jan-Golembiewski-ebook/dp/B07J5RNFWVConnect with Jan:Website: www.psychological.designLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-golembiewski-a4802a15/ Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=vwuUGOkAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=aoWork with Dart:Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what's most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

Tim Bucher, CEO and cofounder of Agtonomy, joins Amir to break down what physical AI looks like when it leaves the lab and shows up on the farm. Tim shares how his sixth generation farming roots and a lucky intro computer science class led to a career that included Microsoft, Apple, and Dell, then back into agriculture with a mission that hits the real world fast.This conversation is about building tech that earns its keep, delivers clear ROI, and improves quality of life for the people who keep the food supply moving.Key takeaways• Deep domain experience is a real advantage, especially in ag tech, you cannot fake the last mile of operations• The win is ROI first, but quality of life is right behind it, less stress, more time, and fewer dangerous moments on the job• Agtonomy focuses on autonomy software inside existing equipment ecosystems, not building tractors from scratch, because service networks and financing matter• One operator can run multiple vehicles, shifting the role from tractor driver to tech enabled fleet operator• Hiring can change when the work changes, some farms started attracting younger candidates by posting roles like ag tech operatorTimestamped highlights00:42 What Agtonomy does, physical AI for off road equipment like tractors01:45 Tim's origin story, sixth generation farming roots and the class that changed his path03:59 Lessons from Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Michael Dell, and how Tim filtered the mantras into his own leadership05:53 The moment everything shifted, labor pressure, regulations, and the prototype built to save his own farm09:17 The blunt advice for ag tech founders, if you do not have a farmer on the team, fix that11:54 ROI in plain terms, one person operating a fleet from a phone or tablet14:29 Why Agtonomy partners with equipment manufacturers instead of building new vehicles, dealers, parts, service, and financing are the backbone17:39 The overlooked benefit, quality of life, reduced stress, and a more resilient food supply chain20:18 How farms started hiring differently, “ag tech operator” roles and even “video game experience” as a signalA line that stuck with me“This is not just for Trattori farms. This is for the whole world. Let's go save the world.”Pro tips you can actually use• If you are building in a physical industry, hire a real operator early, not just advisors, get someone who lives the workflow• Write job posts that match the modern workflow, if the work is screen based, label it that way and recruit for it• Design onboarding around familiar tools, if your UI feels like a phone app, training time can collapseCall to actionIf you got value from this one, follow the show and share it with a builder who cares about real world impact. For more conversations like this, subscribe and connect with Amir on LinkedIn.

Points of discussion:1. Sub Brand Use Cases for Your Brewery [BBT Newsletter]2. In-house with Rhinegeist3. On the perils of releasing a budget brand [BBT Newsletter]4. How we built the Cold Drinking Beer brand [Case Study]-Learn more at: www.craftbeerrebranded.com / http://www.beyondbeerbook.com-Have a topic or question you'd like us to field on the show? Shoot it our way: hello@cododesign.com-Join 8,000+ food and bev industry pros who are subscribed to the Beer Branding Trends Newsletter (and access all past issues) at: www.beerbrandingtrends.com 

Published as a 47-page pamphlet in colonial America on January 10, 1776, Common Sense challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. The elegantly plain and persuasive language that Thomas Paine used touched the hearts and minds of the average American and was the first work to openly ask for political freedom and independence from Great Britain. Paine’s powerful words came to symbolize the spirit of the Revolution itself. General George Washington had it read to his troops. Codex 4.1 Common Sense by Thomas Paine (read by Walter Dixon) at https://amzn.to/3MHAIYr Common Sense by Thomas Paine (book) available at https://amzn.to/3MKX77b Writings of Thomas Paine available at https://amzn.to/3MCaFC2 Books about Thomas Paine available at https://amzn.to/4s3qxOg ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet SUPPOaRT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you). Mark Vinet's HISTORICAL JESUS podcast is available at https://parthenonpodcast.com/historical-jesus Mark's TIMELINE video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkVinet_HNA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Mark's books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Audio Credit: Common Sense—The Origin and Design of Government by Thomas Paine, audio recording read by Walter Dixon (Public Domain 2011 Gildan Media). Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SUCCESS BY DESIGN: THE SECRET STRATEGY FOR QUALITY VEGETATIVELY PROPAGATED SPRING CROPS FROM THE JANUARY 2026 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE WRITTEN BY CHRISTOPHER J. CURREY NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS   EXCERPT: The secret strategy for quality vegetatively propagated spring crops isn't too complicated: healthy cuttings, healthy rooted liners, healthy finished crops. While much is written and discussed about managing fertilizer when finishing containerized spring crops, managing nutrients during cutting propagation receives less attention. But to produce healthy rooted cuttings, cutting fertilization needs to be managed across all five stages of liner production: Stage 0—Prior to harvest or arrival of cuttings; Stage 1— Cutting arrival and sticking; Stage 2—Callusing; Stage 3—Root development; and Stage 4—Toning. Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_26_01/index.aspx

Episode 55: What Is Good Design? – features Debbie Millman, breaking down good design as intention, effortlessness, and respect for the human experience.Episode Summary: This episode of The Simple Questions Podcast features a conversation with Debbie Millman, a designer, author, educator, and host of the Design Matters podcast.Listen as Debbie breaks down what good design really is, how design shows up in everyday life, why intention and effortlessness matter, how taste evolves, and what separates good design from great design. In this episode we discuss:00:27 – Introducing Debbie Millman03:00 – Where design exists in everyday life04:00 – Design as intention-making05:30 – What good design feels like (effortlessness, comfort, safety)09:20 – Common design challenges and constraints13:10 – What separates good design from great22:30 – How design has evolved with technology24:30 – AI-generated design 26:30 – How taste changes over time29:40 – Advice for aspiring designers30:40 – Learning more31:10 – ConclusionResources:Debbie's WebsiteDesign Matters PodcastThis episode includes the track 'RSPN' by Blank & Kytt. The song is used under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. You can find more of Blank & Kytt's music ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠

Stay updated on hardware startup strategy packages (The Building Blocks by The Builder Circle) coming soon: https://forms.gle/8vQycwzeMvm43kPc6In this special episode, host Sera reflects on the journey of The Builder Circle podcast, revisiting its origins, purpose, and evolution. Sera shares personal experiences as a mechanical engineer and startup mentor, and discusses how the show has grown to serve hardware founders, engineers, and enthusiasts.Key Topics Covered:The "why" behind The Builder Circle and its mission to support the hardware community.Sera's background: education, startup experience, and mentorship roles.Common challenges in hardware startups and how the podcast addresses them.The importance of community, sharing case studies, and learning from failures.New affordable resources: upcoming tools, methods, and information packages for hardware founders.Listener Resources & Episode Guide:Manufacturing Readiness: Season 1, Episode 4 with Scott Miller – "Cracking the Code of Hardware Manufacturing"Fundraising & Capital Stacks: Season 1, Episode 9 with Orin Hoffman – "Building a Strong Capital Stack for Hardware Product" Season 3, Episode 4 with Carto OA OA (Extension Capital) – "How Hardware VCs Evaluate Founders"Supply Chain & Trade Compliance: Season 2, Episode 9 with Ying Lu – "Global Supply Chain Leadership at Apple" Season 3, Episode 2 with Gabrielle Griffith – "Trade Compliance Essentials"Accelerators & Incubators: Season 3, Episode 3 with Techstars Managing Director – "Choosing the Right Program"AI in Hardware: Season 3, Episode 5 with Kristen – "The Future of Design, Manufacturing, and Innovation"Firmware & Med Tech: Season 2, Episode 1 with Elicia White – "Firmware for Hardware Builders" Season 2, Episode 2 with Alan Cohen – "Navigating Med Tech and FDA Clearance"All content is for informational purposes only by listening you waive all liability.

Our culture is lying about identity—and the consequences are devastating. In this bold follow-up conversation, Walt Heyer exposes how trauma and ideology fuel confusion, and why real compassion means telling the truth and returning to God's design. This is a hard conversation, but it's one we can't afford to ignore.Prime Sponsor: No matter where you live, visit the Functional Medical Institute online today to connect with Drs Mark and Michele Sherwood. Go to homeschoolhealth.com to get connected and see some of my favorites items. Use coupon code HEIDI for 20% off!Show mentions: http://heidistjohn.com/mentionsWebsite | heidistjohn.comSupport the show! | donorbox.org/donation-827Rumble | rumble.com/user/HeidiStJohnYoutube | youtube.com/@HeidiStJohnPodcastInstagram | @‌heidistjohnFacebook | Heidi St. JohnX | @‌heidistjohnFaith That Speaks Online CommunitySubmit your questions for Fan Mail Friday | heidistjohn.net/fanmailfriday

Darrin Caddes may not be a name you know, but you know his work. Darrin is a designer who has worked for many companies, most recently Plantronics. But it's his time with BMW and Indian that made a mark on the motorcycle industry. Ever heard of the BMW GSA? As in Adventure? Yep, he's the one who turned the GS into the proper adventure bike we know today. Darrin shares his stories with us of the old school design process of sketching and sculpting to design components and whole bikes. He also tells us his story of why he never got to ride any of the bikes he designed. Enjoy. www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com motorcyclesandmisfits@gmail.com www.breakingawayadventures.com/shop/p/mi…-rally-v4 www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew womenridersworldrelay.com/ motorcyclesandmisfits.com/shop Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT

In this episode we'll talk about:Why society's definition of success often traps us instead of freeing usThe hidden cost of lifestyle inflation and constant performanceHow living beneath your means creates creative and emotional freedomWhy simplicity sharpens focus and deepens your workThe difference between recognition-driven success and sustainable successRedefining wealth as margin, presence, and choiceand more. CONNECT WITH ME…→ Instagram — @mattgottesman→ My Substack — mattgottesman.substack.com → Apparel — thenicheisyou.comRESOURCES…→ Recommended Book List — CLICK HERE→ Masterclass — CLICK HEREWORKSHOPS + MASTERCLASS:→ Need MORE clarity? - Here's the FREE… 6 Days to Clarity Workshop - clarity for your time, energy, money, creativity, work & play→ Write, Design, Build: Content Creator Studio & OS - Growing the niche of you, your audience, reach, voice, passion & incomeOTHER RELATED EPISODES:Faith Isn't Knowing the Whole Path… It's Taking the Next Honest StepApple: https://apple.co/3MB62IuSpotify: https://bit.ly/4rZw3RN

The STR game has changed—and most operators haven't caught up.In this episode, we break down what actually separates top-performing short-term rentals from the ones stuck in the middle. From design and amenities to operations, leadership, and systems—this is a real look at how elite STR businesses are built and sustained in hyper-competitive markets.This isn't theory. It's what's working right now.Inside this episode:- Why “good enough” STRs are getting crushed- The amenity arms race (and how to win without wasting money)- What guests notice that most hosts completely miss- How ops and hospitality matter more than design long-term- Why disciplined systems protect profit—even in down years- The leadership mindset required to scale without chaosIf you want longevity in this industry, this episode is required listening.00:06:15 – Becoming “The Guy” in a Hyper-Competitive STR Market07:45 – Why Copying Competitors Is a Losing Strategy09:15 – The New Minimum Standard for STR Design & Amenities11:40 – Why Half-Upgraded Properties Always Underperform18:50 – The Amenity Arms Race: What Actually Moves Revenue20:00 – When Design Stops Mattering and Ops Take Over26:10 – Building Teams and Systems That Don't Break Under Stress30:45 – Leadership Lessons from Military and STR Operations34:05 – How Efficiency Protects Profit in Down Revenue Years39:35 – The Long-Term STR Play: Scale, Discipline, and LongevityGuest Bio:Shane O'Connor is the CEO & Founder of Alchemy Real Estate & Alchemy Hosting. Alchemy is based in Tampa, FL, building a portfolio of Short-Term Rental assets primarily focused in Central Florida. By delivering vertically integrated, top-tier service from beginning to end in the investment process, Alchemy has grown from a single property (and single employee) to 11 properties & a team of four in less than a year. In that same time, Alchemy will have also delivered more than $3M in closed real estate deals for its clients.By the end of 2022, it is Shane's goal to have a blended Direct Ownership & Co Hosting portfolio of 30 properties centered in Florida, to then begin expanding to other markets. Shane is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and served as an Officer in the U.S. Navy for 9 years. He received an M.S. Degree in Real Estate from the University of Florida. He runs the company with his brother, Captain Devin O'Connor, who is an active duty Marine Corps helicopter pilot in addition to being the Director of Operations for Alchemy.Guest Link:https://www.instagram.com/oc_dreams19/Get FREE Access to our Community and Weekly Trainings:https://group.strsecrets.com/

Ever think you don't have systems in every part of your business? Think again. That's the core insight from my recent conversation with O'Brien McMahon on The People Business Podcast. Whether you realize it or not, the way you run your business is a system, it might just be a chaotic one. O'Brien and I dove deep into what systems thinking actually means and why it's the difference between businesses that scale smoothly and those that stay stuck fighting fires. The Truth About Systems Here's what most people miss: you already have systems. The question isn't whether you have them—it's whether they're designed to get you the results you want. As Charlie Munger said, "Show me the incentives, and I'll show you the results." Your systems create your incentives, and your incentives drive your outcomes. If you're not getting the growth you want or you're watching opportunities slip through the cracks, your systems are telling you exactly what's wrong. The creative who says "the universe tells me what to do" still has a system. Maybe they need a walk before designing. Maybe they journal before going on stage. It's all systems supporting what we're trying to accomplish. Start Where You're Leaking O'Brien shared a brilliant framework I want you to steal: don't rebuild everything from scratch. Instead, ask yourself: Where am I leaking right now? Are you leaking sales opportunities? Energy? Attention to detail? Anxiety? Find your biggest leak, fix that one thing, work it until it becomes habit, then move to the next leak. This iterative approach beats the comprehensive overhaul every single time. The Consistency Advantage Leaders who are clear on their vision and how they execute get consistent results. The chaotic ones? Sometimes they win big, sometimes they don't. The difference comes down to consistency. Your systems should connect your leading indicators to your lagging indicators. Why aren't you growing your email list? Why are customers dropping off at checkout? Your systems will tell you if you've designed them to measure what matters. My Systems Origin Story I learned this from my dad, a German electrician who ran his own business. Everything was systematic—how he set up his day, executed his work, and followed through on billing. I saw it all working alongside him. That gift of systematic thinking is why I named the podcast Systematic Leader. The leaders who understand their systems and execute consistently are the ones who transform their businesses from reactive chaos to proactive growth engines. The Annual Systems Check-Up Here's your homework: step back at least once a year and map how all your systems connect. You'll find systems that aren't working as well as they used to, broken processes, and opportunities to double down on what's working. This exercise shows your team you're not here to do the minimum, you're committed to improving every single day. That standard-setting matters more than you think. Start Where It's Uncomfortable O'Brien nailed it at the end of our conversation: "It's probably gonna be most effective in the area you least wanna do it." The thing you're avoiding? That's probably your biggest opportunity. Don't try to jog eight miles on day one. Build a small system that gets you going for five minutes. Make it routine. Watch the results compound. When you see customers coming back more and referring more because of one small systematic change, that's when you realize: this actually works. Your Next Step Pick one area where you're leaking: time, money, opportunities, or energy. Design one small system to plug that leak. Work it for 30 days. That's how you transform from firefighter to growth engine. Want help identifying where your systems are breaking down? Take the 5-minute Customer Experience Assessment at systematicleader.co and let's find those hidden leaks before they become expensive problems. Thanks you O'Brien McMahon

 With host retail coach Wendy Batten   https://wendybatten.com/podcast-intro/   In This Episode: You know that shop down the street that always seems to be doing well? The one that looks calm, confident, and steady while everyone else feels frantic? In this Season 6 kickoff episode of Creative Shop Talk, I'm pulling back the curtain on what's actually happening behind the scenes and sharing my 7 predictions for what independent retailers need to focus on in 2026 if they want a business that lasts. This episode is not about doing more. It's about focusing on what matters. We're talking about building a brand that means something, understanding profit instead of just chasing sales, making smarter inventory decisions, designing intentional customer experiences, building systems that don't rely on you, stepping fully into your CEO role, and defining success in a way that includes your life, not just your revenue. If you're an established shop owner who wants sustainability, clarity, and momentum going into 2026, this episode will help you cut through the noise and focus on what actually matters. Key Takeaways A real brand is built on trust, standards, and consistency, not just visuals. Sales don't equal profit. You need clarity on what actually drives profit. The strongest decisions come from a blend of intuition, experience, and data. Inventory is working capital, not decor. You're not competing with Amazon. You're competing with indifference. If your business can't function without you, you've built a job, not a company. CEO-level leadership brings calm, clarity, and direction. A successful business that costs you your life is not success. 7 Focus Areas in Your Retail Biz in 2026: 1. Build a brand that actually means something. Your brand is the promise you keep. Standards, consistency, and trust matter more than aesthetics. 2. Get real profit clarity. Revenue can look impressive while profit quietly disappears. Understand margins and true profit drivers. 3. Treat inventory like the asset it is. Inventory is cash tied up on your shelves. Buy intentionally and review performance regularly. 4. Design the customer experience on purpose. Experience is strategy. Every touchpoint should be intentional. 5. Build systems that don't rely on you. If everything funnels through you, growth stalls. Systems create leverage. 6. Step fully into your CEO role. CEO leadership means direction, standards, and decision-making, not people-pleasing. 7. Define success in a way that includes your life. Start with the life you want, then build the business to support it.   "Your business should support your life. That's not indulgent. It's intelligent." -Wendy Batten   Related podcasts we think you'll like:  Episode 118: How To Create Loyalty and Amazing Customer Experiences with Guest Expert & Author: Shep Hyken Episode 243: Behind the Counter: Creating Customer Joy in Retail with Kim Williams of The Polka Dot Press Episode 274: Is Your Customer Journey Map Working? Audit it Now! About your host, Wendy Batten In case we haven't met you…I'm Wendy Batten. I've been a small business owner, coach, and mentor for over 25 years, and I help thoughtful, established entrepreneurs step into their role as CEO and build businesses that are profitable, meaningful, and supportive of the lives they want to live. My work blends real-world strategy with a life-first philosophy, shaped by lived experience, not theory. I've been there! Through honest conversations and practical insight, I invite you into bigger thinking about leadership, possibility, and how to build both business and life on purpose.  For more support from Wendy Hang out and connect with Wendy on IG All of Wendy's current programs and services for shop owners can be found HERE.  Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Creative Shop Talk Podcast and get the tools, inspiration, and strategies you need to thrive as an independent retailer.Click here to subscribe to iTunes!  Loved the episode? Leave a quick review on iTunes- your reviews help other retailers find my podcast, and they're also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. So grateful for you! Tha

Hello! This is Episode 383, and in it, we’re getting an update from HOME Method members, Louise and Zane, about their renovation project. They’re currently under construction in their renovation and extension of a Californian Bungalow in Melbourne. [For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/383] If you haven’t heard the earlier parts of Louise and Zane’s journey, head back to Episodes 317 and 318, and then their most recent updates in Episodes 354 and 355. You’ll hear how they approached choosing their team, what they wanted to create with their Californian Bungalow renovation and extension in Melbourne, and the early preparation they did to set themselves up well. You can find those at: www.undercoverarchitect.com/317 www.undercoverarchitect.com/318 www.undercoverarchitect.com/354 www.undercoverarchitect.com/355 In this conversation, Louise and Zane share where the project is at now, and the great news is that construction is moving along smoothly and they’re getting to enjoy that shift where the house starts to feel like a home. They also talk candidly about the early challenges of bank finance and timing, and how, once that was resolved, they’ve been able to find a really solid rhythm with the build. We also dive into how they’ve used the PAC Process with their team, why their Design Brief (using the Brief Builder template from HOME Method) has been such an important anchor for decisions. They also discuss how having their architect also act as their interior designer helped bring forward key selections and reduce pressure during construction. Not all architects work this way, so it’s super interesting to hear how this helped Louise and Zane in their project. Plus, they share how and why they’ve staged parts of the project, including what they’ve done now to make stage two simpler when they’re ready. It’s a fantastic update that shows how the preparation, learning and work they did in the earlier parts of their project is now supporting a streamlined, confident and collaborative construction process overall. And if you’d like to grab a full transcript of this episode, you can find all of that by heading to www.undercoverarchitect.com/383. Now, let’s dive in! RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST: For links, images and resources mentioned in this podcast, head to >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/383 Accessing my free '44 Ways' E-Book will simplify sustainability and help you create a healthy, low tox and sustainable home. You can download your free copy here >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/ways Access the support and guidance you need to be confident and empowered when designing, renovating or building your future home inside my signature online program, HOME Method >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/courses/the-home-method/ Just a reminder: All content on this podcast is provided by Undercover Architect for reference purposes and as general guidance. It does not take into account specific circumstances and should not be relied on in that way. You should seek independent verification or advice before relying on this content in any circumstances, including but not limited to circumstances where loss or damage may result. The views and opinions of any guests on the podcast are solely their own. They may not reflect the views of Undercover Architect. Undercover Architect endeavours to publish content that is accurate at the time it is published, but does not accept responsibility for content that may or has become inaccurate over time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Featured playlist: The Church (That Meets in My Home) — https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5Yobt1jZDd9Zzn8Ufa-BNciyYv04Cl6mMy books:Exalted: Putting Jesus in His Place — https://www.amazon.com/Exalted-Putting-Jesus-His-Place/dp/0985118709/ref=tmm_pap_title_0God's Design for Marriage (Married Edition) — https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Design-Marriage-Married-Amazing/dp/0998786306/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493422125&sr=1-4&keywords=god%27s+design+for+marriageGod's Design for Marriage (Pre-married Edition) — https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Design-Marriage-What-Before/dp/0985118725/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_topSupport us - become a CTC Partner: https://crosstocrown.org/partners/crosstocrown.org@DougGoodin